![[The Story of Philosophy (Touchstone Books (Paperback))] [Author: Durant, Will] [January, 1999]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ox1Ml6VxL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
I spent nearly 30 years of my pre-retirement adult life teaching philosophy at the college level, having prior to this received my doctorate in philosophy from Johns Hopkins. Several years ago, because of an ongoing secondary interest in the history of Western civilization, I began reading through Will and Ariel Durant's multivolume "The Story of Civilization," a project that took me three years to complete. I found it to be a thorough (albeit slightly dated) summary of the history of Western civilization through the time of Napoleon.
Because I was no longer teaching and had a bit of time on my hands, I decided to read through Will Durant's "The Story of Philosophy," a work that I had never had the opportunity to peruse during my professional career. I figured it would offer a refresher course on some of the philosophers who had less bearing on the areas of philosophy I regularly taught. I also hoped that it would give me some fresh insights into the philosophers and philosophical movements with which I possessed a degree of familiarity.
The book was not what I expected. I will note why momentarily. First, however, the positive. As I knew from having read his "Story of Civilization," Will Durant is an engaging writer. He is eloquent without being flowery or effete. His vocabulary is extensive, but he does not use it to show off his erudition. In no way is he pretentious. He is also able to explain difficult ideas in a straightforward, understandable fashion, certainly a boon when discussing the theories of philosophers. And he is good at explaining how the thought of a philosopher flows from and contrasts with that of his forbears.
However, if one is expecting a true history of philosophy, this is not the book to read. I would go so far as to say that the title of the book is quite misleading. This is not the story of philosophy. It is the story of the writings of those philosophers who, for whatever reason, Durant wants to highlight. The book pays no significant attention to ancient philosophy before Socrates or after Aristotle. While Socrates/Plato and Aristotle are examined in detail, subsequent developments in Greek and Roman thought are either covered in a most sketchy manner or absent altogether. For example, neo-Platonism in general and Plotinus in particular, are ignored.
Even more shocking is Durant's treatment of the entire middle ages. It is in fact a non-treatment. Without explanation (other than that Durant doesn't think it is important) we skip over nearly a thousand years of Western thought and quickly find ourselves studying the philosophy of Francis Bacon. One could read this book without being aware of philosophers such as Anselm, Peter Lombard, Bonaventure, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and many others (not to mention the Islamic philosophers of the tenth and eleventh centuries).
When we come to post-medieval philosophy, while we are treated to a fairly detailed explication of Francis Bacon, Spinoza, Voltaire, and Kant, Durant doesn't even mention Descartes (sometimes regarded as the father of modern philosophy) or the British Empiricists (Locke, Berkeley, and Hume) except by way of extremely brief references when presenting the thought of other philosophers.
Durant does somewhat better in describing the major figures of nineteenth century philosophy. Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche are all given extensive space. However, Durant spends an inordinate amount of time describing the thought of Herbert Spencer, who today is nearly forgotten.
Does all this mean this book is not worth reading? No, it doesn't. I've given it Four Stars, for the reasons stated earlier. It does cover the thought of certain philosophers in a way that is reasonably complete (for an overview) and relatively easy to understand. However, one should not read this book as though it were a general introduction to the story of philosophy.
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Top reviews from other countries
Anand Kumar
Pretty thick volume which would just scratch the surface of subject
Reviewed in India on December 30, 2018Verified Purchase
Arupratan
Saga Of An Illustrious Adventure
Reviewed in India on September 7, 2020Verified Purchase
Saga Of An Illustrious Adventure
Reviewed in India on September 7, 2020
"One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing." Thus began the story of western philosophy. With the declaration from a bald Athenian named Socrates. Circa 410 BC.Reviewed in India on September 7, 2020
And why this story is so essential that a man like Will Durant managed to spend eleven years to research and three years to write this gem of a discourse? Why is even philosophy itself a necessary subject to delve deeper into in these heady times of scientific triumph-marching? Isn't philosophy broadly perceived "as useless as chess, as obscure as ignorance, as stagnant as content"? Why should we buy this 700-pages thick tome and try to read it to get familiar with a subject which basically deals with "shadowy attributes of metaphysical thin air"? Why philosophy when there's science? Why should we pay our slightest attention to Friedrich Nietzsche when there's an Elon Musk tinkering with his futuristic spaceships?
Let me provide a possible answer from the writer himself. Because "science tells us how to heal and how to kill. Whereas philosophy can tell us when to heal and when to kill". And to know how lucidly and how wisely and how splendidly the writer presented his argument in line with his statement, don't make yourself miss this book. Give yourself a chance to rejoice "the pleasure of wisdom" which only philosophy can provide. Especially in these same heady days of scientific and technological chest-thumping.
Read it.
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Gazza
Nearly As Good As Russell’s History
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2018Verified Purchase
Nearly As Good As Russell’s History
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2018
Alongside Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy, this is probably the next best book to buy. It is a book I thoroughly enjoy dipping into from time to time, and now that the kindle version is available, it can be read almost any time and anywhere. I should also mention Durant’s other major work: The Story of Civilization. These volumes (11 of them) also contain much philosophy. But unfortunately, most seem still out of print. Even many of the kindle versions aren’t yet available. But if you’re looking for a mix of history and philosophy, these works are admirably readable and a make a great companion to his philosophy.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2018
I hope you found my review helpful.
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Jimmy BB
Must read for anyone interested in philosophy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2017Verified Purchase
BeMo
Particularly for Kant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2014Verified Purchase
