Norman Melchert

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Norman Melchert (born 1933) is a

philosopher and author. He taught at Lehigh University
from 1962 until his retirement in 1995. He is the author of several books, the most notable of which is his introduction to philosophy, The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy.

Early life and influences

Norman Melchert was born in 1933 in

Christian thought
has been a strong influence on his life, thought, and works.

As a young man, he felt moved to follow in his father's footsteps and become a minister. To this end he graduated from

PhD). His thesis was an examination of the work of the American realist and humanist, Roy Wood Sellars
. He resigned from the ministry in 1965 and devoted his energies to philosophy, being particularly interested in epistemology, ethics, and the philosophy of mind.

Personal life

In 1956 Norman married Novalene Black, who became his lifelong partner. Together they have three children.

He retired from Lehigh University in 1995 and with his wife moved to Richmond, Virginia where two of his sons and their families live. He then became an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, teaching occasionally and continuing with his writings.

In the mid 1970s he took up cycling and became a very successful racer in the veteran's class, winning many medals and trophies in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Zealand, where his eldest son lives. In 1991 he rode across the country with two friends from Seattle to Cape May New Jersey.

Books

Originally his PhD thesis, this book was published in 1968.

  • Who's to Say? [2]

A

Kierkegaardian
choice. An interesting aspect of the work is that their tour forms a kind of allegory of the discussion (for example, the riders encounter long and steep hills on days when they discuss particularly difficult issues).

Who's to Say? is available as a Google Books.

  • The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy [3]

By far his most popular work, this widely used textbook is currently in its eighth edition. It looks at

Jewish
thinkers.

  • Philosophical Conversations: A Concise Introduction [4]

An abbreviated and illustrated version of The Great Conversation.

Notes

  1. ^ Norman Melchert (1968). Realism, Materialism, and the Mind: The Philosophy of Roy Wood Sellars. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.
  2. ISBN 0-87220-271-2
  3. ISBN 978-0-19-999965-1
  4. ISBN 0-19-532846-9
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