Succinctly distills each of the great philosophers' best-known theories through their most famous quotes--from Aristotle to Wittgenstein We may have heard of Socrates, Plato, Descartes, and Nietzsche, but what did they believe? What were their famous aphorisms? This book explains as simply as possible the ideas behind the world's most highly regarded philosophers, examining their core beliefs and presenting choice quotes that succinctly distill their most famous theories. Written in an accessible and informative style, it will help readers get to grips with the complex concepts of philosophy through the ages, and help match the theories to the names.