Product Description
A Comparative History of World Philosophy presents a personal yet balanced guide through what the author argues to be the three great philosophical traditions: Chinese, European, and Indian. The book breaks through the cultural barriers between these traditions, proving that despite their considerable differences, fundamental resemblances exist in their abstract principles. Ben-Ami Scharfstein argues that Western students of philosophy will profit considerably if they study Indian and Chinese philosophy from the very beginning, along with their own.

Written with clarity and infused with an engaging narrative voice, this book is organized thematically, presenting in virtually every chapter characteristic views from each tradition that represent similar positions in the core areas of metaphysics and epistemology. At the same time, Scharfstein develops each tradition historically as the chapters unfold. He presents a great variety of philosophical positions fairly, avoiding the relativism and ethnocentrism that could easily plague a comparative presentation of Western and non-Western philosophies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Amazon again misleads customers
This is another case of Amazon false calims I ordered three copies for dear freinds .all had gross errors in that 20-50 pages of critcal text were blank. I have been unable to find out how to get Amazon to compensate to rectify the situation . Uless you wish to pay premium prices to Amazon for scores of blank pages that replaces critcal text do not order new copy. The help department is useless

Frank Dabreo

Book covers full range of world philosophy
This is a truly excellent work, and I want to defend it againstthe charge of leaving out African philosophy.One can truthfully say,without any disservice to the impressive achievements of African culture, that there is no distinctively African tradition in philosophy, just as there is no distinctively African tradition in chemistry.Philosophy is an art that developed in certain cultures and not others: the Chinese but not the Japanese; the Indians but not the Persians; the Greeks but not the Africans, the Romans, the Germans, or the Celts -- though those cultures that did not develop philosophy made other achievements in other areas.Even if the contention of _Black Athena_ were correct that "western civilization has its roots in Africa" (and that book has been pretty much discredited -- see _Black Athena Revisited_, though I think that book overstates its case in the opposite direction), it would not follow that Africans were responsible for philosophy any more than they were responsible for chemistry.The _Comparative History of World Philosophy_ focuses its attention where it belongs: on the three, and only three, cultures that developed philosophy. Every culture has world views, a wisdom tradition, etc., but philosophy is more than that; it is a specific art of argumentation that emerged in specific places in history.END

An insightful and rich account, beautifully written
This is a truly remarkable presentation of an unusual perspective of the history of philosophy, one that most writers are so conveniently ignorant of. Scharfstein proceeds under the premise that the accepted Westernparadigm of reading the history of philosophy within the boundaries of asingle tradition can simply be replaced by a comparative tripartiteparadigm with an equal claim for authenticity. The effect is strikinglysimilar to changing lenses in a camera, from zoom to wide-angle: somefeatures are inevitably lost, but so much more can now be seen. Contrary towhat we usually find in the bulk of contemporary works in the history ofphilosophy, Scharfstein is ultimately concerned with understanding theall-too-human activity of philosophizing. As he so beautifully puts it, thephilosopher can-or perhaps, should-be seen as an artist, whose medium isabstract thought. Here the historian and the philosopher converge, but in away very different from the cases of Hegel or Heidegger, for example.Scharfstein shows how to engage in the history of philosophy without beingparasitic on philosophy, on the one hand, but also without being overlymanipulative, on the other. The book hovers, so to speak, over itssubject-matter, posing historical and philosophical questions, and thentrying to answer them in the author's own voice, with a kind of mixture ofsympathetic attention and mature intellectual detachedness that is commonlyreserved only to the expert anthropologist. This is clearly one of the mostremarkable characteristics, and perhaps one of the greatest achievements ofthis book. Scharfstein's discussion is expansive yet rich, clear-headed,insightful and fully aware of the historian's responsibility for accuracywhile never losing sight of the philosopher's quest for truth or of theartist's quest for creation. It is also written in the kind of beautifulprose that has become so rare in contemporary scholarly writing. I stronglybelieve that many instructors would find this book very useful in introclasses in philosophy as well as in the humanities in general. The neat andelegant summaries that Scharfstein produced for each philosopher hediscusses are inevitably incomplete and cannot replace-nor were they evermeant to replace-a careful reading of the philosophical texts. But to thebest of my knowledge, none of the available historical texts can do thatparticular trick. Those of you who are willing to overcome the academicallyentrenched philosophical xenophobia, and to admit Chuang-tzu, Nagarjuna,and Vasubandhu, among others, in their classes alongside with stalwarttexts of the European tradition, would find that Scharfstein's historyenhances and enriches any reading of these texts with a rewardingly broadphilosophical and cultural context that may prompt fruitful discussions ofthat great human adventure called philosophy.

The text is good but not fully representative of world phi
A Comparative History of world philosophy is a tour de force in the presentation of world philosophy.The text goes beyond the usual depiction of Western philosophy as the main and only available philosophy in theworld.However, A Comparative History of World Philosophy, in its attemptto overcome the marginalizing exposition of the West, erases or Africanphilosophy from world philosophy.I do not want to raise the bete noire ofphilosophical discussion here, that is, the authenticity of Africanphilosophy.If there is any philosophy at all, there must be Africanphilosophy; and if there is a text on world philosophy, that text mustcontain a section on African Philosophy.As the author may very well know(see Black Athena), western civilization has its roots in Africa.I havemade this remarks that the author may reconsider his exposition in the nextedition of the text because he/she will actually help professors who wantto teach world philosophy with a more global bent than the Eastern andWestern. ... Read more

Product Description
Readers eager to acquire a basic familiarity with the history of philosophy but intimidated by the task will find in A Passion for Wisdom a lively, accessible, and highly enjoyable tour of the world's great ideas.Here, Robert Solomon and Kathleen Higgins tell the story of philosophy's development with great clarity and refreshing wit.

The authors begin with the most ancient religious beliefs of the east and west and bring us right up to the feminist and multicultural philosophies of the present. Along the way, they highlight major philosophers, from Plato and Buddha to William James and Simone de Beauvoir, and explore major categories, from metaphysics and ethics to politics and logic. The book is enlivened as well by telling anecdotes and sparkling quotations. Among many memorable observations, we're treated to Thomas Hobbes' assessment that life is "nasty, brutish, and short" and Hegel's description of Napoleon as "world history on horseback." Engaging, comprehensive, and delightfully written, A Passion for Wisdom is a splendid introduction to an intellectual tradition that reaches back over three thousand years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Short and excellent, but dense
At only 128 pages, this is indeed a "very brief" history of philosophy.However, Solomon and Higgins still manage to cover a lot of ground, and this is by no means a superficial treatment.They accomplish this by making the text fairly dense and compressed, and it's apparent that this book was derived from its 305-page sibling by the same authors, A Short History of Philosophy.

Although it's dense, the book remains readible because the authors write clearly and unpretentiously, yet without condescending to "dummies" or "idiots": the book is intelligently written for intelligent readers who are prepared to give it the sustained concentration it deserves.

Another strength is that the authors include a good dose of non-Western philosophy, especially in the first third of the book, and they link this nicely with Western philosophy, showing how many Western ideas were probably derived from non-Western antecedents, or at least co-evolved with them.

As far as the ideal audience for the book, I see that as a tricky question.While one might be inclined to classify this book as an ideal introduction to philosophy, I think the density of the book could present a challenge for many novices, but they could perhaps address that by reading the book more than once.And even if novices can't quite absorb the book, it could still serve as an effective primer for longer introductions where things can be explained at greater leisure (such as A Short History of Philosophy itself).

For readers who are already reasonably versed in philosophy, I think this book would serve as an excellent and quick survey/review of the subject, and I can highly recommend the book to that audience.In fact, this is by far the best short book I know of for that purpose.

A Passion for Wisdom: a very brief history of Philosophy
This book is a tied summary of the philosophical wisdom through different epochs and regions. It covers both Western and Eastern system of thinking and goes from the Pre Socratics to the Postmodernists. It is an excellent book, easy to read and understand. I will recommend this essay to all those who are concerned with transcendental things, knowledge and morals.

A politically correct history of philosophy
A Passion for Wisdom is a well written, concise history of philosophy. My only complaint and reason for 4 rather than 5 stars is its biases towards political correctness

Very Good Introduction
This book is perfect for those looking for, a the title states, a very brief history of philosophy.Solomon and Higgins do a great job of incoroporating Eastern philosophy as well as the usual Western philosophy.The explanations put forth in this book are thorough but not to specific-intensive - that is to say, a newcommer to the study of philosophical history could easily follow the text.I recomend this book to students and teachers alike, as well as anyone looking for an informative read.

Easily the best short introduction to philosophy I have read
This is a "concise version" of Solomon and Higgins's A Short History of Philosophy (1996) which wasn't all that short at 329 pages--well, for a history of philosophy actually it was kind of short.As the authors point out, a "short" history of philosophy (in German) by Hans Joachim Storig, runs to 750 pages, and Bertrand Russell's famous popular opus from 1945, A History of Philosophy was 895 pages long. What the authors have done here is to distill the essence of their larger book, mostly by judiciously pruning.The result is a witty, pithy and very well edited introduction for almost anybody interested in knowing what philosophy is all about.

Speaking of Russell, the authors's treatment of him is characteristically sly: Noting that Russell turned his attention to more worldly matters after his youth (and the Principia Mathematica), they add that "he wrote an elegant and impassioned autobiography, conclusively documenting his political commitments, his love of philosophy, and what we might politely call his love of love.He also declared--as the First World War had clearly shown--that 'the world is horrible.'Formal philosophy, by comparison, seemed both a refuge and a waste of time." (p. 115)

Solomon and Higgins cover Eastern philosophy (which many Western books do not), and they bring us up to the postmodern era, although they scrupulously avoid discussing philosophers still living--a wise decision no doubt since most of us are still trying to cope with what happen to philosophy after the logical positivists got a hold of it early in the 20th century.Solomon and Higgins also address religious philosophy, which again is right, especially when you consider that most of Western philosophy since the Greeks has been strongly influenced by Christian values and ideas--and of course, the Eastern "philosophies" from the Vedas, the Buddha, Lao Tzu, etc., cannot really be separated from religion.

It is good to compare this to Russell's best-selling opus since Solomon and Higgins do very well exactly what Russell did very well, that is make philosophy interesting and even exciting for the general reader; and like Russell they write with unusual clarity.Unlike Russell however they refrain (mostly) from taking sides in the various philosophic disputes and they don't reveal who their favorites are.I guess I could say that Russell's approach was a critical one as he found fault with many of the icons of philosophy, even--or perhaps especially--Plato, whereas Solomon and Higgins try for a more descriptive and informative approach.I love Russell.He was a delight to me when I first read him as a teenager, but I must say that the approach of Solomon and Higgins is the more judicious.

Philosophy is like history in this respect.We cannot adequately critique the ideas of today because we are so completely immersed in them that we have no real objectivity.As the authors put it so very well on page 113, "Philosophy is never isolated or immune from its time and place, no matter how abstract it may be or however 'eternal' or 'untimely' it may declare itself.Philosophy may be prophetic, it can be nostalgic, or it can act as a mirror, a reflection of a culture.But more often than not, it expresses in abstract terms the ideals and aspirations of society."

This follows their observation that Nietzsche had predicted the horrible wars of the 20th century.Their treatment of Nietzsche (and virtually all of the philosophers) is generous although there is just the slightest hint that his ideas may have been in some part responsible for the rise of the kind of mentality exhibited by the Nazis.They recall Nietzsche's "incredible suggestion that human beings...[are] nothing but a bridge between the ape and the Ubermensch ('superman')" Personally, I am not a big fan of Nietzsche; nonetheless it is striking to consider that he may be exactly right: the science of the 21st century may fuse us with our machines, and through genetic engineering allow us to become something "more" than human.

The book is in three parts, Part I: "Is There Ultimate Truth?"; Part II: "Faith and Reason"; and Part III: "From Modernity to Postmodernism."I think this is just perfect.The search for what is true and/or to what extent we can know what is true is at the very heart of the philosophic urge.And the struggle between faith and reason rages on today as it has since before the Greeks.And what we have experienced in our lifetimes is the rise of postmodernism which is a serious critique of the self-satisfied modernity that grew out of the Enlightenment.

I guess what I like best about this book is a sense that it is a return to the kind of philosophy that I loved as a young man.As the authors put it, while they are excited "by the bewildering variety of ideas" that we have today in philosophy, they are "at the same time...disturbed by the fact that the old ideal of philosophy, as a search for wisdom rather than a peculiar professional skill or a merely clever game, has gotten lost." (p. 128)

This book brings some of the excitement back. ... Read more

Product Description
With the development of institutions displaying natural science, history, and artin the late 19th century camethe debates over the role of these museum in society. This anthology collects 52 of the most important writings on museum philosophy dating from this formative period, written by the many of the American and European founders of the field. Genoways and Andrei contextualize these pieces with a series of introductions showing how the museum field developed within the social environment of the era. For those interested in museum history and philosophy or cultural history, this is an essential resource. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Museum Inquiries
Anybody interested in art and colllectibles, ideology and ethnocentrism must
pursue museum inquiries. This is a must-have book. ... Read more

Product Description

A political theory/political philosophy book which focuses on the works of the major thinkers. The text has a thematic unity, which is provided by an analysis of modernity's emergence from the classical and Christian traditions.

... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Macdonald investigates the continuous developments of Art and Design education in Italy, France, Britain, Germany, and the United States. The study traces the philosophies of teachers from the age of the guilds and the academies to today, and sets them in the context of the general education theories of their times. Stuart Macdonald clarifies the whole field of art education for research and teaching purposes. He points out that the knowledge of the principles and methods of art education is essential for a true understanding of the art of different periods. He makes clear that art education should be studied within the existing education disciplines of history, philosophy, psychology, and sociology of education. Essentially factual, using many quotations from primary sources not generally available, this book gives a disciplined grounding in a branch of the history of education, and describes the philosophies which continue to govern courses in Art and Design. This finely illustrated book provides a vivid review of the history of art teaching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A well established reference and a good read
Journal of the Royal Society of Arts
The History and Philosophy of Art Education should be in the libraries of all educational establishments.

National Society of Art Education Bulletin
Undoubtedly will be the standard book of reference for many years to come . . . authoritative and well illustrated

Education for Development
An erudite work, with the historical and social significance of findings balanced against well defined personalities, . . . eminently readable.'

Book Description
Macdonald begins his comprehensive study of the development of art education by first examining perceptions of the `artist' from the ancient civilisations to the modern age, and how these affected the evolution of art institutions, academies and societies: from Egyptian craftsmen, little more than slaves, who were drafted in to decorate monumental projects; through the Graeco-Roman impression of art and its practitioners as little better than craftsmen, incomparable to musicians or philosophers; through the establishment of the early guilds; to the fundamental change in perception towards the artist in Italy during the Renaissance, which ultimately led the way to the development of the Royal Academy in the eighteenth, and the French Academies in the nineteenth century.

Having explored it origins, Macdonald lays forth the principles behind artistic accomplishment, explaining the laws of symmetry, proportion, anatomy and perspective and how these influenced composition. He summarises each of these formulae and their impact on the development of art, from the frontal statues of early civilisations to the more complex figures in sophisticated societies, all of which were based on precise mathematical calculations.

With this heritage in both the theory and practice of art in Europe, Macdonald shows how unschooled was English art when compared to other European countries. Art education in England really began to flourish after the foundation of the Normal School of Design, established 1837 in Somerset House, and supported with enthusiasm by members of Parliament and artists alike. Criticisms of the Royal Academy, which had surfaced due to the elitism of its members and their refusal to associate with lesser artists, or non-painters, were supported through a government inquiry. Gradually, with the reform of the Royal Academy and the first design school in London, more schools of art began to appear in the provinces.

Initially governed by their founders and dictated by personal philosophies, Macdonald shows how these schools with their inauspicious beginnings yet driven by the ideals of determined men, ultimately raised English design and education to rival that of her contemporaries in France.

Macdonald examines the influences of Haydon, Morris, and the South Kensington Circle, Burne-Jones, and the Pre-Raphaelites amongst others, as well as the diverse artistic movements which were to be a product of this burgeoning period.

This enlightening study of art education and its development is essential for those studying art, design, the history of art, or art education, but will be enjoyed by a far wider audience.

Synopsis
Investigating the study of art and design education in Italy, France, Britain, Germany and the United States, this text traces the philosophies of teachers from the age of the guilds and the academies, setting them in the context of the general education theories of their times.

About the Author
Stuart Macdonald gained an international reputation when The History and Philosophy of Art Education was first published in Britain, the USA and Japan. Macdonald holds an M.Ed and a Ph.D from Manchester University, and is a practising painter and book-illustrator who has taught students pottery, fabric-printing and book-crafts. This experience led him to write about the great teachers of art and design. He has lectured on teachers' courses at the Royal College of Art, at national conferences, and at many leading institutions of art education. In 1982 he was elected the founder editor of the Journal of Art & Design Education, which within four years had subscribers in over forty countries worldwide. ... Read more

Product Description
Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review Of Copleston's Eighth Volume, History Of Philosophy
My Credentials:

I'm merely a student of philosophy, not a teacher, so I can hardly speak from a scholarly position. However, I have read Copleston through the eighth volume, and so I would freely refer to myself as a vetern of his work; I know its strengths and weaknesses.

Review:

The volume opens with an impressive account of utilitarian philosophy, and carries on to cover a variety of empiricist and agnostic philosophers.

The entries on Bradley, Bosanquet and the British idealists seem a bit excessive, whereas the writings on Emerson are minimal and Thoreau is given a one line mention. It may be that I speak from an American bias.

Pragmatism is covered in fair measure, followed closely be a well-rounded exposition on the analytic movement and Russell. Admittedly, Copleston devolves toward the close of the work. His biography of Russell is scattered throughout all three sections on the philosopher, and his conclusion should be renamed "scattered notes on Wittgenstein and neo-positivism," both of which are poorly covered.

Some non-thematic notes about this volume. Copleston begins adding a noticeable amount of British slang (nothing that can't be found quickly through Google, mind you).

When language takes a holiday
This was a painful slog to get through.The other books were a pretty in depth read but still kept your interest.This was just brutally boring.The issue was the quality of the philosophy being stated.

We have the utilitarians with their statement of "the greatest good for the most people", which when analyzed is a nonsense statement because they never adequately define what is good.Luckily G.E. Moore pounded on a lot of the utilitarian's thinking with the "naturalistic fallacy",.

We have more of the idealists, and the fuzzy sophistry that is part of that tradition.My background is in the sciences, and it drives me crazy the grandiose claims these guys made without any sort of rigorous analysis of what(if anything) was actually being said, never sufficiently defining terms, and giving no statements or insights that are at all applicable to everyday life.

It starts to get better with G.E. Moore and his study of ethics, whether you agree or not at least he SAID something.Whitehead said some interesting things but the real meat came with Bertrand Russell.

While a lot of what Bertrand Russell said was incorrect, his epistemology was top notch.Because of his mathematics background we was a able to see the logical inconsistencies in the language of everyday life as well as the idealists he attacked. He brought philosophy back to the necessary logical rigor as opposed to the sweeping statements that when really looked at are nothing more than emotive.

What was frustrating was what was left out.Where is Husserl and Heidegger?I know that he stated he only wrote about philosophers he had a good knowledge of but to exclude those two is unconscionable.

Wittgenstein was given a short section, which was the most interesting part of the whole book.He raised the question of what philosophy is and the role of language in making our viewpoints.Is Philosophy a science, capable a creating new knowledge, a rough schema of seeing the world, or simply a rigorous form of poetry?Are the choices even mutually exclusive?He ends the book with this question, which was irritating to no end.

Can't say I recommend it, but if you've run through the other seven might as well finish the series.

The Best Introduction to Philosophy Out There!
Copleston's series, "The History of Philosophy", is quite possibly the best introduction to the history of philosophical thought that has ever been published and certainly the best currently in print.

You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of solid philosophical surveys in one place.The beauty of the series is that Copleston has clearly done his research on each period and each thinker of Western philosophy.

I cannot recommend this series any more highly.It is a must-have collection for anyone who is a scholar (professional or casual) of philosophy, theology or any of the arts.

If this isn't on your bookshelf, it should be!

From Empirical Science to Idealism and Back Again!
Anyone that wants to study an informative yet well-written history of philososphy must thank Frederick Copleston. Of course, most histories are one-volume and while fun, hardly in-depth, this history is a whopping 9 volumes and consists of extremely detailed and thoughtful chapters on each major (and many minor) thinker(s). Remarkably enough, though, Copleston is eminently readable and is devoid of the technical jargon that would have seemed indespensible to a lesser writer. Always lucid, exciting, and exactingly informative, this set and book herein is highly recommended for the serious philophy student and the curious lay-person (who has time on their hands).

This particular penultimate volume focuses on the rise of scientific empiricism in the Darwinian age, the corresponding reaction of philosophic idealism, the pragmatism of America that tried to found something of a middle ground between extremes, and the "full circle" swing back into logicl positivism and scientism.

Coploeston does a good job profiling the thinkers here. In particular, I know little about idealism so it was exciting to see so many good chapters On Bosquiet, Bradley, Royce, and others. The chapters (while I still can't pretend to understand idealism) were quite lucid (at least now I'll be able to fake my way through it). Most exciting though were the chapters on J.S. Mill, the chapter on the scientific thinkers from Darwin to Huxley, the chapters on pragmatists James, Peirce, and Dewey, and the chapter on the return to empiricism with G.E. Moore. Bertrand Russell is also covered at length.

Throughout it all, Copleston is mindful to keep the reader aware of the over-arching story - each thinker he broaches is brought up in a regard as a response to, or elaboration on, another thinker. The scientific empiricists came up and successfully reformulated philosophy into a materialism of sorts replete with hedonism and naturalism in ethics. The idealists came up as a reaction to that, downplaying physicalism and paying more heed to the human's spiritual craving. And justas the idealists had reacted to scientific empiricism, logical positivism reacted to idealism bringing the pendullum back to its original position after swinging too far one way and then to the other.

All in all, this was a highly informative book and will be of interest to students with a hankering for the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in British and American though. The volume after this one - the last of the set - focuses on the same time period, but more intently on French (and I believe, German) thought. Enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
This work is an essential introduction to the vast body of writing about history, from classical Greece and Rome to the contemporary world. M.C. Lemon maps out key debates and central concepts of philosophy of history placing principal thinkers in the context of their times and schools of thought. Lemon explains the crucial differences between speculative philosophy as an n enquiry into the course and meaning of history and analytic philosophy of history as relating to the nature and methods of history as a discipline. After providing a guide to the principal thinkers from pre-historical times to the present, the book goes on to present a critical summary of the leading issues raised by critical theorists of history, incorporating topics such as objectivity, ideology, historical explanation and narrative. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Unreadable introduction
The forward and introduction are horribly obscure, even for the philosophy of History. And while the author's selections are wonderful, the writings, aside from a historical standpoint, on these philosophers are also quite obscure. Just read the works by these thinkers.

A Good Introduction
I read this book after reading Hegel who was the first philosopher who put together a comprehensive system involving history.So I just read it for my own enjoyment.

My primary interest was how philosophers "made sense" of history rather than an analytical philosophy criticizing history's methods for example.The book explores both aspects, but less so on analytical philosophy.

The author is very good with history itself.He also has a good understanding of philosophy, although I would have highlighted different points along the way.(I was a philosophy major.)For example, in my opinion, Hegel doesn't do a very good job of integrating Christianity into his philosophy of history - Christianity appears to be tacked on in an ad hoc fashion.This isn't mentioned in the book although he does say "...the most likely objection to Hegel...[is that] his thought is simply religion posing as philosophy."So in effect, he conveys the main idea.On the other hand, most of the time when I read an interpretation of philosophers I am familiar with (since I've read their work), I disagree with their interpretations somewhat.

The author's writing style doesn't always have a "flow" to it, although explaining complex ideas can be difficult.Writing about philosophy is not easy since a writer has to be so careful with implications.So I'll give him a pass on that one.

Overall, the book is very well done and organized well.If you're interested in the topic, I recommend it.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Ideological
Goldfarb, "Poincaré against the Logicists." Poincaré complained that attempts to define arithmetic formally actually presupposed it, for example in using the concept "in no case" when defining zero. Goldfarb claims to "defeat" this objection as follows. "Poincaré is ... construing the project of the foundations of mathematics as being concerned with matters of the psychology of mathemtics and faulting logicism for getting it wrong." (p. 67). But "it is a central tenet on antipshychologism that such conditions are irrelevant to the rational grounds for a proposition. Thus the objection is defeated." (p. 70). But what about the question, central to Poincaré and many others, of whether it is possible to reduce arithmetic to logic? Goldfarb is apparently happy to dismiss this as an "irrelevant" matter of "pshychologism."

Dauben, "Abraham Robinson and Nonstandard Analysis." I have only read the incompetent section on Lakatos (section 2) of this chapter. Here Dauben offers a groundless and ideologically motivated attack on Lakatos' paper on Cauchy. First there is the nonsense about Robinson's non-standard analysis. Dauben writes correctly that: "There is nothing in the language or thought of Leibniz, Euler, or Cauchy (to whom Lakatos devotes most of his attention) that would make them early Robinsonians" (p. 180). This is all true, but it is also true that Lakatos never claimed otherwise, which is why Dauben must resort to underhand insinuations like this. Leaving this straw man aside, Lakatos wrote correctly that: "The downfall of Leibnizian theory was not due to the fact that it was inconsistent, but that it was capable only of limited growth. It was the heuristic potential of growth---and explanatory power---of Weierstrass's theory that brought about the downfall of infinitesimals" (p. 181). Dauben foolishly claims that "Lakatos apparently had not made up his mind" and "even contradicts himself" (p. 182) in acknowledging that Leibnizian calculus is inconsistent. This makes no sense. There is no contradiction. The inconsistency of Leibnizian calculus is even referred to as a fact in the first quotation. Dauben also claims that Lakatos is wrong because "the real stumbling block to infinitesimals was their acknowledged inconsistency" (p. 181). Why, then, did the calculus "stumble" only after two hundred years? If Dauben thinks that classical infinitesimal calculus "stumbled" before it had dried up, I suggest that he shows us what theorems it could have reached were it not for this obstacle.

Askey, "How can mathematicians and mathematical historians help each other?" Most of this article deals with haphazard and obscure notes regarding Askey's own historical research and does nothing to answer the title question. Askey's basic perspective is that mathematicians are well-meaning saints who do nothing wrong but that mathematical historians are incompetent and prejudiced in various ways. For example, Askey amuses himself with finding errors in Kline's history, and concludes that "it is clear that mathematical historians need all the help they can get" (p. 212). But it makes no sense to blame historians, for Kline was a mathematician. He obtained his Ph.D. in mathematics and was a professor of mathematics at a mathematics department all his career. Elsewhere Askey writes: "One cannot form an adequate picture of what is really important on the basis of current undergraduate curriculum and first-year graduate courses. In particular, I think there is far too much emphasis on the emergence of rigor and the foundations of the mathematics in much of what is published on the history of mathematics." (p. 203). The obvious lesson is for mathematicians to stop teaching lousy courses that trick students into thinking that rigour is a huge deal, etc. But no. That would entail admitting a flaw among the glorified mathematicians that Askey loves so much. So instead he nonsensically blames historians without further discussion. ... Read more

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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1903Original Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society of AmericaSubjects: JewsHistory / JewishHistory / WorldReligion / Judaism / GeneralReligion / Judaism / Rituals ... Read more

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Sir Anthony Kenny continues his magisterial new history of Western philosophy with a fascinating guide through more than a millennium of thought from 400 AD onwards, charting the story of philosophy from the founders of Christian and Islamic thought through to the Renaissance.The middle ages saw a great flourishing of philosophy, and the intellectual endeavour of the era reaches its climax in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, with the systems of the great schoolmen such as Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus. Specially written for a broad popular readership, but serious and deep enough to offer a genuine understanding of the great philosophers, Kenny's lucid and stimulating history will become the definitive work for anyone interested in the people and ideas that shaped the course of Western thought. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good Introduction to Medieval Philosophy
Just like the first volume I've enjoyed reading this work on Medieval Philosophy. For a casual student of philosophy this is probably
as light an introduction as can be imagined. Anything less and it would miss out on a lot of important details. But
it's a good book to start your studies in philosophy and follow up with something a bit more in-depth.

Great overall reference!
I took classes in philosophy for years and I have to say that I was very surprised with this book. Kenny has a great knack for rephrasing the arguments of the Schoolmen in modern philosophical vocabulary without loss of substance. You'll be shocked by how relevant medieval philosophy really is; I'm a little angry undergrad students aren't made more aware of this material. This book accomplishes what every history aspires to: you close the book feel well-informed and freshly energized about the craft of philosophy.

The only minor downsides to the book are stylistic. A few strangely-worded cultural references make you feel like you're listening to 'Old Man Kenny' on occasion. More seriously, there are some instances where it's a little hard to follow the narrative voice, leaving you unsure at first where critical exposition ends and judgment begins. Thankfully, though, these defects are minimal in number and effect. Anyone with a moderate interest in philosophy will find this a worthwhile purchase.

A Good Resource
A good introductory survey of philosophical topics as they were treated by various medieval thinkers throughout the entire period, from late antiquity and the commentators of Aristotle, to the inception of the humanists. The survey combines what is properly called intellectual history and philosophy proper. The historical aspect is kept to a minimum (as it ought to be in a philosophy book) without sacrificing salient features of the historical context in which the topic under discussion occurred. The philosophy, on the other hand, is more developed and Kenny has an emphasis on concept explanation, as opposed to explicating arguments; though he does do both at times.

This includes the following topics: God, Mind and Soul, Logic and Language, Knowledge, Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics, as well as an excellent treatment of philosophy and religious belief from Augustine to Maimonides,and scholasticism from the twelfth century renaissance (Abelard and the 'nominales' school) to the so-called renaissance proper (roughly 1360-1550), at which point scholasticism began to give way to the new schoolman, the humanists.

Kenny is especially good at explaining the intellectual current of a given period and how such a current has bearing on the topic at hand, this is particularly seen in his discussion of physics. As such, the historical context of each topic and its subsequent development is presented thoroughly but briefly; however, little attention is given to the explication of any particular thinker's arguments on any given topics. For that reason, you will find little critical analysis of the particular arguments presented.

All in all it's an excellent work, written clearly and informatively, by a very capable philosopher. It's a good introduction for undergraduates at the freshman and sophomore level. But if you've had more than a survey course in medieval philosophy, you need something with a bit more depth.

A Pleasure
The book expounds the main ideas of the medieval thinkers with great clarity and a pleasing lightness of touch. The book is not only a pleasure to read but to hold and look at. Author and publisher have both done an excellent job. ... Read more

Product Description
An English translation of Hegel's introduction to his lectures on the philosophy of history, based directly on the standard German edition by Johannes Hoffmeister, first published in 1955. The previous English translation, by J. Sibree, first appeared in 1857 and was based on the defective German edition of Karl Hegel, to which Hoffmeister's edition added a large amount of new material previously unknown to English readers, derived from earlier editors. In the introduction to his lectures, Hegel lays down the principles and aims which underlie his philosophy of history, and provides an outline of the philosophy of history itself. The comprehensive and voluminous survey of world history which followed the introduction in the original lectures is of less interest to students of Hegel's thought than the introduction, and is therefore not included in this volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great philosopher on importance of history!
I read this book for a graduate class in history.Hegel's philosophy of history is perhaps the most fully developed philosophical theory of history that attempts to discover meaning or direction in history.Hegel incorporates a deeper historicism into his philosophical theories than his predecessors or successors. According to Hegel, the events whose story is told by political and legal history can be given a philosophical interpretation that will bring out its philosophical meaning.He does this himself in his lectures on the Philosophy of History.He views it to be a central task for philosophy to comprehend its place in the unfolding of history.History is for Hegel the development of Freedom, or rather, of the consciousness of Freedom.History is the process by which Spirit becomes conscious of itself.Individual thinkers, artists, and historical actors are primarily the means or instruments by which the collective spirit (God in the world) becomes conscious of truth.

Hegel constructs world history into a narrative of stages of human freedom, from the public freedom of the polis and the citizenship of the Roman Republic, to the individual freedom of the Protestant Reformation, to the civic freedom of the modern state.He attempts to incorporate the civilizations of India and China into his understanding of world history, though he regards those civilizations as static and therefore pre-historical.He constructs specific moments as "world-historical" events that were in the process of bringing about the final, full stage of history and human freedom.For example, Napoleon's conquest of much of Europe is portrayed as a world-historical event doing history's work by establishing the terms of the rational bureaucratic state.Hegel finds reason in history; but it is a latent reason, and one that can only be comprehended when the fullness of history's work is finished.

Many in Western Europe saw Europe or the Western European nations as the pinnacle of historical development, poised to carry their mission civilisatrice to Asia, Africa, Oceania.Yes, they could say, ancient civilizations had contributed to the eventual emergence of modern European civilization, but Europe had integrated what was valuable in those ancient insights into a higher form and it could now turn around and offer this higher form of culture to the rest of humanity who had remained "backward" and "underdeveloped."Hegel has very little to say about the New World.He acknowledges that the Native Americans have been overtaken by Europeans, thus the New World is a continuation of the Old World in its civilization and culture.He sees history progressing in America (populated by Englishmen), but finds that it has not matured yet.He sees America as a growing, prosperous, and industrious nation with a population that is a federation of people who love freedom.However, the nation is not politically fixed yet and he thinks, "a real state and a real government will arise only after a distinction of classes has arisen, when wealth and poverty become extreme."However, this can't happen as long as America has vast territory for people to expand and populate, he thinks these changes can't come about until America is as crowded as Europe so that people agitate each other and clamor for change.I think Hegel foresaw the Civil War.I think the America he ultimately envisioned is finally here today.Our country seems to be equally divided politically and I am not sure our present political institutions can hold us together.

Hegel once described Napoleon, whom he observed in the flesh just before or after one of Napoleon's major victories, as "the world spirit on horseback."Napoleon at that time was a major expression of the dynamic process which was transforming Europe in a certain direction.When Napoleon had served his purpose, he was discarded by the World Spirit, which then adopted other political leaders as its means.

It is worth observing that Hegel's philosophy of history is not the caricature of speculative philosophical reasoning that analytic philosophers sometimes paint it.His philosophical approach is not based solely on foundational a priori reasoning.Instead he proposes an "immanent" encounter between philosophical reason and the historical given.His prescription is that the philosopher should seek to discover the rational within the real--not to impose the rational upon the real."To comprehend what is, this is the task of philosophy, because what is, is reason."Hegel's approach is neither purely philosophical nor purely empirical; instead, he undertakes to discover within the best historical knowledge of his time, an underlying rational principle that can be philosophically articulated.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, political science, and history.
... Read more

Product Description
From the Beginning to Plato covers one of the most remarkable periods in human thought.In the space of two and a half centuries, philosophy developed from quasi-mythological speculation to a state in which many of the most fundamental questions about the universe, the mind, and human behaviour were vigorously pursued, and where some of the most enduring masterworks of Western thought were written. The essays present the fundamental approaches and thinkers of Greek philosophy in chronological order.From an introduction to the polis to the lasting contribution of Plato, each essay takes account of the large amount of high-quality work done in the last few decades on Platonic and pre-Platonic philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction to Ancient Philosophy
This volume is the first in a series published by Routledge covering the history of Philosophy from its beginnings in Greece until the 20th century.

The volume contains about 20 essays from leading scholars in Ancient Philosophy covering the historical and cultural background to ancient Greece as well as essays on the main streams of thought from various Philosophers, including the Pre-Socratics, Socrates, and Plato.The volume also contains essays covering ancient Greek religion, science and mathematics and how these influenced philosophy.This series is essential background reading for any student of ancient Greek philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
The fifty entries in this Companion cover the main issues in the philosophies of historiography and history, including natural history and the practices of historians.

• Written by an international and multi-disciplinary group of experts
• A cutting-edge updated picture of current research in the field
• Part of the renowned Blackwell Companions series

Product Description
Written by a team of distinguished scholars, this is an authoritative and comprehensive history of Western philosophy from its earliest beginnings to the present day. Illustrated with over 150 color and black-and-white pictures, chosen to illuminate and complement the text, this lively and readable work is an ideal introduction to philosophy for anyone interested in the history of ideas. From Plato's Republic and St. Augustine's Confessions through Marx's Capital and Sartre's Being and Nothingness, the extraordinary philosophical dialogue between great Western minds has flourished unabated through the ages. Dazzling in its genius and breadth, the long line of European and American intellectual discourse tells a remarkable story--a quest for truth and wisdom that continues to shape our most basic ideas about human nature and the world around us. That quest is brilliantly brought to life in The Oxford History of Western Philosophy.
With spectacular illustrations--including sixteen pages of full-color plates--this splendidly written volume takes the reader on a magnificent chronological tour through the revolutions of thought that have forged the Western philosophical tradition from ancient times to the present. Throughout, the six contributors--an internationally renowned team of philosophers including Roger Scruton, Anthony Quinton, and Anthony Kenny--bring the astonishingly diverse, wide-ranging landscape of intellectual history into sharp focus, emphasizing how notions seen today as part of an inevitable march of ideas were in their own time often considered radical, if not revolutionary. Thus we are treated, for example, to lively accounts of how Plato's "theory of forms" and Aristotle's pioneering exercises in logic broke with the past to irrevocably alter the course of Western thought. The authors also reveal the relationships between landmark thinkers, and the ways they drew on their intellectual heritage.They show, for instance, how St. Augustine and Aquinas, though advancing the cause of Christian doctrine, picked up where their pagan Greek forebears had left off. We witness how, during the Renaissance, the profound empiricist ideas underlying Descartes's famous utterance--"I think, therefore I exist"--lived in a tense but complementary relationship with Locke's rationalist theories. Moving into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the book explores how Hume greatly influenced Kant's conception of the "transcendental aesthetic," and how Hegel drew upon the lesser known (but groundbreaking) work of Fichte and Schelling.The authors bring the story up to our own time, vividly recounting the existential trend from Nietzsche ("God is dead") to Sartre, along with other increasingly fractious schools of thought. Along the way, we not only encounter the vast intellectual riches of the Western mind, but we also meet the personalities behind the great thoughts, from the saintly Hume (described by Adam Smith as having "come as near to perfection as anybody could") to the ill-mannered outcast Fichte.And the hundreds of maps and striking illustrations (including full-color reproductions of art ranging from medieval manuscripts to the works of Raphael, Ingres,and Magritte) form an integral part of the book, revealing the interweaving of art and ideas through the ages, as artists have striven to give visual immediacy to philosophical concepts.
The Oxford History of Western Philosophy is the most authoritative single-volume account ever written for the general reader.Engagingly written and astonishingly far-reaching, it provides the consummate introduction to the intellectual bedrock upon which Western civilization is built.Amazon.com Review
What does philosophy look like? Can you take a picture of it? The Oxford Illustrated History of Western Philosophy may not answer these questions, but it manages to ask them artfully with just a hint of schizophrenia. Sometimes it is a concise but substantive account of the history of Western philosophy; other times it is a coffee-table book that lends itself to casual thumbing-through. Pause long enough to wonder at Kant's silhouette, Jeremy Bentham's infamous Panopticon, a photo of Machiavelli's writing desk, or the Ephesian wall painting of Socrates. The volume lives up to its name: there are over two dozen full-color pictures--such as Paul Gauguin's arresting painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?--and myriad black-and-white illustrations of all varieties.

Editor Anthony Kenny parses his history into just six chunks of philosophy--ancient, medieval, three flavors of modern, and political--but amazingly the book does not seem to skimp on details. The reader will find everything from a treatise on Pseudo-Dionysius to an explanation of Kant's Paralogisms of Pure Reason to an analysis of Wittgenstein's private language argument. The six contributors to this book are philosophical heavyweights, and their accounts are inevitably colored by their respective likes and dislikes. But in sum The Oxford History of Western Philosophy is first-rate scholarship that succeeds where almost all academic histories fail: it's fun! --Eric de Place ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Disappointing Illustrations
In the introduction, Sir Anthony Kenny says "it is not immediately obvious what kinds of picture provide fit material to adorn a philosophical narrative". It might show pictures of objects and places associated with the philosophers, he thinks, and some illustrations of the texts and "a history of philosophy must contain portraits". By far the largest number of illustrations are just that: full-page b&w reproductions of portraits and marble busts of philosophers through the ages. But that phrase, "material to adorn a philosophical narrative", it sounds as if he thinks these pictures are, at best, a decoration. So this isn't like an illustrated car-manual or medical text, where the pictures help you understand the writing; or a good children's story, where the pictures develop the narrative; or an art book, where the text analyses the pictures. Instead, there is this kind of thing, on p.208: a full-page photo of the old British Museum Reading Room, with the caption that it opened in 1842 and was where Marx worked on Das Kapital.

The drawing of Bentham's Panopticon, mentioned above--it's the grandfather of all prison and hospital design, because one person located at the building's centre can monitor all the prisoners/patients, and it is disturbing because it shows how easy it is to control a large group of people. It is perfect for this book, except that the caption has no explanation of what we are looking at, or how it worked! The writers, Kenny and five others, just don't seem to have their hearts in a graphic presentation. At the back is a 'Chronology' section, where you see what else was happening in the world during the lives of the philosophers. It would have been much easier to read in colour, but you just get two typed b&w lists.

I bought the book because I'm interested in the relation of philosophy to the visual arts (aesthetics, for example). I inferred from the publisher's blurb that I might find this book useful, but in fact I didn't. It is simply part of an OUP series of "Illustrated Histories"--there's one about the Royal Navy, one on New Zealand, one about medieval history, etc.

As others have said, the writing is good at explaining difficult philosophical ideas, and so it is too bad that not as much thinking went into the illustrating. What a shame, it's a missed opportunity. As such, it is still an okay general history, though in my opinion it isn't as helpful as John Cottingham's Western Philosophy, An Anthology (of original texts, with commentary). Cottingham has a chapter on beauty and art--including Kant's Critique of (aesthetic) Judgement, a text that, oddly enough, isn't even mentioned in the Illustrated History, which has a chapter on political philosophy instead.

Kenny may, I think, have a sense of ironic humor. There is one picture of "leading philosophers", taken in 1976 at an Oxford conference: three rows of incredibly nerdy-looking men, and two women.

A journy into the minds of the greatest philosophers!
A marvel of a book! This wonderful book gives a detailed chronological insight of all the famous and influential philosophers in six parts- Ancient Philosophy, Medivial Philosophy, Descartes to Kant, Continental Philosophy from Fichete to Sartre, Mill to Wittgenstein and Political Philosophy. The authors breifly discuss the main philosophical issues of each period and those that propounded them. Some beautiful plates illustrate and help set the mood of each section.The book is well designed, easy to read and provides a comprehensive history of philosophy. It is also a great book to introduce yourself to the different eras in philosophy and to aquaint yourself with the works of the different philosophers, that is if you are a new reader in philosophy. An extended bibliography (well arranged) provides further information to other texts in philosophy. I must say this book is worth every dollar! ... Read more

Product Description

For serious yoga practitioners curious to know the ancient origins of the art, Stephen Phillips, a professional philosopher and sanskritist with a long-standing personal practice, lays out the philosophies of action, knowledge, and devotion as well as the processes of meditation, reasoning, and self-analysis that formed the basis of yoga in ancient and classical India and continue to shape it today.

In discussing yoga's fundamental commitments, Phillips explores traditional teachings of hatha yoga, karma yoga,bhakti yoga, and tantra, and shows how such core concepts as self-monitoring consciousness, karma, nonharmfulness ( ahimsa), reincarnation, and the powers of consciousness relate to modern practice. He outlines values implicit inbhakti yoga and the tantric yoga of beauty and art and explains the occult psychologies ofkoshas,skandhas, andchakras. His book incorporates original translations from the early Upanishads, theBhagavad Gita, theYoga Sutra (the entire text), theHatha Yoga Pradipika, and seminal tantric writings of the tenth-century Kashmiri Shaivite, Abhinava Gupta. A glossary defining more than three hundred technical terms and an extensive bibliography offer further help to nonscholars. A remarkable exploration of yoga's conceptual legacy,Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth crystallizes ideas about self and reality that unite the many incarnations of yoga.

Customer Reviews (2)

An indispensable companion for serious students
Most people who do yoga exercises are aware that they form part of a larger system of thought and practice that originated in ancient India. They know that the names of the poses they do are translations of Sanskrit words, which some teachers try valiantly to pronounce. A few teachers also recite Sanskrit prayers, and refer in passing to philosophical and religious ideas, such as karma and samadhi, that underlie the practice. For most students, that's about all they will ever know or care to know about the philosophy of yoga. But some will want to go further. For such students, Stephen Phillips's Yoga, Karma and Rebirth will be an invaluable companion. Phillips, a professor of Sanskrit and Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, is one of America's leading experts on Indian philosophy. He has also been practicing yoga for more than thirty years, and brings an insider's knowledge to his explanations of mental concentration and the downward-facing dog. With an accessible informality honed by years of classroom teaching, Phillips walks the reader through difficult philosophical concepts but never distorts his material through oversimplification. There is a great deal of substance in the introduction and the five chapters making up the body of the book, but for the advanced student the real treat will be Phillips's translations of extracts from classic yoga texts such as the Yoga Sutra and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which fill five considerable appendixes. Altogether Phillips's book gives serious students of yoga all they need to take their practice to a higher level.

Very thoughtful exploration and defense
Phillips is an expert scholar and expositor of classical Indian thought, and it comes through in this book. He sets as his goal the articulation and defense of a core set of Yogic theses--that is to say the values, beliefs and attitudes which support of life of yogic practice. He argues that such core theses are the intellectual nucleus which support yoga whatever the particular school, and he develops them in the light of classical Indian philosophy and contemplative practice, questions of modern scientific discovery, and contemporary debate in academic philosophy. All of this is subtly blended together into a very readable, coherent book.

He also provides a number of extensive translations of classical yoga texts as a supplement to the book, which solidifies its status as an excellent one-stop resource for students of yoga who are ready for a serious, philosophically oriented engagement with the tradition.

I think that this book will be most useful to anyone interested in the practice and philosophy of Yoga or Eastern meditative thought more generally, as it helps the reader reflect on the core teachings of yoga as applied to a life of practice. ... Read more

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Since its first publication in 1945? Lord Russell's A History of Western Philosophy has been universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject -- unparalleled in its comprehensiveness, its clarity, its erudition, its grace and wit. In seventy-six chapters he traces philosophy from the rise of Greek civilization to the emergence of logical analysis in the twentieth century. Among the philosophers considered are: Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, the Atomists, Protagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Cynics, the Sceptics, the Epicureans, the Stoics, Plotinus, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Benedict, Gregory the Great, John the Scot, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Occam, Machiavelli, Erasmus, More, Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, the Utilitarians, Marx, Bergson, James, Dewey, and lastly the philosophers with whom Lord Russell himself is most closely associated -- Cantor, Frege, and Whitehead, co-author with Russell of the monumental Principia Mathematica. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (102)

Beautifully Written, With Occassional Misgivings
Russell's education, intelligence, style and wit are in abundant evidence. Although he does cover W. philosophy, it is in great bounds. And as much as I love Russell's piercing insights and dry wit, I occasionally cringed at the obvious British, 20th century perspective from which philosophies and philosophers were reviewed. This all works out just fine, if one knows better than to take some of his criticism as solid arguments. This book is a joy to read, even with occasional flaws.

Bertrand Russell's humorous take on western philosophy
This is the one of the most entertaining books that I have ever read!Bertrand Russell breaths life into a subject that is often depicted as somewhat dry.Russell pokes gentle fun at various philosophers and their ideas.I was especially amused by his description of Leibnitz view where the universe was something like a fancy mechanical clock where various figures (i.e. automatons) moved about in a synchronized dance when the hour was about to be struck.Indeed, Leibnitz seemed to believe that events occurred not because of cause and effect, but because of some preordained plan that was followed to the letter.Perhaps it is analogous to the present day when people often imagine that living beings are analogous to computers complete with hardware and software.It should be noted that in Leibnitz day this sort of elaborate mechanical clock was novel and state of the art, and so one might model the universe in a was that reflected the advanced technology of the day.

Best single volume on philosophy
Best book on philosophy that I know of. But don't get the idea that it's simple: Russell's style is clear, and he is witty, and this can lead readers to think his material is simple; but Russell now and then puts in very sharp and complicated theory-of-types analysis. Its divided mostly into names, which is handy for anyone dipping into the views of Parmenides, Plato, Bacon, Descartes, Locke, Leibniz, Spinoza, John Stuart Mill, Marx, Nietzsche... there's a long list. Russell is happy to admit that academic philosophers have usually been cowardly types, and admits many names (e.g. Byron) not normally considered philosophers.

Russell's style is so convincing he was often plagiarised - unconscious imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Joad (who copied Russell on Marx), and Aldous Huxley (who based Brave New World on a Russell work) are just two examples.

There are innumerable asides, which I presume (he wrote and assembled this book aged about 70) were the fruit of discussions in his youth and middle age; on psychology, groups, sex, emotions, animals, ethics, totalitarianism, adventures, trade - a vast range of topics.

I recommend this to everyone willing to take some trouble. I've met many people who would have benefitted from its intellectual stiffening - for example a gifted physics man who couldn't seem to grasp that atoms are mostly holes, even though they don't look that way. And who had never understood that the square root of two is 'irrational'. Hoary problems - 'universals', 'analytical' and 'synthetic', 'induction', 'teleology', 'determinism' - appear here and there, and it can do no harm to know about them. Russell also is good at picking out the odd practical effects of beliefs: just one example: Stoics and Christians both believed (supposedly) in personal virtue: if external circumstances cannot prevent a man from being virtuous, there is no need to seek a 'just' social system.

There are omissions, all I think to do with demarcation problems - the boundaries of philosophy, apart from politics, history, science, economics, and psychology. Darwin isn't here (much). Freud isn't here - but then Russell regarded the idea of unconscious motivation as the only significant part of Freud. Adam Smith isn't in. Marx is only treated as a philosopher: his economics is looked at by Russell in another book. Note that Russell seemed to regard Marx as 'socialistic'. All Russell's history in a sense is official: there must be innumerable people who were censored or killed or otherwise silenced; but Russell doesn't really bother with them. His book is a bit like commentary on a tidy, ordered library.

Russell's history is typical 20th century western: prehistory, with Egypt, Babylon and the rest regarded as 'oriental despotisms'. Rather inconsistently, the Bible is admitted. There's a conspiracy of silence about Jewish beliefs. Then Greece, then Rome; then the dark ages, and 'middle ages'; Russell accepts that Islam was a transmitter, though I'm not sure he makes a good case. Finally, modern enlightenment and science. Not much was known about many chunks of history, so this schema appeared satisfactory. Some of his historical comments are typically Victorian: the dislike of Rousseau from hatred of the French revolution, and of Rousseau as the supposed origin of romanticism and silliness. Rousseau and Nietzsche and Carlyle were supposed to have led to extremism and Auschwitz; Plato and Sparta to Stalin.

When eras change, Russell usually finds transitional people or ideas as exemplars: the Greeks treated in the then-usual awed way as a mix of peoples; Christianity as taking in Platonic and Judaic elements; Europe as church vs monarchs and feudal nobility and knights; Machiavelli, Erasmus and More at about the Renaissance. ...

Russell himself doubted his success in describing the relation of philosophy to social events when science became important. Russell mostly knew maths, but was notoriously hopeless in practical activities; he literally couldn't make a cup of tea. Such things as the rise and fall of the idea of phlogiston, the growth of chemistry, changes in transport, and such things as anaesthesia, aren't really covered but taken for granted, in rather the way unreflective people seem to think motor cars and piped water and printing have always existed.

Some accuse Russell of bias; typically these are:-

[1] Catholics often can't face the rationalistic side of Russell. (They don't seem to know that Russell wrote a lot on mysticism).

[2] People who like Kant and Hegel, and Nietzsche. Russell was not keen on German philosophy - when he was young, all official philosophers were Hegelians. He followed G E Moore in 'climbing down'.

[3] Supporters of Wittgenstein. Russell was a friend of his, and liked his work when it was new, but decided later it was rather trivial

[4] Supporters of Sartre and other existentialists. Russell dismissed it in a sentence: based emotionally on exasperation, and intellectually on errors of syntax.

[5] 'Linguistic' philosophers of the Gilbert Ryle type - 'just another clever man' according to Russell.

Note that, near the end of his life, Russell spent years on the problem of nuclear weapons, Kennedy's assassination, and, later, the Americans and the Vietnam War. For this reason he's partly censored, still.

It's a pity there is no equivalent book on eastern philosophies... that would be something.Incidentally 'Sophie's World' is based on Russell.

Too detailed for Introductory book
My goal with this book is to get better understanding of what philosophy is. I found this book going into too many details and it was a hard read for me. If you what to understand the development of philosophy that could be a good book, but not as introduction.

A shame it is so popular
This book is horribly biased and even downright wrong in many places. Recommended only for people very experienced in WEstern philosophy who are able to recognize and see past Russell's biases. This is a good book for a quick reference for writing papers, but DO NOT read this book to get a general understanding of philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a chronicle of Chinese thought from the third millennium sage-kings to the 1911 overthrow of the monarchical system. It focuses particularly on the most commonly known schools of Confucianism and Taoism, with insights into Mohism, "Yin-Yang", Legalism, New-Taoism and Neo-Confucianism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Wrong book- now asking me to pay for return postage.
So the last contact I got from this seller was an email asking me to return the incorrect book that they sent me.I sent an email asking for a return postage paid envelope and no answer.I've handed over my contact with this seller to Amazon, however I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of New Jersey.
Summary: the seller is inflexible, non-responsive, non-apologetic and has done nothing to correct their mistake.
L.

Fung's classic intro on Chinese philosophy
Fung Yu-lan (or Feng You-Lan) was one of the most important Chinese philosophers and scholars in the 20th century.His most famous accomplishment is the two-volume History of Chinese philosophy, which presents a comprehensive view of Chinese philosophy, the different schools, the trends and development through millennia, and the many historical figures and the schools of thought they each championed.This book here is an abridged version and presents the history of Chinese philosophy in a single, handy volume.Fung's writing is characterized by clarity and lucidity.He explains ideas and theories in simple, straightforward English and gives examples that can be clearly understood by laymen.As a Chinese reader, I actually found this English version more easily accessible than its Chinese version, because the Chinese one contains numerous quotes from ancient scriptures that can be hard to understand without pre-knowledge in ancient Chinese language.Here, all the quotations have been interpreted and rendered in plain English.I found this book highly enlightening and enjoyable.It remains the single best introduction on Chinese philosophy you can find today.It is a book to keep on your shelf and in your mind.

Excellence in Introducing the Subject
A short version of his longer original work, this is a great book in that it tells the history of Chinese philosophy in a systematic manner.Both fortunately and unfortunately, the content is a lot easier to absorb than any Chinese text on the subject, simply because it is written in an analytical language (English) rather then a poetic and suggestive language (Chinese), (plus reference to western philosophical terms which really helps).Highly recommended for any reader who want an introductory course on the subject.

Required reading for school, but suprisingly great!
My teacher chose to use this book as our main textbook for my Asian Philosophy class. I was surprised by how interesting it was, but more so by what an EASY read it was. The author does a fantastic job of organizing the information in a way that is easily understood and intellectually digested.

A short but very enlightning history
For the people who want to understand chinese philosophy, it is a positively simple text that allows to pinpoint all the important issues about each person that mattered in History. I recomend it to every student, every person that wants to know about philosopy and even those who are determined to elaborate deeper studies, as a start on the matter. ... Read more