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Norman Melchert (born 1933) is aphilosopher and author. He taught atLehigh 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.
Norman Melchert was born in 1933 inWaterloo, Iowa. The son of a prominentLutheran minister,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 fromWartburg College in 1955 and went on toLutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, simultaneously doing graduate work at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. He graduated from seminary in 1958, and from U. Penn in 1959 (Master's degree) and 1964 (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.
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In 1956 Norman married Novalene Black, who became his lifelong partner. Together they have three children.
He retired fromLehigh University in 1995 and with his wife moved toRichmond, Virginia where two of his sons and their families live. He then became an adjunct professor atVirginia Commonwealth University, teaching occasionally and continuing with his writings.
In the mid 1970s he took upcycling and became a very successful racer in the veteran's class, winning many medals and trophies in Pennsylvania, Virginia andNew Zealand, where his eldest son lives. In 1991 he rode across the country with two friends from Seattle to Cape May New Jersey.
Originally his PhD thesis, this book was published in 1968.
Adialogue involving six friends from university days on a cycling tour. Ten years on, they revive the lively discussions they had as students, this time discussingrelativism. The six friends each take a different perspective on the issue and these are each presented without comment, allowing the reader to make a kind ofKierkegaardian 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 aGoogle Books.
By far his most popular work, this widely used textbook is currently in its eighth edition. It looks atphilosophy as a conversation through the ages on matters of the deepest concern to humanity. Starting fromHomer andHesiod, the book moves through history, presenting eachphilosopher's work in part as a response to previousphilosophers. The latest edition includes sections on contemporary philosophers as well asMuslim,Buddhist, andJewish thinkers.
An abbreviated and illustrated version ofThe Great Conversation.
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