The history of Western philosophy spans over two thousand years, but most of the running has been made by a surprisingly small number of thinkers. It has been said that all Western philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato, but this book takes a more accommodating view in selecting the fifty figures who have made the largest contributions to the development of our reflection upon the world and ourselves. Ranging from Plato to Wittgenstein, the thinkers treated include Aristotle, medieval philosophers and modern philosophers from Descartes and Locke to the continental schools. The book is designed as a reference tool and lists of the writers' works are included, along with guides to further reading.