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A History of Western Philosophy [Paperback]

Bertrand Russell (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 17 Feb 2000 | ISBN-10: 0415228549 | ISBN-13: 978-0415228541 | Edition: New edition
''Philosophy' is a word which has been used in many ways, some wider, some narrower. I propose to use it in a very wide sense, which I will now try to explain.' - Bertrand Russell
Nearly forty years since its first publication, History of Western Philosophy remains unchallenged as the ultimate introduction to its subject, while claiming classic status in its own right. It is the bestselling philosophy book of the twentieth century and one of the most important philosophical works of all time. This compact and affordable paperback edition makes this comprehensive and brilliantly-written text readily available for a new generation of readers.
As part of our commitment to Russell publishing, the delux version of this bestselling title will continue to be available.
1961: 848pp: Pb: 0-145-07854-7: 16.99

Product details

  • Paperback: 848 pages
  • Publisher: Routledge; New edition edition (17 Feb 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0415228549
  • ISBN-13: 978-0415228541
  • Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.4 x 4.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 505,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

A great philosopher's lucid and magisterial look at the history of his own subject. Wonderfully readable and enlightening -- The Observer

Beautiful and luminous prose, not merely classically clear but scrupulously honest -- Isaiah Berlin

Enough ideas on each page - shocking, expansive, heretical, profound, comic - to broaden one's mind to bursting point -- Good Book Guide

History of Western Philosophy remains unchallenged as the perferct introduction to its subject. -- Ray Monk

It may be one of the most valuable books of our time -- G.M. Trevelyan

From the Publisher

As part of our commitment to Russell publishing, the delux version of this bestselling title will continue to be available. Paperback: ISBN: 0415-078547
Inside This Book (Learn More)
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First Sentence
IN all history, nothing is so surprising or so difficult to account for as the sudden rise of civilization in Greece. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 45 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A superb layman's guide 12 Feb 2004
By Mike Sadler
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am not a philosophy student myself, and I find Bertrand Russell's acerbic style extremely readable. The 2 inch thick book is fascinating, funny and too short. Bertrand Russell's style is not the dry, carefully unbiased style of the accademic, but a colourful walk through several millenia of philosophers and their work. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any readers who have an interest in the development of moral, ethical and analytical thought in Europe.
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69 of 70 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable 26 April 2006
By Student
Format:Paperback
As a student of philosophy I can't stress enough the help this book has given me. As my understanding of philosophy increases, it has become more apparent that philosophers and their theories are interconnected in many ways. This is where this book comes in. It is a great reference book that provides a link between philosophers from Ancient Greece to the 20th century. Russell tells you about the life of individual philosophers, religious thought and philsophical schools in great detail, combined with their influences, theories and inspirations. All explained in as little jargon as possible, Russell focuses in on the major contributions that changed western thought.

This is essentially three books compiled into one - Ancient, Catholic and Modern philosophy. In book 1, Russell kicks off with the rise of greek civilisation and its relationship to Mesopotamia and Egypt. Then the Pre-Socratic philosophers, through to Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and finally the Roman Empire. Book 2 takes you through the rise of Christian thought, the forefathers of Theology, the Dark Ages, Mohammedan culture and its philosophy. Book 3 starts at the Renaissance, through the rise of science and upto the Romantic period with Rousseau. Finally it moves through onto the 20th century through Kant, Hegel, Byron, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Marx. Inbetween the different 'books' Russell tells you the relevant connections and changes of philosophy that took place.

Due to the nature and great expanse of philosophy, it is no doubt impossible to fit every detail into this book as Russell explains, and that is why some of the chapters are explained or mentioned to how Russell sees them worthy and their effect or change on western thought. But but he did a great job considering its size and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to students, non-students or anyone interested in philosophy.
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47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read and a good introduction 2 Aug 2002
By Mr. R. Dawson
Format:Paperback
The book conveys a brilliant sense of the development of philosophy from ancient Greek cults to modern logical analysis. Ancient philosophers are treated with the respect that they deserve for getting philosophy out of the starting gates and for their unashamed delight in anything that they could debate about. Russell celebrates Democritus' atomic theory and Aristarchus' heliocentric hypothesis and rarely uses the word crude when discussing ancient philosophies. And the benefits of logical analysis are displayed by identifying techniques as they emerge in the work of particular philosophers as well as by Russell's own discussions. Philosophy really is shown as closely related to community life- dispelling the image of the philosopher hidden away from the world in an ivory tower.

The above merits make the book a good introduction and a real insight for those who know philosophy but lack knowledge of its history. However, I cannot recommend it as a reference book. Russell fails to treat some very important philosophers (e.g. Kierkegaard, Husserl and Heidegger) and gives disproportionate space to lesser figures (Bergson, Dewey and Byron). The strengths of Kantian philosophy are almost completely missed. The least developed elements in Nietzsche's philosophy are emphasized to the exclusion of the more developed ones. The out of date elements of Aristotle's ethics are criticized and Aristotle's attempt to put ethics on a purely factual basis is ignored. Also, Russell's discussions often fail to acknowledge the approaches G E Moore and others have taken to the 'is-ought gap' (Russell just states his relativism and leaves it) as well as important elements in Wittgenstein (I suspect partly because Wittgenstein's philosophy makes a strong attack upon Russell's epistemology). But these faults are at least mainly isolated to the section on modern philosophy.

Despite these shortcomings, the book is still well worth reading. It is often insightful and at points Russell's illustrations can be ingenious. But I would recommend that the student looking for a reference book should either buy a compilation of essays by different authors (and thus avoid the prejudices and gaps in knowledge of a single author) or also buy a seperate book on modern philosophy.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and excellent
Sorry no time for in depth review but thoroughly recommend Russell's History of Western Philosophy.
Interesting and lucid, very reader friendly.
Published 2 months ago by Beryl L Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A long book that puts an enormous subject in comprehensive terms
This book has been criticized by many for being too shallow, not doing certain philosophers justice and ignoring certain events, but that critique totally misses the point: this is... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Oskoreii
5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive reference book for philosophy.
No library should be without this book - which may never be read from cover to cover - but which makes you feel secure in that the knowledge is on your bookshelf. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Anthony M. Godley
5.0 out of 5 stars A little dated but still a masterly work
I first read this as a young man in the early 50's and it has informed my thinking more than I can describe. Read more
Published 4 months ago by I. G. Norris
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic then and a classic now
Despite the frequent merging of oneword into another in the Kindle version this book remains a great read. Read more
Published 5 months ago by K E Pearce
5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating, insightful and an astonishing read, this has to be the...
This edition (first published in 1946) has to be one of the most interesting and insightful narratives on the extensive history of western philosophy that there is. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Lucinda
4.0 out of 5 stars Shortcomings in the Kindle Edition
As much as I'm enjoying the text itself, I can't fathom why the people involved in transposing Russell to the wonderful world of Kindle neglected to include something so basic as a... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Paul B
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece
Arguably the greatest book of the 20th century.Richly deserved 1950 Noble Prize for Literature. The depth and breath of learning and knowledge is staggering which is conveyed to... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest WEuropean Philopher
I had at school part of the works of B. R. and I started to appreciate his way of looking at the world and at man living in it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Aldo Marturano
5.0 out of 5 stars Now here is what you cross an ocean for
My father handed me this book when I was 16. Hardcover, cheap paper, rough edges. He said this 1940's edition was like that because all America was on extreme austerity for the... Read more
Published 12 months ago by JCV
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