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A History of Western Philosophy

By: Bertrand Russell
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Publisher's Summary

Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy serves as the perfect introduction to its subject; it remains unchallenged as the greatest account of the history of Western thought. Charting philosophy's course from the pre-Socratics up to the early twentieth century, Russell relates each philosopher and school to their respective historical and cultural contexts, providing erudite commentary throughout his invaluable survey. This engaging and comprehensive work has done much to educate and inform generations of general readers; it is written in accessible and elegantly crafted prose and allows for an easy grasp of complex ideas.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©1945 Bertrand Russell (P)2013 Naxos AudioBooks

What listeners say about A History of Western Philosophy

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Make sure that this is the book that you're looking for.

I have no doubt that this book is highly regarded in some circles, and Bertrand Russell an authority on the matter. But as a layperson trying to expand my horizons, this hasn't quite helped me to access Russell's writings. It's a dense book, and the sort of writing that I'd rather have on a page to ponder and re-read as necessary.

You might have different expectations, and if this is the case, then I can't fault the performance or the recording quality. But be warned - know what you're getting yourself into.

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15 people found this helpful

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More theological than expected

Comprehensive run through. Being new ish to philosophy it hadn’t occurred how for most of history it was theologically led. Very interesting that it was written during WW2 when world views were fighting it out for supremacy. The few direct references make for exciting reflection on the period. You’d have to be quite committed to see this whole thing through though as it is a bit dry and will not win new converts to philosophy, despite the personal brilliance of Russell as a thinker and writer.

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2 people found this helpful

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In depth, Inspiring and Educational

There aren't many giant books that I can enjoy listening to on a daily basis, however this is so well delivered that it makes the journey through the minds if our best thinkers enjoyable. I recommend this as a start and stop, thought provoking read for the already thoughtful person. 10/10 for his analysis of philosophical concepts.

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An amazing read

Fantastic book, very comprehensive. A long read, but we'll worth it if you are interested in the subject.

exceptionally narrated.

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The Definitive History

Fascinating look over the not only the philosophy, but also the circumstances surrounding the philosophers themselves. This is THE book for anyone interested in getting into Philosophy.

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Delivers on the promise of the title

A thorough, and accessible, tour of the history of western philosophy. It's a worthwhile primer for an undergraduate starting out.

Notably it's a routine source used in the popular podcast philosophise this. It takes a fair bit of commitment to get through but it is excellent.

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Infuriating

I was fascinated to read this book to learn more about philosoohy, but the author presents this information as if there are only male philosophers, male academics and male readers/listeners. I could not deal with this premise one second longer.

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.

packed with information, narrated extremely well, however it is dry in parts and drags on at times.

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Didn’t realise how old it was!

Took me several chapters (and many references to Hitler as a recent event) to realise how old this book was!
I’ve done a little philosophy at university, but found this a VERY dense listening experience. It’s well laid out and interesting, but if you miss a single sentence it’s very possible to miss the meaning and conclusions of the whole chapter.

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A Must Read

Loved this timeline of important philosopher and their life time circumstances. Very educative and objective.

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