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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Philosophy comes of age..., December 29, 2003
This book, 'Hobbes to Hume', is the third volume of a five-volume series on the history of Western Philosophy by W.T. Jones, professor of philosophy in California. This series is a very strong, thorough introduction to the course of Western Philosophy, beginning at the dawn of the philosophical enterprise with the pre-Socratics in ancient Greece to the modern thinkers such as Wittgenstein and Sartre. It has grown, over the three decades or so of its publication, from one to four then to five volumes. It has remained a popular text, and could serve as the basis of a one-year survey of philosophy for undergraduates or a one-semester survey for graduate students. Even advanced students in philosophy will find this valuable, all major topics and most minor topics in the course of philosophy are covered in these volumes.Jones states that there are two possible ways for a writer to organise a history of philosophy -- either by addressing everyone who ever participated in philosophy (which could become rather cumbersome if one accepts the premise that anyone could be a philosopher), or to address the major topics and currents of thought, drawing in the key figures who address them, but leaving out the lesser thinkers for students to pursue on their own. Jones has chosen the latter tactic, making sure to provide bibliographic information for this task. This volume, 'Hobbes to Hume', starts where the last volume leaves off, as the medieval world is beginning to change in social, cultural, and political terms as well as intellectually. The world of feudalism, over-arching church authority and local absolute monarchies was giving way to feelings of nationalism, shared government, and, perhaps most crucially, an end to absolute dominance of a church that had become problematic in many ways. The Renaissance began in Italy in force, drawing intellectual force from thinkers and artists who espoused a more humanistic outlook on life. Shortly thereafter (historically speaking) the Reformation began, first in Germany and then spreading across various parts of the West. Both the Renaissance and the Reformation attacked the medieval mindset, but from different directions. But perhaps one of the key ideas upon which both agreed was that the individual is largely more important than the institutions to which he or she belonged. This continues to be a tension to this day politically and philosophically, as ethnic, national, communal and religious ties still call for common emphasis. Part of the rapid development of intellectual fields included science -- Leonardo da Vinci, Copernicus, Bacon, Galileo, Kepler and others made great strides in advancing science and technology, and worked in many ways to separate the new discipline from philosophy and theology, which was more of a joint enterprise even at this stage. It was perhaps Descartes and Hobbes who were the first to develop philosophy as something mostly distinct from theology in this period. However, even they (and Spinoza, who came along shortly thereafter) could not escape the theological influences of the community entirely. As philosophical development continued through Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley and Hume, the ideas of epistemology, ethics, politics and metaphysics were becoming firmly established as ideas apart from the dogmatic reign of the church. Each volume ends with a glossary of terms, and a worthwhile index. The glossary warns against short, dictionary-style definitions and answers to broad terms and questions, and thus indicates the pages index-style to the discussion within the text for further context. The one wish I would have would be a comprehesive glossary and index that covers the several volumes; as it is, each volume has only its own referents. This is minor criticism in a generally exceptional series. It is not easy text, but it is not needlessly difficult. The print size on the direct quotes, which are sometimes lengthy, can be a strain at times, but the reading is worthwhile.
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by Roger Scruton
by Roger Ariew
