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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Reading; Excellent Overview, February 26, 2008
Bertrand Russell was one of the preeminent thinkers of the Twentieth Century. It is difficult to imagine a man better qualified to compile and comment upon the greatest thinkers in Western Civilization. Of course, he does have a point of view, leaning more toward Aristotle's materialism than Plato's spirituality, and it is impossible to deny that it informs his interpretations of the great philosophers, but it really doesn't get in the way too much. His distillations of their thinking are as accurate as one may expect, and his commentary is always identified as opinion.
What is remarkable about this volume is it's presentation of the sweep of Western thought from the Greeks through the last century, each school of thought seeming to grow out of or be a reaction against what went before. I highly recommend reading it from the beginning so the causes and effects of each period of philosophy and the people who grew from them are fully appreciated. It is dense going at times, but the reward is worth the effort it takes to plow through.
That said, I found myself overwhelmed by the mathematical portions of the book, but that is not Russell's fault; if I have no head for it, he can't be blamed.
It is not a work for the casual reader; a great deal will be expected. There is a wealth of information here, but one must really spend time with each philosopher in order to understand his observations and conclusions. This is a book that needs to be studied, and is not for the dilettante. It requires a certain commitment.
Even so, for one who has neither the time nor the patience to slog through the actual writings of the philosophers presented here, this "Reader's Digest" version is just what is needed. One really cannot call oneself an educated person in our society without a passing knowledge of what is presented here. This introduction to Western Philosophy is about as good as you're going to get.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Dated though Brilliant, December 23, 2007
It is heartening to see Russell's overview of Western thought in a new reprint. The project itself at the time and even in present time; is extremely ambitious. However, Russell manages the task with professionalism and the text is written in a style that can be read by most individuals interested in the beginnings of Western thought...but Russell takes this project further, paving the way for other recorder's of history and philosophy that was not explored at the time it was written, (1946) and that is, relating philosophy to its particular social and economic background. In other words, he attempts to put a certain philosophy, for example, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Marx into its social and economic context, revealing these influencing factors on (their) particular view of the world.
Russell's magnum opus, "Principia Mathematica" , written in collaboration with Alfred North Whitehead, set the standard for logical positivism and analytical philosophy that is continued to be explored and taught in universities today. Although taking a decade to write, setting a new precedent in Western thought, Ludwig Wittgenstein took up the mantel, and changed analytical philosophy forever.
From the end of WW2, Russell became what is known as a `public philosopher', similar to the pragmatist, William James, taking Western thought to the people, writing in a style for the layman. This is one such work.
He was criticised by his colleagues, including his once favourite student Wittgenstein, but he changed direction, writing about controversial issues of the time. He was a great activist joining forces with Albert Einstein and Albert Schweitzer, protesting the Hydrogen Bomb testing after WW2 that the U.S. was carelessly throwing around not knowing the full detrimental effects on human life.
This book is a perfect place to begin for those interested in philosophy and considering it a subject for further study. Though a bit too general and biased in a few places, as any work is or can be, the student will receive a sweeping though accurate account of Western philosophy beginning with the pre-Socratics and ending with John Dewey and Logical Analysis.
Russell has an engaging style, and many thought he would move into fiction and the novel; though he lived into his late nineties, he never failed to rise in the morning for his walk, arranging his thoughts for the days subject...one of the more prolific writer's of the twentieth century.
A History of Western Philosophy is a book that should be in every library.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my ESSENTIAL books!, April 10, 2009
I have a short list of essential books for the Western mind. There is, of course, the Bible, Shakespeare, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Works of O. Henry, Sherlock Holmes, Plato, Robinson Crusoe, and a few other "classics."
One of my favorites is Russell's "A History of Western Philosophy." It is a joy to read because he is taking so vast an amount of information and making it accessible to the reader. Each segment is usually no more than 15-20 pages long (if that), and it gives you a highly intelligent overview of their most significant views. Further, it gives enough information to inform the reader as to whether it would be of interest to pursue a more detailed understanding.
While Russell was not a Christian or religious, he speaks with a very solid understanding of Christian thought and the scriptures. Further, he is respectful even when he must bring criticism to bear on some church doctor or father.
If I were teaching introductory philosophy, this is THE BOOK that I would use, supplemented with the actual writings of some of the key philosophers.
Very simply, if you want to understand Western thought--where it came from and why we believe as we do--you won't find a better volume. Of course, you could read all the books on western history and thought...but why do that when Russell has assembled it so brilliantly in this book?
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by Bertrand Russell
by Bertrand Russell
