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A History of Western Philosophy cover art

A History of Western Philosophy

By: Bertrand Russell
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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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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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book, just remember when it was written

This is a history of Western philosophy in relation to the changing social and political climate through the ages. The conclusion is that philosophers are mainly a product of their times, and politics and society are only shaped in a small part by philosophy.

Aside from the descriptions of philosophy in relation to historical events, the emphasis is mainly on metaphysics and epistemology, ie those aspects of philosophy that are now mainly the domain of the sciences. Where it does touch upon ethics the book is somewhat dated, especially with regard to Atistotle's virtue ethics, which barely get a mention despite their importance in modern philosophy.

Nevertheless this is a highly informative account of philosophy's social history. Most entertaining perhaps is the brilliant and scathing chapter on Nietzsche, in which Russell places the German philosopher in a dialogue with Buddha. And the account of the hereditary principle with regard to economics remains even today a fascinating and relevant insight.

A special mention must go to Jonathan Keeble and his brilliant reading throughout. He perfectly distills Russell's humour throughout, adding a tone of witty irreverence to the book. He also takes every opportunity to show off his acting chops; the Frankenstein's Monster excerpts were particularly entertaining.

Worth a listen if you have 38 hours to spare! Though perhaps worth it just for certain chapters, particularly, Pythagoras, The Hellenistic Period, Spinoza, and especially Nietzsche.

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66 people found this helpful

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Don't worry, this written for everyone

Basically this is the history of how humans deal with the universe but somehow it's understandable to the layman like me. Genius

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23 people found this helpful

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Great set of lectures

Would you listen to A History of Western Philosophy again? Why?

This book came from Bertrand Russell's war time lectures in the US for the Barnes Foundation. Because they started out as lectures, it works well as an audio book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I particularly enjoyed the early chapters on Pythagoras and other pre-Socratic philosophers. Russell's characteristic wit shines through in many places, my favourite quote is his suggestion that Pythagoras was a mixture of Einstein and Mrs Eddy.

What about Jonathan Keeble’s performance did you like?

Well read.

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21 people found this helpful

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An amazing introductory book on philosophy

A beautiful summary of main philosophical ideas. Very well read. I bought the printed book first but found it too long. The audiobook allowed me to listen at times when I had to do manual jobs.

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17 people found this helpful

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Extensive well researched account of philosophy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am studying Philosophy at the Open University and found this account very interesting. It gives the background, personal details of philosophers which makes it come alive and memorable. It was a long listen but well worth the effort and I might very well listen to it again.

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16 people found this helpful

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A must for all philosophers!

Would you consider the audio edition of A History of Western Philosophy to be better than the print version?

Equal, it is nice to have it read but I also have the book. The audio did help to pronounce some of the odd words. I would suggest reading it and having it read aloud would help with understanding the different philosophies.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a history of Western Philosophy!

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13 people found this helpful

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Staggering breadth of western thought

If you could sum up A History of Western Philosophy in three words, what would they be?

History of thought.

What did you like best about this story?

The sheer scope of this work is more than I would have sat down to read, but listening to it and learning about the history of philosophy and how it helped build the way the West views the world, the universe, itself, culture, science and art is more than I expected.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

At 38 hours long, it would have taken some effort to listen to it one sitting. However, I did listen to it in large chunks of 4-6 hours at a time, which gives some idea of how interesting I found it.

Any additional comments?

This is the first of its kind that I have read, so is worth remembering it is Bertrand Russell's view and comes out of his own world view, though does well to treat fairly viewpoints that differ from his own. As far as sources go, Russell is excellent, but I would be curious how others have tackled the topic.

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10 people found this helpful

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A complex story superbly told.

Expertly addresses editorial biases created by political and religious overlaps. So well narrated that you forget that you are not reading the book yourself. Makes for a useful reference book in the future.

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9 people found this helpful

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A master teacher

Would you consider the audio edition of A History of Western Philosophy to be better than the print version?

Equally good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A History of Western Philosophy?

Not an appropriate question.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Keeble’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not an appropriate question.

Any additional comments?

There are some brilliant lecturers out there on audible and there are many engrossing and well structured courses on philosophy but they cannot compare to Russell. He is a master teacher who grasps the breadth of subject and makes it his own as a philosopher himself. Not easy and perhaps caught in its time but still an incomparable guide to western philosophy. It should be read by everyone who wants to ponder these things ... Well read too.

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8 people found this helpful

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I loved this book

I am an architect with a keen interest in philosophy and I found this book to be a great introduction to philosophy. Beautifully written, as it was to be expected from Russel, and great narration. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone who did not study western philosophy but wants to have a general understanding of the subject.

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4 people found this helpful