Product Description

The Great Philosophers brings together in one volume and in chronological order the best from our hugely successful series: Anthony Gottlieb on Socrates; Bernard Williams on Plato; John Cottingham on Descartes; Roger Scruton on Spinoza; David Berman on Berkeley; Anthony Quinton on Hume; Terry Eagleton on Marx; Ray Monk on Russell; Jonathan Ree on Heidegger; Peter Hacker on Wittgenstein; Frederic Raphael on Popper Andrew Hodges on Turing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #178467 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Great Philosophers is a collection of twelve detailed essays describing and assessing one particular aspect of the philosophy of the acknowledged greats and in this respect it differs from standard introductory surveys. Philosophers under discussion include Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Spinoza, Berkeley and Hume as well as Marx, Russell, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Popper and Alan Turing.

Like Bryan Macgee's classic book and television series of the same name it is a book written by philosophers on philosophers which aims to strike a balance between accessibility and authoritativeness. As one would expect this is not always an easy read in the way that Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy certainly is, but the extra work brings far greater rewards. If you have read and enjoyed de Botton's philosophical appetiser then you're ready for the main course.

Why buy this book as opposed to picking up something from your local second-hand bookshop? One reason is that there are at least three or four truly outstanding essays here--Monk on Russell's philosophy of mathematics; Jonathon Ree on Heidegger's Being and Time; and Roger Scruton on Spinoza's ethics, are fascinating and seriously edifying pieces by anyone's standards. Another more powerful reason perhaps is that one can grasp the basics of the Western philosophical tradition without getting bogged down in the philosophical mumbo-jumbo of the recent past. The contributors manage to convey a sense of the true philosophical greatness of their subjects without worshipping them or patronising the reader.--Larry Brown

About the Author
Frederic Raphael was born in Chicago in 1931. He was educated at Charterhouse and St. John's College in Cambridge where he was a major scholar in Classics. He has written nineteen novels. His other works include translations, essays and radio plays. He is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times literary and travel pages. He is married with three children. He divides his time between France and England.

Customer Reviews

Very accessible
I bought this book just before a long flight hoping it would help me sleep, how wrong I was! A good introductory and accessible book to the philosophers covered and in fact you could probably use it as a bluffers guide although thats not the intention of the authors.

Each philosopher and their main themes are explained in a manner designed to make you want to find out more. Very well done.