A History of Western Philosophy

Bertrand Rusell

Routledge, 1946 - Philosophy - 778 pages

First published in 1946, History of Western Philosophy went on to become the best-selling philosophy book of the twentieth century. A dazzlingly ambitious project, it remains unchallenged to this day as the ultimate introduction to Western philosophy. Providing a sophisticated overview of the ideas that have perplexed people from time immemorial, it is 'long on wit, intelligence and curmudgeonly scepticism', as the New York Times noted, and it is this, coupled with the sheer brilliance of its scholarship, that has made Russell's History of Western Philosophy one of the most important philosophical works of all time.

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Review: A History of Western Philosophy

User Review - Goodreads

I suspect I came to this book precisely when I needed to in my philosophical education. At the time I had read some Plato, some Aristotle, a not insignificant amount of Machiavelli, and a good deal of ...

Review: A History of Western Philosophy

User Review  - Ian Graye - Goodreads

Overview Bertrand Russell's History consists of 76 Chapters, almost all under 20 pages. Each Chapter contains a summary of each philosopher's key arguments interlaced with criticism that reflects ...

About the author

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, Viscount Amberley, born in Wales, May 18, 1872. Educated at home and at Trinity College, Cambridge. During World War I, served four months in prison as a pacifist, where he wrote "Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy." In 1910, published first volume of Principia Mathematica with Alfred Whitehead. Visited Russia and lectured on philosophy at the University of Peking in 1920. Returned to England and, with his wife, ran a progressive school for young children in Sussex from 1927-1932. Came to the United States, where he taught philosophy successively at the University of Chicago, University of California at Los Angeles, Harvard, and City College of New York. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Has been active in disarmament and anti-nuclear-testing movements while continuing to add to his large number of published books which include "Philosophical Essays" (1910); "The ABC of Relativity" (1925) "Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits" (1948); "Why I Am Not a Christian" (1957); and "The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell" (1967). For a chronological list of Russell's principal works see "The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell" (Simon and Schuster).

Bibliographic information

• Title: A History of Western Philosophy; Routledge Classics
• Author: Bertrand Rusell
• Edition: 2, reprint, revised
• Publisher: Routledge, 1946
• ISBN: 0415325056, 9780415325059
• Length: 778 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / General