A History of Philosophy: The Condensed Copleston

by Anthony Carroll, Frederick Copleston

A history of philosophy from the origins of reason in Ancient Greece to the most influential philosophers working today, this long-awaited single volume companion to Frederick Copleston's historic 11-volume series is a must-have for any aspiring philosopher.

Frederick Copleston's 11-volume A History of Philosophy has been the go-to reference for philosophers and students for decades. It is universally recognized as a classic and sits on the shelf of countless leading thinkers today. This companion to Copleston's landmark work contains clear and succinct analyses of the major events and texts in philosophy, exploring the foundational principles and ideals that drove the development of Western thought. It grapples with the sometimes complex views and teachings of the greatest minds in philosophy, explaining their work with clarity and elegance.

An accessible journey through this epic and deeply human history, Carroll succinctly condenses Copleston's thought while expanding on contemporary and world philosophy. From the early teachings of Socrates to the medieval philosophies of Christian Europe, the Enlightenment and the radical arguments of the Existentialists, Carroll adeptly explores the common threads and themes that have united all rational enquiries into the fundamental nature of reality.

Genres: Philosophy

496 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2025

Reviews

[Juan Sanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before you pick up this book you have to keep in mind that Copleston was a Thomist writing between 1946 and 1974, and that really shapes the book. There’s a strong focus on metaphysical thinkers and religious philosophy, especially the theological kind.

Personally, I’m more used to 20th-century philosophy and beyond, where a lot of the metaphysical questions (such as “what is being?” or “is reality one or many?”) has already been moved past. So I found big parts of this book quite heavy-going. And honestly, theological philosophy just doesn’t do it for me, it just feels like a bunch of old men drawing absurd conclusions from nothing much.

That said, dense or not, it gave me exactly what I was after: a broad sweep through the history of Western philosophy. On top of that, it’s left me with loads of ideas and a long list of books and thinkers I actually want to read now, which I really appreciate and proves that however dense at times, the book it hasn’t put me off, quite the opposite.

I’m giving it 3 stars because I don’t think it’s as accessible as it claims to be. You really do need some prior grounding in philosophy to get the most out of it. And while I admire the effort, A. Carroll touches on so many thinkers just in passing that at times I wished the Anthony Carroll had just listed them briefly and gone deeper into a smaller selection instead.

[Lawrie Wigham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a pretty comprehensive summary, which I enjoyed as a nice exploration a few years after I read Bertrand Russel's history. I would say Russel's was written in a slightly more fun way (imagining conversations between Nietzche, the Buddah, and God) but that is a natural consequence of Copleston's style.

I found the recurring motifs of the Many and the One throughout the centuries a helpful framework, as well as the Transcedent vs the Immanent. These dualities and dialectics are insightful, but perhaps this approach restricts some exploration of philosophers' thinking outside of these questions. Although that is just in comparison to Russel's work, and any history of philosophy naturally requires cutting and focusing on a few key threads to run through.