A Brief History of Western Philosophy [Paperback]

Sir Anthony Kenny (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631201327 | ISBN-13: 978-0631201328 | Publication Date: December 10, 1998 | Edition: 1

In this lucid and masterful work, the eminent scholar Anthony Kenny offers an indispensable resource - the most concise and compelling story of the complete development of philosophy available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The author not only has a remarkable grasp of the broad sweep of philosophical ideas, but is also an authority in his own right. The fluency and elegance of the writing, and the sensitivity to cultural and historical context, together with the eminence of the author, will ensure a wide international readership." John Cottingham, University of Reading

"The 22 chapters of this history are lucidly written and with enough humour in them to cheer up the educated general reader even in the midst of the most arid of philosophical discussions." Shabbir Akhtar, Times Higher Education Supplement

"The book's great merit is its lucidity and approachability, and it probably does convey some of the excitement which Kenny claims belongs to the subject." David Hamlyn, Times Literary Supplement

"This is simply a jolly good read, with pithy historical and biographical scene-setters, authoritative accounts of how successive philosophers have contributed to the development of Western thought, and often brilliant single-sentence summaries." Church Times

"A Brief History of Western Philosophy is a stimulating, impressive work by one of Britain's leading philosophers. It is valuable both as an introduction to the history of ideas as well as a record of a distinguished philosopher's mature reflections...It is a richly detailed, critical look at philosophy, displaying both Kenny's love for philosophical engagement and for good history...Kenny's style is unpretentious, effective, and at times wonderfully informal and amiable." Charles Talifierro, the Review of Metaphysics

From the Back Cover

In this lucid and masterful work, the eminent scholar Anthony Kenny offers an indispensable resource - the most concise and compelling story of the complete development of philosophy available.

Spanning 2,500 years of thought, this superb volume provides essential coverage of the most influential philosophers of the Western world, including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Jesus, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Darwin, Freud, Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein, amongst many others.

Unrivaled in its authority and range, the book is ideal for anyone with an interest in Western thought.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 365 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (December 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631201327
• ISBN-13: 978-0631201328
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,123,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of genre., July 16, 1999

By 

Andrew N. Carpenter "philosopher" (Westminster, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Brief History of Western Philosophy (Paperback)

Anthony Kenny's magnificent new history of philosophy is a remarkable achievement. The book is accessible yet sophisticated, concise yet comprehensive.

Its main weaknesses are Kenny's sometimes surprising and dramatic editorial decisions and his periodic idiosyncratic application of twentieth-century analytic philosophy. Also, Kenny provides no references for the quotations he uses. Happily, these flaws take away little from the stupendous success of Kenny's history.

The book consists of twenty-two chapters occupying 345 pages, followed by an afterword, suggestions for further reading, and a comprehensive index. The chapters, which range from "Philosophy in its Infancy" to "the Philosophy of Wittgenstein," include detailed discussions of nearly all canonical philosophers, brief discussions a few non-canonical philosophers (e.g., Hypatia, Bonaventure, Marsilius of Padua), and numerous extremely helpful discussions of the interaction between western philosophy and many non-philosophical figures and institutions. Philosophy students of all levels will benefit from this book, and their instructors will find much to admire and enjoy in it.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Work, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Brief History of Western Philosophy (Hardcover)

Anthony Kenny is, in my opinion, a first-rank philosopher. He is also a very good writer. He writes in a nice conversational way, yet has a remarkable skill at knowing, and sufficently explaining, those areas that will give the average reader a bit of difficulty. I bought this book yesterday and have made my way through quite a bit. Kenny's background gives him a particular competence at writing a history of philosophy (he first studied Aristotelian-scholastic philosophy at the Gregorianum in Rome, then analytical-linguistic philosopy at Oxford University). I already have a degree in philosophy (w/ honours), and I only wish it had been at the feet of a master like Kenny (btw, he is now Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford U., formerly Master of Balliol). We are in Dr. Kenny's debt for anything he writes, especially with this latest work.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant and Concise Introduction, October 27, 2004

By 

A curious mind - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Brief History of Western Philosophy (Paperback)

This work is ideal for those interested in philosophy but who have been previously intimidated by the profuse professional jargon of material on this topic.

The most influential minds, from philosophy's earliest beginnings to Wittgenstein, are covered in a compact, readable, yet highly scholarly manner. Readers must remember that philosophy is an unbelievably vast area that is continually evolving, and that one's personal affiliations and beliefs influence one's perception of it. No single book can cover each and every philosophical concept, nor can a single volume please every reader in its space allocations. While certain subjects might have been covered more thoroughly, do not let inevitable restrictions prevent you from reading this work. It will broaden your horizons.

'A Brief History of Western Philosophy' lays the groundwork for any further explorations, providing both the novice and the professional with invaluable information - in short, it is an ideal and indispensable reference work.

Reading this work will give a thorough overview of philosophy, and, in my opinion, is one of the best written so far. Intrepid minds can gladly go on to do in-depth research on particular figures, something that this book will certainly inspire.

Perhaps I am especially partial to this book because of my personal interest in the thought of Kant and Wittgenstein, philosophers given particular attention here. In fact, the chapter on Kant is one worth reading for any student in the area - it presents the ideas very cohesively.

In response to Mr. Lee's review, no philosophical work can be so objective as to leave out the author's own opinion completely; if you had read the material properly, you might have understood that, in a way, objectivity is impossible.
Anyhow, those with the smallest particle of common sense will read every book they touch with suspicion and shouldn't fall into the trap of unquestioningly believing everything they read. Every book on the subject of philosophy has a flaw of its own - it must have, since no one is perfect and can provide all the answers. Differentiating between fact and opinion is something that we all learn at school. One sentence should certainly not stop possible readers from delving into this wonderfully comprehensive work.

Also, you state that you know of almost no significant chemists or biologists who found philosophy helpful; may I ask what they would do without the foundations of questioning existing beliefs and ever searching for the truth that philosophy has laid for them? Everyone is influenced by his or her philosophical and religious beliefs and stances - even scientists. Who can say what truly influenced those great minds?

If you want to begin your adventures in the world of philosophy; if you are interested in a particular figure or concept and wish a scholarly, concise summary; or if you are an academic mind seeking to refresh 'forgotten lore', then this book is for you.