History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell [0]
History of Western Philosophy
'Remains to this day the most lucid introduction to European political thought.'
The Times
'A survey of Western philosophy in relation to its environment, of such sweep and acuteness, alive in every nerve … a masterpiece of intellectual energy … the Socrates of our time.'
A. L. Rowse
'This work possesses outstanding merits; it is throughout written in the beautiful and luminous prose of which Russell is a great master; the exposition and the argument are not merely classically clear but scrupulously honest.'
Isaiah Berlin
'Bertrand Russell's remarkable book is, so far as I am aware, the first attempt to present a history of Western philosophy in relation to its social and economic background. As such, and also as a brilliantly written exposé of changing philosophical doctrines, it should be widely read.'
Sir Julian Huxley
'It is certain of a very wide audience, and is, in my opinion, just the kind of thing people ought to have to make them understand the past … It may be one of the most valuable books of our time.'
G. M. Trevelyan
'Enough ideas on each page—shocking, expansive, heretical, profound, comic—to broaden one's mind to bursting point.'
Good Book Guide
'Should never be out of print.'
The Evening Standard
'History of Western Philosophy remains unchallenged as the perfect introduction to its subject. Russell writes with the kind of verve, freshness and personal engagement that lesser spirits would never have permitted themselves. This boldness, together with the astonishing breadth of his general historical knowledge, allows him to put philosophers into their social and cultural context … The result is exactly the kind of philosophy that most people would like to read, but which only Russell could possibly have written.'
Ray Monk
* * *
Routledge Classics contains the very best of Routledge publishing over the past century or so, books that have, by popular consent, become established as classics in their field. Drawing on a fantastic heritage of innovative writing published by Routledge and its associated imprints, this series makes available in attractive, affordable form some of the most important works of modern times.
For a complete list of titles visit
www.routledgeclassics.com
* * *
Bertrand Russell
History of Western Philosophy
London and New York
* * *
First published 1946
by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London
First published in Routledge Classics 2004
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004.
© 1996 The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0-203-48797-4 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-54349-1 (MP PDA Format)
ISBN 0-415-32505-6 (Print Edition)
Copyright © 2003/2004 . All rights reserved.
* * *
Reader's Guide
This ebook has been optimized for PDA.
Tables may have been presented to accommodate this Device's Limitations.
Table content may have been removed due to this Device's Limitations.
Image presentation is limited by this Device's Screen resolution.
All possible language characters have been included within the Font handling ability of this Device.
* * *
CONTENTS
PREFACE
Introduction
BOOK ONE Ancient Philosophy
PART I The Pre-Socratics
1 The Rise of Greek Civilization
2 The Milesian School
3 Pythagoras
4 Heraclitus
5 Parmenides
6 Empedocles
7 Athens in Relation to Culture
8 Anaxagoras
9 The Atomists
10 Protagoras
PART II Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
11 Socrates
12 The Influence of Sparta
13 The Sources of Plato's