Little Book of Big Ideas: Philosophy

by Jeremy Stangroom

This smart handbook gathers a wealth of insight and information on 50 of the greatest philosophical thinkers and 10 of the greatest theories ever conceived in a concise and accessible format. Readers will come to grips with the key concepts that are the backbone of philosophical thought, including metaphysics, psychoanalysis, libertarianism, and feminism. The most influential figures are presented, from the classical voices of Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato to the revolutionary polemics of Marx and the educational lessons of Piaget and Chomsky. This book is for an aspiring intellectual, a deep thinker, or anyone who wants to brush up on what they forgot from college. Everything one needs to know about the groundbreaking, complex world of philosophy is expertly packed into this pocketful of knowledge.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Religion

128 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Jeremy Stangroom is a British writer, editor, and website designer. He is an editor and co-founder, with Julian Baggini, of The Philosophers’ Magazine, and has written and edited several philosophy books. He is also co-founder, with Ophelia Benson of the website 'Butterflies and Wheels'.

Reviews

[Baby Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the progression of ideas throughout the book. It captured some of the most important concepts in human history, and went from problem to problem in a smooth manner. It was interesting as a history book, not just as a philosophy book, as it showed how different problems in our society arose, and gave due credit to the schools of thought associated with fixing these problems. It could have earned a five-star rating, but unfortunately the language used was inaccessible at times, and so I'm not sure how well the book serves its purpose of popularising philosophy. I'd think that a teenager with a solid interest would still struggle with motivation to finish the book - some of the content is presented in a rather dry, matter-of-fact style. But the quality of the ideas chosen, and the natural order in which they are presented, win out for me.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm technically currently reading this but since I took Philosophy and have read more books on the subject, it's pretty much a refresher book. That's why it's so good! It's condensed material that explains and simplifies subjects/authors of philosophy. I would definitely make this an essential read even if just to delve into philosophy without taking a course.

[Esteban Girón · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 puntos por la diagramación y construcción del texto. Sin embargo, la premisa del libro es imposible de cumplir y he ahí su debilidad. Englobar en un texto a tantos pensadores "a vuelo de pájaro" da pie a seguir investigando, pero se pudo sacrificar algunos exponentes para desarrollar más el contenido para los elegidos.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an okay book.

I think I would have preferred if the author had done larger summaries of fewer philosophers' works as opposed to smaller summaries for more people. The format didn't serve the book as well as it could have.

The writing was strong but overly opinionated (and shitty opinions, for that matter lol) for something I think ought to be more objective.

I liked the pink pages :)

Look, I gotta mention it, every philosophy book I've read so far has done the same thing, women aren't mentioned until the final pages of the book.

I still had fun despite it all, I just love this topic. If you're interested, give it a read, it's worth the time it takes to read such a short book. I also mostly used it as a source of recommendations for further reading I want to do and it's great for that.

[Andrew]

A very handy overview of a whole range of philosophical viewpoints and schools of thought. I now have a much better understanding of Monty Python's "Philosophers Song". Each Philosopher only gets a double page spread, enough to give a taste of the surface level of their thinking and to prompt you to think "I'd like to hear more of that train of thought" or "Don't need to hear any more of that." I found it interesting how many philosophers share their name with a character from LOST.

[Pashew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is truly a little book of big ideas! amazing, though not enough.

[Andrew Silagi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stangroom curiously inserts his opinions into this book, sometimes without clear warrant and a bit consistently (he views Spinoza as the most noble among all the philosophers, for some reason), but he does a fair job at unpacking the ideas of important philosophers in a digestible way. I don't think his method of categorization was particularly helpful because of its tendency to shoehorn thinkers like Locke into one narrow lane, but I see the practicality of categorizing types of thought here. It's particularly notable how Stangroom considered a lot of broad psychological thought a branch of philosophy. I think there is merit to this idea, but I'm sure many psychologists would get frustrated at such an offense!

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beknopte inleiding tot verschillende filosofische stromingen en het werk van de grote denkers die aan deze stromingen hebben bijgedragen. Zeer bruikbaar overzicht om te ontdekken welke stromingen je aanspreken en welke werken je hierbij zou kunnen lezen. De Nederlandse vertaling is her en der wel wat ongemakkelijk geformuleerd.

[Nuno Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro (que é mais um guia, do que um livro), extremamente interessante e facílimo de ler, uma boa proposta para quem quer ter um conhecimento muito básico sobre as várias correntes filosóficas e sobre alguns dos maiores filósofos e pensadores.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid overview of the greatest philosophers of history and their work, views, and contexts - plus bonus explanations and additional information. This was perfect for me as a beginner looking for a way into philosophical writing, but it would also be a really useful revision tool.

[Zane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little short overview of names and philosophy genres I admit I mostly had no idea about.
I'm definitely not keeping much of it in my memory, but maybe, just maybe, I'll understand some philosophy topics if any come my way. All because I wanted to know what epistemology is.

[Fintan Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative on a basic level. Gets a little more boring towards the end but that's subjective

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. An incredibly swift and brief flick through 50 philosophers (some extending to other fields such as sociology and psychology) and their main impact on the development of philosophy. I needed something just like this to jot some names down and summarise ideas and theories in my head before delving more deeply into their individual work. It was also helpful the way they were split up into different areas of thought.

Quotes:
• 'To be willing to put aside preconceptions in the interests of a detached objectivity.' - p7, one of the abilities required by philosophy
• 'Men are deceived if they think themselves free, an opinion which consists only in this, that they are conscious of their actions and ignorant of the causes by which they are determined.' - p26, Spinoza - Ethica
• 'If one uses dubious means to attain good ends, inevitably those ends will be compromised and distorted by the immorality which brought them about.' - p76, Gandhi's views on not using violence for good ends

[Grady Ormsby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little Book of Big Ideas: Philosophy by Dr. Jeremy Strangroom begins with two disclaimers. First, the author admits that choosing only fifty philosopher and ten “isms” is rather limiting and that he understands other people may have made other choices. He does aver that even if one doesn't agree with the final list, everyone must admit that the choices he has made are “among the finest the world has known.” Second, the reader is reminded that this work is part of the Little book of Big Ideas series and that it is a little book. Each philosopher or “ism” is allotted only two pages. Therefore, the reader should not expect a complete explanation of each philosopher. Stangroom has endeavored take one or two of the major arguments of each philosopher to offer the reader a sense of what it is like to make a philosophical argument. The book is interesting and is a quick read. It is what it is. Don't expect too much.

[Asiuol K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty decent book. I have no major complaints and it was exceptionally helpful for someone with limited knowledge in philosophy, but there were a few minor elements that could have been fixed. My main concern is why Freud and behaviorism were included before the Age of Enlightenment; it just ruined the flow for me. A few sentences were a tad awkward, including one that started with ‘thus, for example’, but it wasn’t overly complex, which is an issue some philosophy books have. I would still give it about 6/10.

[Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book set out to be a simple showcase (4 pages) per philosopher, covering a list of 50 names as well as the main theories and ideas developed by them. Although it is a very short description per personality, the author does make it clear how the format of the book has been laid out. Only because of that I give 4 out of 5. A fast way to get in touch with the main names and theories, a good simple read.

[Daphnée Kwong Waye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say 3.5 because for me, although I have been warned in the introductory chapter, the theories were way too vague. However, it's a nice little book to read for fun while still being informative at the same time. I believe I would have appreciated the book more if I had read it a few years ago, when I was still in secondary school.

[Count Vamira · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick study of Philosophy through the years and some of its greatest contributors.And understanding of the wide variety of concepts and styles. My only criticism is that each author/philosopher only got two pages to explain their achievements and brief sum of their ideas. This,I think,is not adequate to give due to these men and women of this art.

[Anders Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great layout and design!

Good book for getting the hang of what philosophy might be all about. Many familiar names, though there were few that I actually knew what areas they were in and what thoughts they developed. Interesting.

[عهود المخيني · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Think it is one of the books that would benefit a lot in knowing more about philosophers among ages. Indeed, it is a little book of big ideas!

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

good really enjoyed it

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read and straight to the point. Gave me a good overall understanding of philosophers throughout history.