A History of Western Philosophy

By: Bertrand Russell

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 38 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Hailed as “lucid and magisterial” by The Observer, this book is universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject of Western philosophy.

Considered to be one of the most important philosophical works of all time, the History of Western Philosophy is a dazzlingly unique exploration of the ideologies of significant philosophers throughout the ages - from Plato and Aristotle through to Spinoza, Kant and the 20th century. Written by a man who changed the history of philosophy himself, this is an account that has never been rivaled since its first publication over 60 years ago.

Since its first publication in 1945, Lord Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy is still unparalleled in its comprehensiveness, its clarity, its erudition, its grace, and its wit. In seventy-six chapters he traces philosophy from the rise of Greek civilization to the emergence of logical analysis in the 20th century.

Among the philosophers considered are: Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, the Atomists, Protagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Cynics, the Sceptics, the Epicureans, the Stoics, Plotinus, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Benedict, Gregory the Great, John the Scot, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Occam, Machiavelli, Erasmus, More, Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, the Utilitarians, Marx, Bergson, James, Dewey, and lastly the philosophers with whom Lord Russell himself is most closely associated - Cantor, Frege, and Whitehead, coauthor with Russell of the monumental Principia Mathematica.

©1945 Bertrand Russell. Copyright renewed ©1972 by Edith Russell. All rights reserved. (P)2013 Naxos AudioBooks. All rights reserved.

Great survey of Western philosophy

Well read including rendering Russel's dry humor. Russel walks through Western thought mostly chronologically by period as header chapter then chapters of thinkers within. Each treated by context, contribution, and some key specifics. it is a delightful read/listen.

Educational

Best introductory education into the development of Western philosophy. Loved this and would play again. Narration is excellent; both well paced and clearly enunciated.

Engaging, Brilliant, and Lucid!

Russell’s mind is brilliant and clear and the narrator is flawless, seemingly Russell himself in an intimate 40 hour conversation with the listener. I wish there was a part 2!!

Best General Work on Philosophy

As good today as the day it was released decades ago. Nothing since comes close

Excellent

I really loved the direction this book takes, from the beginning of ancient cultures into modern cultures, you see the origins and everything in between them and now as far as dogmas, policy, and philosophy. I loved most, the first half of this book. The second half, personally, was much slower and at times above my head. Tells me I have more knowledge to gain in these subjects before coming back to this book.

Two months time worth it.

I am therapist in practice. And knew of Bertrand Russell. I always wanted to read this book. I’m glad I did. I read other books on philosophy but this is more complete. I have lots of notes that I can read if I want to. I am going to read a novel after this heavy book.

Search for truth based off of humility

I most certainly will read this book again. Socrates suggested that the only thing he knows is that he does not know. Sciences is the most useful way to incrementally approach a problem. Nevertheless, our notion of values is not amenable to the techniques of science.

5 Star conversion into Audio Book format

Often good books have poor audiobooks - this book has an excellent audio book: the chapters are named (rather than many audio books where, for example, the book’s introduction is chapter 1 in the audio book and none of the chapters are named in the audiobook, so navigating to the correct chapter in audible requires on to listen to the beginning of each chapter to find out what chapter it really is), the narration is excellent, and the foot notes are read out loud at the end of each sentence and indicated as footnotes. Please make all audiobooks like this.

A must listen for philosophy afficionados.

A must listen for philosophy afficionados. Worth the time. Puts the trajectory of ideas, as they evolve, in perspective
....enhanced with some drie humor.
The reader is great, sometimes gets on ones nerves
with his impersonation of philosophers voices.

Lucid and brilliant

This book is a gift to humanity. We would do well, not only to learn from Russell about what he has to say about the history of Western philosophy, but also to absorb the empathy and humanity that suffuses his work gets the sense when reading this, that he is not motivated to flex his intellect in any way, but to elevate the reader’s genuine understanding of not only the ideas presented, but also the impact of those ideas on human life. Knowing that he was actually quite poor at the time of this writing, makes not only the ideas themselves, but the care he took to present them all the more poignant.