Philosophy: Resources by Historical Period

From Socrates to Sartre, philosophy has played a central part in the history of Western civilization. Written for the general reader by a team of distinguished philosophers, this beautifully illustrated book charts the growth of Western philosophy from its ancient beginnings to the presentday--emphasizing the development of philosophy in its intellectual context. Key concepts, doctrines, and schools of thought from both the Anglo-American and Continental traditions are explored in a distinctive, authoritative, and accessible way. There is detailed coverage of the lives and works ofall the major thinkers through the ages from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, and Hegel, to recent figures such as Russell and Wittgenstein. Their personalities and ideas are brought to life as the book captures the richness and vitality of philosophy across a widerange of cultures and times.Lively, original, and highly readableEach chapter is written by an acknowledged expert, and presents an original and uniquely informed view of the subject. The chapters are lively and intelligible, and communicate the authors' deep understanding of--and their enthusiasm and zest for--the subject.Beautiful and varied selection of illustrationsThe 150 lavish colour and black-and-white illustrations are specially chosen to complement and illuminate the text. The historical framework is reinforced by maps and a detailed chronological table, and the reference material is completed with an annotated guide to further reading and a full index.Authoritative, comprehensive, and highly readable, the volume will be welcomed by anyone who has an interest in the history of philosophy and the intellectual development of Western civilization.Contributors: Stephen R. L. Clark, Paul Vincent Spade, Anthony Kenny, Roger Scruton, David Pears, Anthony Quinton

Philosophy is a singularly expansive enterprise, a fascinating outgrowth of a human nature that demands we question who and why we are. In A Short History of Philosophy, the most accessible concise portrait of philosophy in seventy years, Robert Solomon and Kathleen Higgins meet the challengeof accurately and engagingly describing it all, revelling in philosophy as "the art of wonder," the search for meaning, a gripping, dramatic endeavor.Here is the entire history of philosophy--ancient, medieval, and modern, from cultures both East and West--described in its historical and cultural context. "The concepts that lie at the heart of philosophy antedate history by thousands of years," the authors write in their introduction, notingthat the ancient concept of immortality, prehistorical ideas about magic, and the complex set of beliefs implied by the practice of human sacrifice all exhibit philosophic underpinnings. Solomon and Higgins chart the profound development of philosophical thought around the world and through thecenturies from the first stirrings of speculation and wonder to the rise of distinct (and often antithetical) philosophical traditions, moral constructs, and religious practices. From the early Greek and Asian philosophers and the mythological traditions that preceded them, to the great Greek,Indic, and Chinese philosophers, to the drama of the great religious philosophies, the authors have spun a marvelous tale that leads to the development and decline of modernity. Along with the major characters, such as Aristotle, Kant, and Confucius, Solomon and Higgins draw engaging portraits ofless well-known alchemists, mystics, rebels, eccentrics of all sorts, including figures often ignored in philosophy--figures such as Teresa of Avila, who contributed to the mystical traditions of Catholicism; al-Razi, a contrarian Persian philosopher within the Arabic tradition who described thephilosophical life as "godlike;" and Erasmus, the Dutch philosopher who parodied the foolishness of man in his praise of folly.With a clear, witty style and a flair for making complex ideas accessible, the authors also convincingly demonstrate the relevance of philosophy to our times, emphasizing the legacy of the revolutions wrought by science, industry, colonialism, and sectarian warfare, and the philosophical responsesto the traumas of the twentieth century (including two world wars and the Holocaust): existentialism, positivism, postmodernism, feminism, and multiculturalism among them. But Solomon and Higgins go beyond merely retelling the rich history of philosophy; the authors provide their own twists andinterpretations of events, resulting in a story that reveals the continuing complexity and diversity of a richly textured and nuanced intellectual tradition. All who are "lovers of wisdom" will find much to reward them in this book.

Through key readings from primary and secondary sources this book communicates at first hand the principal features of a remarkable range of Eastern thought - from Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism to Islam, Shinto, and Zoroastrianism. Passages from key texts guide the reader through over ninety major terms, from abhidharma to Zen. Material is drawn not only from such cornerstone texts as the Bhagavad-gita and the Lao-tzu, but also from modern writings on Eastern philosophy and religion.