HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY Paperback – 31 October 1967

Russell wrote a systematic account of western philosophy. Indeed the book is extremely systematic in its content. You can find its praise, appreciations everywhere, it is really worth praising. Nobody has ever written so systematically and gracefully as Russell has written.But I must say something about criticism :First, he gave only 10 pages to Socrates. On Aristotle, Plato, you are spending about 40 to 50 pages but only 10 pages have been bestowed on Socrates, who is the source of both Aristotle (I myself call him Aristotlitis, a kind of disease) and Plato.Second, he portrayed 'Friedrich Nietzsche' only negatively, in the way of war-loving, misogynist.Nietzsche's exuberant insights didn't fit into the definitions of Russell's intellectualism. Russell could not understand Nietzsche and Wittgenstein and their profound insights.In the end, I would say that one must read this great work, which is free from all the theologies and religious prejudices.

Finally I could buy a soft-cover copy of this book ! I bought it for my father who is voracious reader and has a thing for philosophy. Everything was perfect from packaging to in-time delivery. Thumbs up to Amazon !

Russel with his criticism will make one develop a pitiable outlook towards the development of Western Philosophy and rise of human civilization; at least that is what the book did to me. Right from the Rise of the Roman Empire to the Fall of Cecily, the fall of Jews to the rise of the Mohammedans, the book will make you feel sorry for what man has done to himself in his quest for truth. Enjoyable at the same time, thought provoking.

Excellent book. Gives very good overview.

Good Experience

nice...

Using Nitrile gloves for about one year, used many brands. this one is best till date. good quality, uniform thickeness and all are of same size.

My wife and I being among those strange people that like reading at meal-times, we went (with our books) into a pizza parlour some time ago. I happened to be reading this.The waitress asked "Are you reading that for a school project?"; and I replied "No, I'm reading it for fun."I don't think she believed me. But it was true. For those who have never read Russell, this may seem implausible to the point of grotesqueness; but in fact he has an economy of verbiage, razor-sharp analytical faculties, an encyclopædic grasp of his subject, and (especially) a dry wit that make light work of the most cumbrous material. I've now read this several times, and enjoyed it every time.(Too bad he died before Postmodernism and Poststructuralism got a serious grip — I'd have loved to have seen what he had to say about those!)A lengthy commentary would be easy, but I'll leave that to others. What I will do is give you the complete table of contents, so you can decide whether you want to give this a go:• BOOK 1 — ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY- The Pre-Socratics01 The Rise of Greek Civilisation02 The Milesian School03 Pythagoras04 Heraclitus05 Parmenides06 Empedocles07 Athens in Relation to Culture08 Anaxagoras09 The Atomists10 Protagoras- Socrates, Plato and Aristotle11 Socrates12 The Influence of Sparta13 The Sources of Plato's Opinions14 Plato's Utopia15 The Theory of Ideas16 Plato's Theory of Immortality17 Plato's Cosmogony18 Knowledge and Perception in Plato19 Aristotle's Metaphysics20 Aristotle's Ethics21 Aristotle's Politics22 Aristotle's Logic23 Aristotle's Physics24 Early Greek Mathematics and Astronomy- Ancient Philosophy after Aristotle25 The Hellenistic World26 Cynics and Sceptics27 The Epicureans28 Stoicism29 The Roman Empire in Relation to Culture30 Plotinus• BOOK 2 — CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY- The Fathers01 The Religious Development of the Jews02 Christianity During the First Four Centuries03 Three Doctors of the Church04 Saint Augustine's Philosophy and Theology05 The Fifth and Sixth Centuries06 Saint Benedict and Gregory the Great- The Schoolmen07 The Papacy in the Dark Ages08 John the Scot09 Ecclesiastical Reform in the Eleventh Century10 Mohammedan Culture and Philosophy11 The Twelfth Century12 The Thirteenth Century13 Saint Thomas Aquinas14 Franciscan Schoolmen15 The Eclipse of the Papacy• BOOK 3 — MODERN PHILOSOPHY- From the Renaissance to Hume01 General Characteristics02 The Italian Renaissance03 Machiavelli04 Erasmus and More05 The Reformation and Counter-Reformation06 The Rise of Science07 Francis Bacon08 Hobbes's Leviathan09 Descartes10 Spinoza11 Leibniz12 Philosophical Liberalism13 Locke's Theory of Knowledge14 Locke's Political Philosophy15 Locke's Influence16 Berkeley17 Hume- From Rousseau to the Present Day18 The Romantic Movement19 Rousseau20 Kant21 Currents of Thought in the Nineteenth Century22 Hegel23 Byron24 Schopenhauer25 Nietzsche26 The Utilitarians27 Karl Marx28 Bergson29 William James30 John Dewey31 The Philosophy of Logical Analysis

Nothing compares to it. The definitive book for anyone wishing to have a comprehensive overview of Western philosophy. While not a difficult read (try Geertz!) it is also not one for those that like to just skim through things. It is best read in 2 or 3 hour slots, each one covering a chapter (or two). Then rest and absorb. Repeat. Once done from end to end, it then becomes an excellent quick reference book, should you need to look something up. It is also (I believe) the most read philosophy book in the world, being a standard for many first year university courses.

One man wrote this book and everyone should read it. It's long and it's very hard going in places. You may have to skip some bits. But it gives you a wonderful overview of our thought and explains how we got to be the way we are.

Not a philosophy student, but found it to be wealth of information and one that I keep returning to often. Don't let the size of the book intimidate you - it is the most comprehensive account of the history of the western philosophy. The gap I found was exploring their cross-over with eastern ideas but the book provides enough references to explore them on my own. Let this book enrich your life - highly recommend

Being an engineering student, the closest brush I had with the formal study of philosophy was a few university courses, which I barely passed. Therefore, I decided to buy Bertrand Russell's classic work in order to refresh my knowledge. I wish I had done it earlier.Bertrand Russell, one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, enlivens philosophy-from ancient Greece to today. His account is lengthy, as any account of such a subject should, but well worth it. How else does one condense 3000 years of Western intellectual history in one volume?I liked the pace of the book. He begins with a definition of philosophy and its roots in the Ancient world. It is not so much a list of facts as it is a discussion of the ideas of the Ancients. Absurd though it seems to us today, the leap from religious explanations to material for nature was ground-breaking. He then follows philosophy as it slithers through the Middle Ages, into the Renaissance and into the Modern Period. I particularly like the way he treated the medieval philosophers, like Aquinas and Ockam. I wish my philosophy professor at Univerity could have explained nominalism that way.The work is an introduction to the subject. By definition, it is superficial in a few areas. I would have liked to see more about how contemporary (to Russell) issues like the Worlds Wars were connected to eighteenth century European thinkers such as Hegel.In conclusion, it is a great read. One I recommend for any reflective 16-year old, who is thinking about studying an applied science like engineering. Russell's work is a great introduction to the subject. It will enable one to see where our currently rational, scientific tradition springs from.

Except the print is so tiny that I can't be bothered to make the effort to read it most of the time. Glad to have it but think it would've been better as an Ebook or Audiobook really, or split into two volumes perhaps?Somewhere in there is the answer to the Western half of the meaning of life, and will help solve lots of emotional and life problems.You could also genuinely stun a burglar into shock with it, though perhaps not do serious damage. Handy!