Locke (The Great Philosophers Series) [Paperback]

Michael Ayers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415923832 | ISBN-13: 978-0415923835 | Publication Date: July 1999 | Edition: 1

Philosophy is one of the most intimidating and difficult of disciplines, as any of its students can attest. This book is an important entry in a distinctive new series from Routledge: "The Great Philosophers." Breaking down obstacles to understanding the ideas of history's greatest thinkers, these brief, accessible, and affordable volumes offer essential introductions to the great philosophers of the Western tradition from Plato to Wittgenstein.
In just 64 pages, each author, a specialist on his subject, places the philosopher and his ideas into historical perspective. Each volume explains, in simple terms, the basic concepts, enriching the narrative through the effective use of biographical detail. And instead of attempting to explain the philosopher's entire intellectual history, which can be daunting, this series takes one central theme in each philosopher's work, using it to unfold the philosopher's thoughts.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Once in a while, a publication comes along that on first sight seems oddly out of place but on second viewing is admirably suited to its purpose. This little series of biographical summaries of the thoughts of 24 Western philosophers from Democritus to Derrida is admirable not only for its reasonable price but even more for the intelligence and clarity of the writing. Each volume has been prepared by an expert in the subject, and the result is a series of well-drawn and exceptionally useful pocket-size (4.5 x 7 inches) sketches of major figures in the history of Western thought. The level is such that no special background in philosophy is required to understand the concepts discussed. Each volume also contains a short bibliography, some of which refer to electronic journals or web sites. Most of the individuals chosen for the series come as no surprise, e.g., Descartes, Hegel, Kant, Nietzsche, Locke, Hume, Plato, and Socrates. But there are a few unexpected choices, like Alan Turing and Karl PopperAalthough on further consideration, they make more sense. Turing's influence on mathematics and on the development of computers has long been recognized, but his 1936 paper "On Compatible Numbers," which appeared in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society in 1936-37, influenced studies in the philosophy of mind. Popper's development of the concept of "historicism" in such works as The Open Society and Its Enemies and The Poverty of Historicism significantly influenced 20th-century political thought. Ultimately, this set should be in every academic and public library as well as many school libraries.ATerry C. Skeats, Bishop's Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

'Ayer's book is a fine tool for students ... The positions taken by Ayers are so little infected with Nineties commonplaces that this study of Locke will surely outlive this decade, and perhaps several to come.' |I London Review of Books --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415923832
• ISBN-13: 978-0415923835
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,135,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For the Student Only, April 13, 2000

By 

Ian Clark (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Locke (The Great Philosophers Series) (Paperback)

This book form the otherwise excellent Great Philosophers Series suffers from being inaccessible or uninteresting to anyone who was not already well acquainted with his writing. I was looking forward to reading about Locke's contractarian philosophy and its influence on the founding of the United States, but alas this was nowhere to be found. Even I, who has read evey book in this series, had a tough time ploughing through this entry.