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Product Description
Product Description
2,500 years of Western philosophy explored
In this updated guide to philosophy, Professor Bryan Magee expertly guides us through the history of ideas and thinking, tracing over 2,500 years of Western philosophy from the Ancient Greeks to modern thinkers.
Discover what philosophy is, how philosophers have questioned the fundamental principles underlying all knowledge and existence and address life's big questions, such as "What is being?" and "Can the existence of God be proved?"
Covering every major philosopher from Plato to Popper, via Saint Augustine Locke and Nietzsche, explore these great thinkers in their historical context and learn the influences that shaped their lives and work. An essential guide to this fascinating subject.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Great book. Introduces the key ideas through history in a clear and interesting way. He refrains from passing judgement and lets the various arguments speak for themselves.
Having read the book, I am loath to say that the book is objective, but it certainly feels that way from my subjective point of view!
Has certainly inspired me to look at philosophy in more depth, and even to start to try and clarify my own beliefs.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Magee has produced an entertaining and enlightening introduction to the history of philosophy. It looks like a coffee-table book and has much of the agreableness of reading one. It is popularisation at its best. Magee's theism is not intrusive so the atheist can happily read it without irritation.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is, as other reviewers have said, quite simply the best introduction to philosophy in existence - and as ex-philosophy student I have read many. When I say "introduction" I really mean a book which can be read by people who have had little or no previous contact with philosophy. It is accessible to anyone over the age of about 11 and is long enough not to oversimplify the essentials : Magee taught philosophy at Oxford and London Universities and knows what he's talking about. All the major figures and currents are covered and the historical and cultural contexts are evoked. It's also a beautifully produced book with reproductions of paintings and historical documents. This glossy coffee-table look could lead to readers dipping into the book but it deserves to be read from cover to cover. No education is complete without some knowledge of philosophy, and this is the best place to start before going on to read some of the more accessible classics such as Plato, Descartes and Nietzsche.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Useful Background and Good Pictorial Format
I've always found philosophy interesting, but my life hasn't led me into devoting my whole life to the reading them all, although I have read some. Read more
Published 6 months ago by L. L Teuling
Masterly, lucid and concise essays on tough topics
Bryan Magee has previously produced some wonderfully clear explanations of the work of important philosophers such as Schopenhauer and Karl Popper, and has brought off the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by mondayman
A superb introduction to philosophy
Bryan Magee has compiled a wonderful book on both the history and the actual tenets of philosophy throughout, mostly, the western world. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Frank Bierbrauer
excellent for beginners
There is another good book to complement this one if you are presenting this to a youngster/teenager. It's a famous book written by Jostein Gaarder: sophie's world. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Vicky
The never ending quest
I have this book in Swedish, and I agree with the other reviewers. It's not a book for philosophy students or philosophers, being far too simple. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ashtar Command
The definitive overview of philosophy through the ages
If you don't yet know your Hobbes from your Hume, if you're still looking to distinguish your stoic from your sceptic, then this is absolutely the book for you. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Steve M
An engaging and thought-provoking overview
Like most of the other reviewers here, I would agree that this is an ideal book for anyone wanting a broad based introduction into philosophy. Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2010 by Mark Chambers
Philosophy Made Clear
I found Magee's autobiography a fascinating read and relied on his presentation of philosophy to guide me through the intricacies of human thought. I was not disappointed. Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2009 by Anthony Maggs
Stunning synthesis
This is a brilliant book. Bryan Magee has summarised a huge amount of material down to a manageable size giving the background to each philosopher, and their key messages. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2008 by Dr. Nicholas P. G. Davies
AKA "My First Philosophy Book"?
Beautifully produced Dorling Kindersley book, with lots and lots of pictures (as is the Dorling Kindersley style). Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2007 by S. Hill
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