Many people, writes Kurt Flasch, including some philosophers, envision philosophy as a calm wisdom above all divisions. They believe that philosophy deals with the great, enduring themes: truth and the good life, God and humanity, the individual and the general. This book invites a different perspective: it does not start from concepts or systems but presents philosophy as a series of conflicts. Kurt Flasch analyzes the well-documented, major controversies of the Christian Middle Ages, the debate between Erasmus and Luther, and the disputes that the peace-loving Leibniz had with John Locke and Pierre Bayle. The volume concludes with Voltaire's critique of Pascal. The book dispenses with the illusions of completeness or a directed course. It sheds light through this new perspective.