A History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell wrote this single-volume history during the Second World War, while teaching at the Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania. He moves chronologically from the pre-Socratics through Plato, Aristotle, the Scholastics, the rationalists and empiricists, Kant, Hegel, and on to the logical analysts of his own day. Russell pairs careful exposition with frank judgment, telling readers what he finds convincing and what he considers confused. The book became one of the best-selling philosophy books of the twentieth century and helped earn him the 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature. It remains a common entry point for readers who want a single guided tour of the tradition before reading the primary sources.
What you might want to know about A History of Western Philosophy
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Bertrand Russell surveys the major philosophers of the Western tradition from Thales to the early twentieth century in one continuous narrative.
Harris included A History of Western Philosophy on his Tim Ferriss reading list as a foundational text for anyone who wants a serious grounding in philosophy before tackling the primary sources.
No. Russell makes his preferences clear, especially in his treatment of Plato, Nietzsche, and the German idealists, which is part of why the book is still read for argument as well as history.
A History of Western Philosophy was written by Bertrand Russell, published in 1945 by Simon & Schuster.
A History of Western Philosophy is 895 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, A History of Western Philosophy takes most readers 13 to 19 hours to finish.
A History of Western Philosophy is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
