A Little History of Philosophy
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A lucid guide to humankind's greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Peter Singer
Philosophy begins with the nature of reality and how we should live. These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking awkward questions, disconcerting the people he met by showing them just how little they genuinely understood.
This engaging Little History introduces the great thinkers in Western philosophy and explores their most compelling ideas about the universe and our place in it. Nigel Warburton guides us on a tour of the lives and work of thought-provoking philosophers - from the certainty of Descartes ('I think, therefore I am') to Hannah Arendt who examined crimes against humanity and taught us 'the banality of evil'.
Little Histories - Inspiring Guides for Curious Minds
About this Author
Nigel Warburton is a freelance philosopher and podcaster and bestselling author of several introductory philosophy books. He also hosts with David Edmonds the immensely popular podcast Philosophy Bites, which has been downloaded more than 48 million times by listeners all over the globe.
Reviews
"Survey the entire history of (western) philosophy through short intellectual biographies of 40 philosophers from Socrates to Peter Singer, in as broadly approachable a style as E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World. A tall order; that Warburton (of the excellent podcast Philosophy Bites) has succeeded so well is a triumph."--Steven Poole, The Guardian
"Forty short chapters offer an informative, clear guide to forty major Western philosophers. Warburton's casual, conversational style belies the erudition that has gone into his book."--Katie Owen, Sunday Telegraph
"This brisk primer is, for the neophyte, a good place to start immersing oneself in the history of Western thought."--Publishers Weekly
"A charming read."--Christian Century
"The book has a certain quality that comes from accepting a challenge under severe conditions, then taking it on without making a big deal of the whole thing. And the word for that quality is grace."--Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed
"With this sweeping and enjoyable work the author affirms that deliberating on reality and questioning how our lives are best lived is still worth the trouble."--PopMatters
"If you are looking for a book about philosophy, Nigel Warburton's A Little History of Philosophy is the place to begin. . . . Accessible, funny and informative."--Sacramento News and Review
"A primer in human existence: philosophy has rarely seemed so lucid, so important, so worth doing and so easy to enter into. It's refreshing to see the subject presented in terms of the history of ideas rather than of timeless concepts. A wonderful introduction for anyone who's ever felt curious about almost anything."--Sarah Bakewell, author of How To Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
"A lively and eye-catching book, written in an easy style which should have splendid appeal for a young audience."--Peter Cave, author of Can a Robot be Human?: 33 Perplexing Philosophy Puzzles
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