Introduction
The beginning of the humanities series, raising the curtain

Chapter 1.
Philosophy of the Athenian Age: The Exploration of Humanity

1.
Protagoras (BC)
485?~BC
410?)
2.
Socrates (BC)
470?~BC
399)
3.
Plato (BC)
428?~BC
347?)
4.
Aristotle (BC)
384~BC
322)

Chapter 2.
Philosophy of the Hellenistic Age: The Age of Confusion

1.
Epicurus (BC)
341~BC
270)
2.
Xenon (BC)
335~BC
263)
3.
Epictetus (55?~135?) ˙
4.
Aurelius (121-180)

Chapter 3.
Philosophy of the Middle Ages_The Dark Ages

1.
Augustine (354-430)
2.
Thomas Aquinas (1225?–1274)

Chapter 4.
Modern Philosophy: The Age of Awakened Reason

1.
Descartes (1596-1650)
2.
Bacon (1561-1626)
3.
Spinoza (1632-1677)
4.
Hobbes (1588–1679)
5.
Hume (1711-1776)
6.
Kant (1724-1804)
7.
Hegel (1770-1831) ˙
8.
Bentham (1748-1832)
9.
Mill (1806-1873)

Chapter 5.
Modern Philosophy: The Limits of Reason and the Birth of the Individual

1.
Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
2.
Heidegger (1889-1976)
3.
Sartre (1905-1980)
4.
Dewey (1859-1952)

A History of Western Philosophy Made Easy for Everyone in Graphic Novels
A story about Western philosophy written and illustrated by a practicing teacher.

Philosophy that develops thinking skills and improves philosophical and character qualities
Philosophy that awakens the brain, philosophy that is easy and fun!

“Why did Plato and Aristotle not get along?”
“If Socrates and Kant had a philosophical battle, who would win?”
“Did Spinoza really like apples?”
“Were the Sophists really sophists?”

A graphic novel that is easy and fun to approach.
A comprehensive overview of Western philosophy, from ancient to modern.

The humanities, which focus on fundamental issues, ideas, and culture related to humanity, are perhaps like air, permeating every corner of our lives.
Why, then, do people say the humanities are difficult, and why do they say they need them to be respected and live as human beings? What is the relationship between philosophy and the humanities, and why is it considered the foundation of the humanities? Philosophy (philosophia) is a combination of the Greek words philos (love) and sophia (wisdom), and its meaning is literally "the study of the love of wisdom."
Therefore, philosophy, the study of human thought and inquiry to gain wisdom, cannot help but be the beginning of the humanities, which deals with humans as their subject.
Even in modern humanities books, the names of Western philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, Bacon, and Kant appear without fail.


However, we only know the names of these philosophers, but we do not know well the environment in which they were born and how they grew up to become famous philosophers today, and what theories they developed that we follow what they say.
Moreover, there are so many philosophers who have made their mark from ancient times to the present that it is impossible to count them all on one hand.
So how did the author select 23 philosophers from among so many and put them into this one book, complete with illustrations?

The most renowned philosophers in the history of Western philosophy
The philosophers we see in textbooks are coming out one after another.

The author, who teaches children at school, was wondering how to help children easily encounter the humanities and develop a humanistic mindset, and found a solution in graphic novels.
This is a chronological compilation of philosophers from the Western ethical thought section of the high school textbook "Ethics and Thought," presented in the webtoon format that people these days like.
What can we feel and realize from the lives of the 23 philosophers introduced here?

Chapter 1 deals with the philosophy of the Athenian era, which began the exploration of humanity.
Beginning with Protagoras, the representative philosopher of the Sophists, the three great philosophers appear one after another: Socrates, who said that even a bad law is a law; Plato, who discussed ideas; and Aristotle, who was evaluated as a genius with outstanding talents in various fields.
Chapter 2 summarizes the philosophy of the Hellenistic period, which is called the Age of Chaos.
Epicurus, represented by Ataraxia, Zeno, a representative of the Stoic school, and Aurelius, known as the imperial philosopher, appear.
During this Hellenistic period, Epicureanism and Stoicism formed the two major schools.


Chapter 3 reveals Augustine, who spoke of patristic philosophy during the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, and Thomas Aquinas, a scholastic philosopher who rose to the ranks of saints.
Chapter 4 introduces philosophers who were active in the modern era, known as the age of awakened reason.
Broadly speaking, renowned philosophers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Kant, and Hegel, who fall into the category of rationalism, and Bacon, Hobbes, Hume, Bentham, and Mill, who can be grouped as empiricists, come forward and present their own arguments.
Chapter 5 introduces philosophers who rose to fame in the modern era, when the rational-centered philosophy perfected by German idealism collapsed and the individual emerged: existentialist philosophers Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, and pragmatist philosopher Dewey.


In this way, the history of the thoughts of countless philosophers from ancient times to the present gives the impression of a long novel showing the history of the human mind.
The lives of some philosophers are as dramatic as novels, which adds to their interest.
I hope we too can absorb the teachings and attitudes toward life of these philosophers, who have transcended time and space to offer deep empathy and comfort.
And I hope that reading this book with a light heart will spark an interest in philosophy, leading to more specialized and in-depth books that will provide an opportunity for everyone to reflect on a more humane life.