Publisher's abstract: What is a person? What is its essence, purpose and place in the world? What is the meaning of human life? What are the enduring problems of human existence? These and other questions are covered in a collection of texts, including fragments from the works of outstanding Indian, Chinese, Arab, Western European and Russian thinkers of different eras, from antiquity to the Enlightenment. The thematic focus of each section of the book, dedicated to a specific era, reflects the specifics of anthropological views within various philosophical movements. Some of the texts have been translated into Russian for the first time. The collection is intended for all students of philosophy interested in the philosophical problems of man.