The History of Philosophy

By: A. C. Grayling

Narrated by: Neil Gardner

Length: 28 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

“A witty, learned, authoritative survey of philosophical thought.” (The New York Times Book Review)

The first authoritative and accessible single-volume history of philosophy to cover both Western and Eastern traditions, from one of the world’s most eminent thinkers

The story of philosophy is an epic tale, spanning civilizations and continents. It explores some of the most creative minds in history. But not since the long-popular classic by Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, published in 1945, has there been a comprehensive and entertaining single-volume history of this great, intellectual, world-shaping journey.

With characteristic clarity and elegance, A. C. Grayling takes the listener from the age of the Buddha, Confucius, and Socrates through Christianity’s capture of the European mind, from the Renaissance and Enlightenment on to Mill, Nietzsche, Sartre and, finally, philosophy today. Surveying in tandem the great philosophical traditions of India, China, and the Persian-Arabic world, and astonishing in its range and accessibility, Grayling’s The History of Philosophy is destined to be a landmark work.

©2019 A. C. Grayling (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Grayling presents an impressive, comprehensive catalogue of great thought and thinkers in this sweeping survey [....] Perhaps Grayling’s greatest strength lies in his ability to categorize, contrast, and clarify complex ideas, such as Plato’s theory of forms and Kant’s categorical imperative. Elegant, clear, and precise [...] Grayling’s superb work is an indispensable resource for any “serious student of ideas.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Grayling offers a remarkably comprehensive history of philosophy from ancient Greece to the present. He covers not only Western philosophy but Indian, Chinese, Arabic-Persian, and African philosophy as well, and his skill as an expositor is apparent.... This work will interest readers of philosophy and intellectual history. It aims at general audiences, but scholars will also find it valuable." (Library Journal, starred review)

“A magnificent recapping of the history of philosophy, as it stands apart from theology, in the classic model of Bertrand Russell, as ‘an invitation and an entrance’.... [I]t is a delight to engage in this sweeping history of the great thinkers throughout the ages, from pre-Socratics to the present.... Grayling's accessible omnibus will provide a stepping stone for the student or novice.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Well-rounded book of knowledge

To describe the concept of philosophy in time, place and perspective provides an all-encompassing presentation.

It is a very good reference for the student, but provides plenty to the practitioner.

It proves that philosophy is a human process, granted in different intensity or maturity or orientation, but it is the way to answer those “great questions”.

Good overall

Good overview of the history of philosophy, I specially enjoyed the focus, rejecting Theology as a Philosophical inquiry.
I would have enjoyed it more if the bias towards Analytic philosophy wouldn't be so evident, as only a cursory overview of certain Continental thinkers was evident.

Great Follow-Up to Russell

Like other readers, I compare this to Russell's iconic work of about 80 or so years earlier. Grayling adds the 20th century and the newer scholarship on Russell's near-contemporaries, of whom Russell had especially biased (if entertaining) views, particularly Nietzsche. I wouldn't do without either.

For some reason, chapter divisions are hours apart, split only by broad era unlike in Russell, where they are split by thinker. Almost the entire 20th century is split into only two Audible chapters, which makes it very difficult to find someone in particular.

Still, it's an excellent book and valuable especially where it contradicts or differs from Russell. Philosophy should have no received wisdom, and the more variation in good books we have, the better.

A Phenomenal Overview

Grayling gives a colorful account of the lives and times of the Philosophers suitable for beginning students and those experienced with the territory.

A much needed update to Bertrand Russell's classic

Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy is one of my favorite books ever; it ignited my love for philosophy and history. It is not a perfect book however. Russell spends way too much time on Catholic philosophy for my tastes (almost 200 pages). Russell doesn't touch on any eastern philosophy, other than mentioning that the east was flourishing in philosophy, technology, and science during our middle ages. Going through the history of western philosophy for me was very exciting, but also depressing; it seemed to be a bunch of dead ends using the same tired premises that were derived by the ancient Greeks. Wonderful, refreshing ideas were happening throughout history in ancient India, China, and the middle east.

A.C. Graylings books touches on all of this. Grayling has a wonderful way of wrapping complex ideas up very brief and digestible. He does talk about the middle ages, which is definitely important. I am interested in the prominent figures like Augustine and Aquinas. But he also dedicated sections to Indian, Chinese, Arabic, and even African philosophy. He admits that he is more of an observer and admirer of these philosophies rather than an expert, but he does a great job. The longest section of his book is analytical philosophy, which starts with a very robust section on Bertrand Russell himself. All in all, this a shorter, more concise version of Russell's book, with the much needed eastern philosophies, and a bigger section on analytical philosophy. Neil Gardner does a fine job narrating this book; it is no easy feat to keep a book like this engaging.

My one gripe has nothing to do with the author or narrator but with Audible itself. The chapter selection is very lazy. The chapter selection on Russell's book is perfect; if I want to listen to the section on Hegel only, I can just go in a click it. Grayling's version only does this for Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The rest of it is just broad sections such as 'Philosophy in Medieval Times,' 'Analytical Philosophy,' etc. But when you listen to them, Grayling does goes over individuals just like Russell's book, so you will hear the author say "Thomas Aquinas, " or "Bertrand Russell," etc. I would love to just be able to click on individuals I want to hear about. Analytical philosophy is 6+ hours, so I have no choice but to either just listen to the whole thing, or jump around trying to find the person I want to hear about.

A Wallop of Infornation.

I must admit, I found this audiobook a bit tedious, as I expected I would get more of a primer on the philosophies discussed. There's a tendancy to become overwhelmed by the infornation flying at you - especially when it comes to analytic philosophy - which it has to given the expansive history of philosophy and the fact that they had to have reasonable constraints on the length of the book.

I found it enjoyable to follow the history, but if you're like me and were hoping to have the more complex philosophies explained more accessibly, I expect a book on the basics, or perhaps some supplemental reading on individual philisophies is required. I must admit to listening to this while working and doing other tasks, so I bet a more applied, notetaking approach would serve to provide a deeper understanding of the material.

All that said, what this book has done for me is broadened my scope, sharpened my definitions, and inspired me to understand the things that were beyond my comprehension.

Best History of Philosophy I have experienced.

As other's have noted, the Author comes across as having an anti-religious skew. However, that does not affect his accuracy and integrity in reporting the matters at hand at any point.

if I didn't have 400 other books to listen to, I would listen to this again.

In my opinion Bertand Russel's History of Philosophy is too heavy on History, and top light on Philosophy. A. C. Grayling's book does not fall into that trap. It has a good steady flow of the philosophy of each period without neglecting the necessary history.

A plus. not perfect, I found myself annoyed a few times, but I absolutely loved it.

Exactly as promised

An overview of philosophy from pre-Socratics to post-Structuralists. I was looking for a philosopher-by-philosopher survey, and that’s what I got. And the narrator is great. The scope makes it impossible to give much time to each, and at the nth dance on the head of a pin over whether “red” exists as a thing itself, separate from the thing that is red, I had a hard time caring. I learned I was a philistine. Also a Stoic.

Great job considering how much ground it covers

A great book that provided some review on philosophers I was familiar with and good background on many that I was not.

The narration is annoying at times. The speaker's attempts at an American accent when quoting Quine, Nozick, Stevenson, and especially Peirce are just awful. It’s like someone with a numb jaw doing a parody of a Southern accent despite Peirce being from Massachusetts, Nozick being from Brooklyn and Quine and Stephenson being from Ohio.

Excellent survey of philosophical history marred by a frustrating reading

Grayling's book is superb, fulfilling the promises set forth implicitly in its title and expressly in its prologue. As a student and teacher of analytic philosophy himself, Grayling skews in favor of this philosophical branch. This is understandable and, possibly, justified. Less justified, I argue, is his decision to largely omit the history of philosophy where it intersects with theology. The historical advancement of philosophy, with a few exceptions, has occured in the form of a discussion (as criticism and/or evolution of theory) between contemporary thinkers and their predecessors. The work of Nietzsche, for example, responded to a wide and long hegemonic body of work recorded by Christian ethicists, to name one group. Some of that work incorporated theology. Therefore, because theologians operating under the aegis of the Catholic church 1) contributed to the philosophical discussion and 2) informed the later historical evolution of philosophy, any work on the history of philosophy that omits discussion of historical Christian theology submits itself as incomplete. I argue this as a committed atheist. In any case, this is my single criticism of the work as a whole. The areas on which Grayling chooses to shine his light present themselves cogently and accessibly. If Grayling intended this work as a spiritual predecessor to Russell's History of Western Philosophy, then he hits that mark and more.

Still, this book is better read than heard. This is because the reader, unfamiliar with a number of languages essential to the text, continually blunders the pronunciation of foreign speech, often using different pronunciations to express the same word, title, name, or concept. The pronunciation of Foucault's name, for example, is botched throughout. As is the pronunciation of all French, of which there is a considerable amount, contained in the text. This often makes for a difficult listen. In particular, novices and other readers unfamiliar with the phrases, names, and titles discussed may experience significant difficulty in following along where foreign utterances abound.

In short: excellent book, poor reading. Ultimately, owing to Grayling's several strengths, I must recommend this audiobook.