*Introduced by Rory Stewart*

What makes a person good? What does it mean to be evil? And what does it tell us about being human?

Philosophers have been grappling with these questions for thousands of years, and they remain as vital as ever in our present moment. Here, in a selection of essays each written by a different world expert, we explore the ideas of twelve strikingly different philosophers. From Hannah Arendt’s 'banality of evil' to Nietzsche’s embrace of suffering, from John Stuart Mill’s ethics of happiness to the ruthless realism of Machiavelli, there is an approach for readers of all persuasions. This is the book for anyone trying to understand how humans can sometimes behave so badly, and how we can all be better.

Rory Stewart is the co-host with Alastair Campbell of the podcast The Rest Is Politics. His books include Politics on the Edge, a #1 Sunday Times bestseller, the New York Times bestseller The Places in Between and, most recently, Middleland: Dispatches from the Borders. He previously served in the UK Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development.

Andrew Irwin is Philosophy editor at the TLS.