The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy

Colin McGinn

HarperCollins, Jul 8, 2003 - Philosophy - 256 pages

Part memoir, part study, The Making of a Philosopher is the self–portrait of a deeply intelligent mind as it develops over a life on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Making of a Philosopher follows Colin McGinn from his early years in England reading Descartes and Anselm, to his years in the states, first in Los Angeles, then New York. McGinn presents a contemporary academic take on the great philosophical figures of the twentieth century, including Bertrand Russell, Jean–Paul Sartre, and Noam Chomsky, alongside stories of the teachers who informed his ideas and often became friends and mentors, especially the colorful A.J. Ayer at Oxford.

McGinn's prose is always elegant and probing; students of contemporary philosophy and the general reader alike will absorb every page.

What people are saying

Review: The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy

User Review  - David - Goodreads

Some interesting bits, but I came away feeling the pretentiousness of the author.

Review: The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy

User Review  - Abdul - Goodreads

"Brilliantly written, devastatingly honest, often very funny, and tells a personal story as fascinating as a philosophical one." -Oliver Sacks I couldn't have said it better

About the author

Colin McGinn was educated at Oxford University. The author of sixteen previous books, including The Making of a Philosopher, he has written for the London Review of Books, The New Republic, the New York Times Book Review, and other publications. He has taught philosophy at University College of London, Oxford, and Rutgers University, and is a distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of Miami.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy
• Author: Colin McGinn
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: HarperCollins, 2003
• ISBN: 0060957603, 9780060957605
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Philosophers; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern