Someone7

Also, it should be mentioned that Durant and Russell's interpretations of some modern philosophers should not be trusted. Russell's view of Nietzsche is totally off, as is Durant's. Their views of some other modern philosophers are probably equally off (as I've heard in the case of Hegel).

But I'd recommend these books anyway, for they attempt to tell the entire tale of philosophy. PfD and TCIGtP just jumble it all up into more manageable pieces, largely removed from the philosophers themselves, to suit their own ideological interests (which will become clearly evident in PfD after the 70th of so page).

Darwin's Finch

Frederick Copleston's multi-volume History of Western Philosophy is indispensible, a first-rate work of historical and exegetical scholarship.

Copleston was an Oxford Jesuit and intended this work to be used in Catholic seminaries. For all I know, it probably still is. However, his admitted bias (he is refreshingly upfront about it), IMO, never seriously intrudes upon the quality of his work. His treatment of thinkers who were certainly unsympathetic to the church and its theology is consistently fair and comprehensive. (E.g., his multi-chapter discussion of Hume remains one of the best such discussions I have ever read.)

I can't recommend it highly enough. Now if I can just find the S.O.B. who stole mine...

Jonsey3333

I've learned much of my philosophy just lurking on philosophy boards and e-mail lists. I took an Intro to Philosophy class last year (yeah, I'm a youngster, at 20), but the teacher had to teach kids who didn't want to be there (damn community college) and I really had to challenge myself to learn.

We used Philosophy: The Pursuit of Wisdom (3e) by Louis P. Pojman. It has a good history of Western philosophy. I think.

-Mike

[ January 30, 2002: Message edited by: Jonsey3333 ]</p>

David Gould

Someone7,

Is the Story of Philosophy that you recommend by Bryan Magee? I have just bought it today. It looks pretty interesting.

Darwin's Finch

David Gould: I can't say that I know much about Bryan Magee, but I recall years ago reading an interview with him, and he seems to have been something of a Popper scholar with interests (obviously) in the philosophy of science. I would be interested in reading your take on his book once you've finished it.

To repeat my earlier post: read Copleston! (No, I'm not Catholic or even remotely Xian.)

Ender

Not to speak for Someone7, but that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078947994X/qid=1012523697/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_3_1/103-0082199-0471006" target="_blank">book you got</a> shares the same title with Durant's eloquent book. Since it includes photographs and illustrations, it's a much more simplified primer for philosophy than the ancient Durant one, and it does include 20th century philosophy after all.

I'd heartily recommend Magee's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/019289322X/qid=1012523856/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_11_4/103-0082199-0471006" target="_blank">Great philosophers</a>- it's the best primer out there, besides Roger Scruton's heavily biased <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140249079/qid=1012523913/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/103-0082199-0471006" target="_blank">book.</a> Once you're done sinking in the specific great thinkers, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0192854178/qid=1012523697/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_3_3/103-0082199-0471006" target="_blank">Talking Philosophy</a> should be next- Magee hits the current hot button topics in modern philosophy.

~WiGGiN~

Ender

Since i have read both "Great Philosophers" and "Story of Thought/Philosophy" and most of "Talking Philosophy" I can safely say Bryan Magee has a far less axe to grind than Roger Scruton or Bertrand Russell or Will Durant, whose bias utterly withered the thinkers (which they already had issues with) down to absurdity. Russell repeatedly criticizes all and any form of metaphysics that doesn't follow lockstep to the beat of analytic or mathematical rigoeur. He also wastes at least a third of the book on the history of the catholic church. Roger Scruton is a heavily conservative and rightist (see his last three chapters in his book Modern Philosophy for laughs) but a brilliant expositor. Will Durant is no expert on philosophy but his eloquent style makes up for his deficient treatment of certain thinkers. Magee gives, to me personally, at least fair treatment to all bigwigs.

So you did read all 14 of his books? i'm impressed. Since he was a catholic, did he treat the atheists (Hume, Feuerbach, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Sartre, et. al.) with the least amount of condescension? I mean, does he at all adequately answer the charges of these atheists thinkers in defense of his catholic bias? How would you rate his writing ability among his contemporaries?

~WiGGiN~