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História do pensamento ocidental
O livro aborda uma visão geral da filosofia ocidental, desde Tales a Wittgenstein, além de alguns lembretes das circunstâncias históricas em que a narrativa se desenrola. Para aperfeiçoar o relato, há uma coleção de ilustrações de homens, lugares e documentos, escolhidas, na medida do possível, de fontes pertencentes ao período ao qual se referem.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
106 people are currently reading
1492 people want to read
About the author
Bertrand Russell
1,252 books7,315 followersBertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS, was a Welsh philosopher, historian, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, pacifist, and prominent rationalist. Although he was usually regarded as English, as he spent the majority of his life in England, he was born in Wales, where he also died.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 "in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought."
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 "in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 5, 2015
quá hay để đọc một mạch xong luôn
Bản dịch tiếng Việt hoàn chỉnh
http://amvc.free.fr/Damvc/Nam_Dao/Dic...
File mobi do mình tự làm :3
https://goo.gl/R3iFmi
Bản dịch tiếng Việt hoàn chỉnh
http://amvc.free.fr/Damvc/Nam_Dao/Dic...
File mobi do mình tự làm :3
https://goo.gl/R3iFmi
March 3, 2016
This is a very readable, informative and well written historical survey of the development of philosophy in the West, starting from the Thales all the way to Wittgenstein.
Written for the informed and interested layman, it does not indulge too much into philosophical jargon, but it concisely and effectively describes many of the main thinkers and currents in western philosophical thought.
Lucidly written and reflective of a great intellect, it reads like a compelling novel.
The author is Bertrand Russell, and this book clearly reflects the peculiarities, strengths and weakness of this thinker: brilliant, deep, original and with a very incisive wit, but also opinionated and occasionally biased and monochromatic in his approach.
Russell's forays into history are also less than successful: they reflect the fact that he is no historian, and show some of the prejudices of his own culture and times: according to Bertrand, it seems that Western Civilization owes almost everything to the Classical Greece heritage, which he artificially opposes to the Eastern autocratic/theocratic regimes: a caricaturist portrait that has been debunked.
Moreover, the Classical Greek civilization is preponderantly portrayed as driven mostly by aloft rationality and (quite anachronistically) by an objective pursuit of disinterested scientific inquiry, with an artificial and almost exclusive focus on its Apollonian side and virtual disregard for its equally important Dionysian side (the mystical elements in Pythagoras and Plato, just to make an example, should not be disregarded - the author occasionally pays lip service to this, but the overall approach seems quite unbalanced). He even implicitly questions Neoplatonism as not truly “Greek” because of its mystical undertones and (big sin in Russell's militantly atheistic eyes) its relationship to the doctrines of early Christianity.
However I do not want to sound too negative: we are still talking about Bertrand Russell, a great thinker whose brilliant intellect transpires throughout his book. A great pleasure to read, with many brilliant ideas, simply unputdownable. Full 4 stars.
Written for the informed and interested layman, it does not indulge too much into philosophical jargon, but it concisely and effectively describes many of the main thinkers and currents in western philosophical thought.
Lucidly written and reflective of a great intellect, it reads like a compelling novel.
The author is Bertrand Russell, and this book clearly reflects the peculiarities, strengths and weakness of this thinker: brilliant, deep, original and with a very incisive wit, but also opinionated and occasionally biased and monochromatic in his approach.
Russell's forays into history are also less than successful: they reflect the fact that he is no historian, and show some of the prejudices of his own culture and times: according to Bertrand, it seems that Western Civilization owes almost everything to the Classical Greece heritage, which he artificially opposes to the Eastern autocratic/theocratic regimes: a caricaturist portrait that has been debunked.
Moreover, the Classical Greek civilization is preponderantly portrayed as driven mostly by aloft rationality and (quite anachronistically) by an objective pursuit of disinterested scientific inquiry, with an artificial and almost exclusive focus on its Apollonian side and virtual disregard for its equally important Dionysian side (the mystical elements in Pythagoras and Plato, just to make an example, should not be disregarded - the author occasionally pays lip service to this, but the overall approach seems quite unbalanced). He even implicitly questions Neoplatonism as not truly “Greek” because of its mystical undertones and (big sin in Russell's militantly atheistic eyes) its relationship to the doctrines of early Christianity.
However I do not want to sound too negative: we are still talking about Bertrand Russell, a great thinker whose brilliant intellect transpires throughout his book. A great pleasure to read, with many brilliant ideas, simply unputdownable. Full 4 stars.
October 20, 2020
Cuốn sách này là một nỗ lực xuất sắc của Bertrand Russell trong việc đưa ra một cái nhìn tổng quan về lịch sử triết học phương Tây trong 2500 năm, từ thời tiền Socrates đến giữa thế kỷ 20, đồng thời bên cạnh đó là một tóm lược cực kỳ khoa học và dễ hiểu về những "trường phái" triết học chính đã xuất hiện, cũng như những gương mặt tiêu biểu cho các thời kỳ.
Với người đọc đại chúng như mình, cuốn sách này quả là một khám phá lớn. Có thể xem cuốn sách như một bản đồ, hương dẫn người đọc đi qua khỏi những mê cung rối rắm của triết học, để có một cái nhìn khái quát về lịch sử tư tưởng nhân loại. Bên cạnh đó, qua cuốn sách này cũng giúp người đọc nhận ra một điều, là không có trường phái triết học nào là tách biệt với các trường phái nào, mà tất cả là sự phê phán, tiếp nhận, và ảnh hưởng lẫn nhau. Nền triết học phương Tây được xây dựng dựa trên sự phê phán, và người đời sau, dù là cách nhau vài trăm năm, vẫn chịu ảnh hưởng của thế hệ trước rất nhiều.
Một điểm thú vị nữa của cuốn sách là chỉ ra căn nguyên triết học từ thời xa xưa (ít ra là hơn 2500 trước, từ thời Thales), triết học và khoa học đã có mối liên hệ chặt chẽ với nhau (nếu không muốn nói là một). Khởi điểm của nền triết học (nếu ta chấp nhận là khởi đầu từ thời điểm cuốn sách đề cập), con người suy tư và khám phá thế giới mà không hề vướng vào vòng tâm linh và giáo điều cuồng tín.
Với người đọc đại chúng như mình, cuốn sách này quả là một khám phá lớn. Có thể xem cuốn sách như một bản đồ, hương dẫn người đọc đi qua khỏi những mê cung rối rắm của triết học, để có một cái nhìn khái quát về lịch sử tư tưởng nhân loại. Bên cạnh đó, qua cuốn sách này cũng giúp người đọc nhận ra một điều, là không có trường phái triết học nào là tách biệt với các trường phái nào, mà tất cả là sự phê phán, tiếp nhận, và ảnh hưởng lẫn nhau. Nền triết học phương Tây được xây dựng dựa trên sự phê phán, và người đời sau, dù là cách nhau vài trăm năm, vẫn chịu ảnh hưởng của thế hệ trước rất nhiều.
Một điểm thú vị nữa của cuốn sách là chỉ ra căn nguyên triết học từ thời xa xưa (ít ra là hơn 2500 trước, từ thời Thales), triết học và khoa học đã có mối liên hệ chặt chẽ với nhau (nếu không muốn nói là một). Khởi điểm của nền triết học (nếu ta chấp nhận là khởi đầu từ thời điểm cuốn sách đề cập), con người suy tư và khám phá thế giới mà không hề vướng vào vòng tâm linh và giáo điều cuồng tín.
June 11, 2018
A História do Pensamento Ocidental faz um panorama rápido e acessível dos filósofos, suas ideias e fatos relevantes dos períodos históricos que cercaram cada onda filosófica. É um livro introdutório, pincelando sinteticamente os assuntos. Em geral, para aqueles que tem um mínimo vocabulário filosófico, os textos não impõem barreiras intelectivas - particularmente, tive dificuldade enquanto o autor explanava teorias matemáticas.
As opiniões do autor tem um viés moderno, dando preferência a autores mais moderados politicamente. Russell parece ter um ranço contra a Escolástica e Aristóteles, apesar de dar bastante atenção ao Estagirita, e reconhecer a influência Escolástica em todo o campo técnico da filosofia.
Apesar disso, o autor coloca diversos pensamentos próprios bastante interessantes, e é um excelente narrador.
"Já dissemos que fazer perguntas gerais é o início da filosofia e da ciência. Então, qual é a forma dessas perguntas? No sentido mais amplo, elas correspondem à busca de uma ordem naquilo que, para o observador casual, parece uma série de eventos fortuitos e acidentais."
As opiniões do autor tem um viés moderno, dando preferência a autores mais moderados politicamente. Russell parece ter um ranço contra a Escolástica e Aristóteles, apesar de dar bastante atenção ao Estagirita, e reconhecer a influência Escolástica em todo o campo técnico da filosofia.
Apesar disso, o autor coloca diversos pensamentos próprios bastante interessantes, e é um excelente narrador.
"Já dissemos que fazer perguntas gerais é o início da filosofia e da ciência. Então, qual é a forma dessas perguntas? No sentido mais amplo, elas correspondem à busca de uma ordem naquilo que, para o observador casual, parece uma série de eventos fortuitos e acidentais."
July 14, 2014
I felt that the prerequisite study of philosophical history I had under my belt helped immensely while reading this. I consider myself a layman, but I have read a considerable amount of history regarding the great thinkers and their respective philosophic sciences. This book covers a lot of ground at a seemingly breakneck pace and though Russell's words are rather poetic and flow very eloquently, I could see casual readers drowning quickly.
Despite that small observation. The book is powerful in its unbiased examples and surprisingly comprehensive research on the broad works it analyzes. He writes about the Western world's philosophic topics and their origins so effortlessly. It was my first Bertrand Russell book. It will certainly not be my last.
Despite that small observation. The book is powerful in its unbiased examples and surprisingly comprehensive research on the broad works it analyzes. He writes about the Western world's philosophic topics and their origins so effortlessly. It was my first Bertrand Russell book. It will certainly not be my last.
February 19, 2016
While Russell is no historian and some of the information is wrong it's a good textbook on philosophy and how it shaped the world.
June 29, 2017
A strange book which endeavors to incorporate the whole field of what was (at one time, I presume) perceived to be uniquely 'Western'. We are less inclined to allow such a 'west vs the rest' approach nowadays, but Russell's ability to survey the whole of a certain intellectual tradition, and the authority with which he pronounces judgement on topics, makes the book worth reading.
October 14, 2024
RUSSELL WRITES A BROADER, "ILLUSTRATED" HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872-1970) was an influential British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and political activist. In 1950, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in recognition of his many books.
He wrote in the Foreword to this 1959 book, “the present volume… calls for a special explanation; for I have some time ago written a book on the same subject. ‘Wisdom of the West’ is an entirely new work; though, of course, it would never have appeared had not my History of Western Philosophy preceded it. What is attempted here is a conspectus of Western philosophy from Thales to Wittgenstein, together with some reminders of the historical circumstances in which this story unfolds itself. To support the account, there is a collection of pictures of men, places and documents, which have been chosen as nearly as possible from sources belonging to the period to which they refer.
"Above all, the attempt has been made … to translate philosophic ideas … into diagrams that convey the same information by way of geometrical metaphor… The scope and treatment of the subject in this volume differ from those in my earlier book… The aim has been to provide a survey of some of the leading questions that philosophers have discussed.”
He states, “magic is an attempt to obtain specific results on the basis of certain rigidly defined rites. It is based on a recognition of the principle of causality, that given the same antecedent conditions, the same results will follow. Magic is thus proto-science. Religion, on the other hand, springs from a different source. There, the attempt is to obtain results against or in spite of regular sequence. It functions in the region of the miraculous, which involved the abrogation of causality. These two ways of thinking are thus quite different, even though in primitive thought we often find them mixed up together.” (Pg. 14)
Of Plato’s political philosophy, he says, “When Plato later became involved in the politics of Syracuse he was not trying to establish an ideal state on this pattern. As we saw, his aim was the more modest and practical one of making a spoilt prince into a man fit to conduct the affairs of an important city which was already a going concern. That Plato was unsuccessful is another matter and merely shows that education is not so universal a remedy as is often thought.” (Pg. 66)
He observes, “this at once leads us to the age-old dilemma of divided loyalties… That this is by no means a dead and buried issue is clear from the fact that the problem of law and justice is always with us. What is the relation between the two? What are we to do when called upon to obey a law that we find unjust? The question is more alive than ever when blind obedience to our political masters threatens to plunge the world into total and irreparable destruction.” (Pg. 71)
This volume will appeal to readers who might have found his first “History” to be too dense and complex. It also functions as an excellent, and accessible, introduction to philosophy. [NOTE: There is available a paperback edition which DOESN’T include all of the visual graphics of the hardcover edition; I strongly recommend the hardcover edition, therefore.]
Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872-1970) was an influential British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and political activist. In 1950, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in recognition of his many books.
He wrote in the Foreword to this 1959 book, “the present volume… calls for a special explanation; for I have some time ago written a book on the same subject. ‘Wisdom of the West’ is an entirely new work; though, of course, it would never have appeared had not my History of Western Philosophy preceded it. What is attempted here is a conspectus of Western philosophy from Thales to Wittgenstein, together with some reminders of the historical circumstances in which this story unfolds itself. To support the account, there is a collection of pictures of men, places and documents, which have been chosen as nearly as possible from sources belonging to the period to which they refer.
"Above all, the attempt has been made … to translate philosophic ideas … into diagrams that convey the same information by way of geometrical metaphor… The scope and treatment of the subject in this volume differ from those in my earlier book… The aim has been to provide a survey of some of the leading questions that philosophers have discussed.”
He states, “magic is an attempt to obtain specific results on the basis of certain rigidly defined rites. It is based on a recognition of the principle of causality, that given the same antecedent conditions, the same results will follow. Magic is thus proto-science. Religion, on the other hand, springs from a different source. There, the attempt is to obtain results against or in spite of regular sequence. It functions in the region of the miraculous, which involved the abrogation of causality. These two ways of thinking are thus quite different, even though in primitive thought we often find them mixed up together.” (Pg. 14)
Of Plato’s political philosophy, he says, “When Plato later became involved in the politics of Syracuse he was not trying to establish an ideal state on this pattern. As we saw, his aim was the more modest and practical one of making a spoilt prince into a man fit to conduct the affairs of an important city which was already a going concern. That Plato was unsuccessful is another matter and merely shows that education is not so universal a remedy as is often thought.” (Pg. 66)
He observes, “this at once leads us to the age-old dilemma of divided loyalties… That this is by no means a dead and buried issue is clear from the fact that the problem of law and justice is always with us. What is the relation between the two? What are we to do when called upon to obey a law that we find unjust? The question is more alive than ever when blind obedience to our political masters threatens to plunge the world into total and irreparable destruction.” (Pg. 71)
This volume will appeal to readers who might have found his first “History” to be too dense and complex. It also functions as an excellent, and accessible, introduction to philosophy. [NOTE: There is available a paperback edition which DOESN’T include all of the visual graphics of the hardcover edition; I strongly recommend the hardcover edition, therefore.]
December 10, 2023
This book is an overview of Western philosophers and their philosophical doctrines, from the mathematics of Pythagoras before Greece, to the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in the Greek period; from the Neoplatonism originated in Alexandria in Egypt to early Christianity; from the Prophet Muhammad to the Renaissance; from the Enlightenment to modern utilitarianism. This book can be said to very comprehensively cover all the mainstream philosophical thoughts in the West from ancient times to the present. Because of this, there are as many as hundreds of characters appearing in the book, so Russell had to rush through some philosophers in order to focus on them. Regarding those philosophers who have made outstanding contributions to philosophy, it is better than the way of singling out individual philosophers in Will Durant's "The Story of Philosophy". The content of the two books overlaps, but I feel that this book is better and more comprehensive, and the tone is serious on philosophical ideas, rather than Will Durant's always ironic tone. For readers who like to understand philosophy, this book is a good enlightenment book. Sailors & Lighthouse Reading Club Rating: 8/10
April 13, 2023
I received this book from my girlfriend in my freshman year of college in 1974. It's been on my shelf for 48 years until I picked it up in 2022 to finally read it.
Some of it's dated for sure and the narrative obviously ends well before the present day but it still was a great overview of western philosophical, mathematical and scientific history.
It is interesting that at the same time I was reading this I was also listening to a podcast on the French Revolution so there was an overlap on many of the characters, especially Rousseau.
Towards the end of this book I started 'The Dawn of Everything' and that book pretty much trashes Rousseau for leading mankind into a false understanding of human history and for the west thinking we somehow came up with all these brilliant ideas when actually much of the roots of these ideas were from indigenous intellectuals in the Americas.
So, the moral of the story is it's good to read, listen and watch many things to get a well-rounded understanding of things.
Some of it's dated for sure and the narrative obviously ends well before the present day but it still was a great overview of western philosophical, mathematical and scientific history.
It is interesting that at the same time I was reading this I was also listening to a podcast on the French Revolution so there was an overlap on many of the characters, especially Rousseau.
Towards the end of this book I started 'The Dawn of Everything' and that book pretty much trashes Rousseau for leading mankind into a false understanding of human history and for the west thinking we somehow came up with all these brilliant ideas when actually much of the roots of these ideas were from indigenous intellectuals in the Americas.
So, the moral of the story is it's good to read, listen and watch many things to get a well-rounded understanding of things.
March 14, 2025
Bản dịch Tiếng Việt này biên tập lỗi khá nhiều, khá ảnh hưởng trải nghiệm đọc. Anyway:
Cuốn sách giới thiệu các trường phái, tư tưởng từ thời tiền-Socrates tới thế kỉ XX, giúp mình có cái nhìn khái quát hơn về tiến trình phát triển của triết học phương Tây, đương nhiên là có thêm cái nhìn phê phán riêng của Bertrand Russell.
Như ông viết ở lời tựa, mục đích của cuốn sách là khiến ta có mong muốn tiếp tục đào sâu thêm các vấn đề chứ không chỉ đọc và biết ở bề mặt những gì cuốn sách truyền tải. Mong cuốn sách tiếp thêm động lực cho những ai đang trên con đường học hỏi và tìm tòi về triết học.
Cuốn sách giới thiệu các trường phái, tư tưởng từ thời tiền-Socrates tới thế kỉ XX, giúp mình có cái nhìn khái quát hơn về tiến trình phát triển của triết học phương Tây, đương nhiên là có thêm cái nhìn phê phán riêng của Bertrand Russell.
Như ông viết ở lời tựa, mục đích của cuốn sách là khiến ta có mong muốn tiếp tục đào sâu thêm các vấn đề chứ không chỉ đọc và biết ở bề mặt những gì cuốn sách truyền tải. Mong cuốn sách tiếp thêm động lực cho những ai đang trên con đường học hỏi và tìm tòi về triết học.
September 10, 2024
终于读完了这本西方哲学简史，非常不错！罗素的文笔很风趣，且逻辑清晰，提纲挈领，对关键点深入浅出，通俗易懂。读完后明显觉得文艺复兴为西方多元化思想的发展贡献了很大的力量。古代只有三圣以及毕达哥拉斯学派。但是近现代堪称百家争鸣。对比中国，截然相反，春秋战国时期的各家争鸣的场面迅速被董仲舒的罢黜百家，独尊儒术所代替，成了单一的儒家主流的哲学。民国时期虽有所自由，但是不过是翻译西方，或是稍微结合一点西方来分析东方，并没有出现非常有原创性的哲学家。这也许是东方社会没有文艺复兴的结果？
June 24, 2018
Um livro informativo e de leitura agradável, fornece uma boa revisão da história da filosofia ocidental, sob a ótica de B. Russell. 4/5
January 19, 2021
Livro muito bom que retrata, de maneira crítica, a história do pensamento ocidental, de maneira sintética e de fácil entendimento.
October 17, 2022
While Russell is no historian and some of the information is wrong it's a good textbook on philosophy and how it shaped the world.
January 1, 2023
Informative and humorous, high level overview and most useful is showing how all is connected.
August 9, 2023
A great overall analysis of the Western Civilization philosophy.
January 22, 2024
I am not a philosophy nut, so this book was excellent for me. Did not get bogged down in minutiae.
I still don't buy into his atheism, just don't have that much faith, baby.
I still don't buy into his atheism, just don't have that much faith, baby.
April 22, 2024
内容结构体系建立得不好，每个阶段的内容直接罗列到一章，没有条理和层次。
November 28, 2025
leitura fundamental para entendermos as origens do pensamento ocidental
August 16, 2016
Alguns livros servem como guias para diversos objetos, por exemplo aqueles livros catálogos de museus. Aqui funciona da mesma forma, um catálogo, porém ao invés de obras de arte expostas em pedestais ou pinturas em paredes, este livro é um catálogo de Idéias. Mais especificamente das idéias que influenciaram o pensar do homem ocidental ao longo de aproximadamente 2500 anos. Não assumindo como possível a pretensão hercúlea de sintetizar 2500 anos de filosofia em um único livro, o autor fez o melhor ao utilizar uma linguagem clara, acessível e sintética. Filosofia não é algo que precise de inteligência orgânica diferenciada dos demais, mas sim a maior quantidade possível de conhecimento prévio. Pode ser trabalhoso passar páginas e páginas sem entender muito o que esta ou aquela corrente filosófica pensa, mas é assim que funciona: repetição (como o próprio autor marca). No início, idéias mirabolantes, quase alieníginas para principiantes como eu, ficam se empilhando em textos. Mas ainda assim vá adiante. Depois ao ler mais sobre o assunto ou, muito comum hoje em dia, ver vídeos sobre o assunto, você já não está mais "zerado" naquele assunto ou seja o entendimento vem aos poucos com certo esforço concentrado.
Ele é uma ótima introdução à filosofia:
O autor mostra predileção, expressa no prefácio, pelos clássicos gregos dedicando o maior número de páginas do livro aos pré e pós socráticos da hélade. No desenrolar da leitura, esta predileção é perfeitamente justificada pois sempre de algum modo, por mais sutil que seja, em maior ou menor grau, concordando ou discordando deles, o pioneirismo e a profunidade gregos influenciaram os pensadores ocidentais e o autor sempre deixa isso bem expresso em suas argumentações.
Para um leigo em filosofia (como eu) pode ser maçante em diversas ocasiões, mas isso faz parte do processo de aprendizado de filosofia. Justamente por ser sintético demais, o autor encadeia idéia atrás de idéia atrás de idéia e quando o leitor começa a 'pegar' uma, ele logo começa outra o que torna a leitura cansativa. Mas não importa se é cansativa, o importante e que este livro será sempre meu fio-condutor, o meu guia deste museu de idéias.
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Some books work as guides for many objects, like those museum catalogues. In this book the same applies, it works as a catalogue but a catalogue for ideas insted of art works exposed over pedestals, or paintings hanging on walls. More especifically, a catalogue for the ideas which influenced western men for over 2500 yeas. Not assuming as possible the herculean task of summarizing 2500 years of philosofic thought in one book, the authors uses a sharp, clear, accesbile language for trying this. Philosophy does not require organic inteligence. It does requires as much previous knowledge as possible instead. It might be burdensome reading pages over pages without having a good understanding of this or that philosophic stream actually means, but thats precisely how it goes: repetition (as the author himself states). Completely strange ideas (for beginners as me) may seam just a bunch of letters stacked up. Even though, go ahead, dont give up. You get your reward when you go to the pure text, or a video, you just wont be 'blank' about it anymore. Knowlege is slow and gradual, especially here.
It is a great philosophy introduction:
Author shows a great favoritism, as he says in preface, about greek classics. In fact he spends the biggest deal of pages in the book on them, from the pre to post socratics. Further ahead, this predilection is justified by itself since every single idea of west philosphy along history has even the slightest influence of them. Either agreeing, disagreeing, in a bigger or lesser degree, their pionerism and depthness are always there.
For a layperson (as me) it can be pretty monotonous in many occasions, but this is part of the learning process. For being too sinthetic, theh author links one phylosophycal idea on another one and another one and another one ans just as the reader begins to get a good grasp of it, he changes to some another. And this makes the reading pretty weary. But doesnt matter how tiresome it may be, this book will always be for me a guide for this Museum of Ideas. I will use it as a base text for all my philosphic studies.
Ele é uma ótima introdução à filosofia:
O autor mostra predileção, expressa no prefácio, pelos clássicos gregos dedicando o maior número de páginas do livro aos pré e pós socráticos da hélade. No desenrolar da leitura, esta predileção é perfeitamente justificada pois sempre de algum modo, por mais sutil que seja, em maior ou menor grau, concordando ou discordando deles, o pioneirismo e a profunidade gregos influenciaram os pensadores ocidentais e o autor sempre deixa isso bem expresso em suas argumentações.
Para um leigo em filosofia (como eu) pode ser maçante em diversas ocasiões, mas isso faz parte do processo de aprendizado de filosofia. Justamente por ser sintético demais, o autor encadeia idéia atrás de idéia atrás de idéia e quando o leitor começa a 'pegar' uma, ele logo começa outra o que torna a leitura cansativa. Mas não importa se é cansativa, o importante e que este livro será sempre meu fio-condutor, o meu guia deste museu de idéias.
=============================
Some books work as guides for many objects, like those museum catalogues. In this book the same applies, it works as a catalogue but a catalogue for ideas insted of art works exposed over pedestals, or paintings hanging on walls. More especifically, a catalogue for the ideas which influenced western men for over 2500 yeas. Not assuming as possible the herculean task of summarizing 2500 years of philosofic thought in one book, the authors uses a sharp, clear, accesbile language for trying this. Philosophy does not require organic inteligence. It does requires as much previous knowledge as possible instead. It might be burdensome reading pages over pages without having a good understanding of this or that philosophic stream actually means, but thats precisely how it goes: repetition (as the author himself states). Completely strange ideas (for beginners as me) may seam just a bunch of letters stacked up. Even though, go ahead, dont give up. You get your reward when you go to the pure text, or a video, you just wont be 'blank' about it anymore. Knowlege is slow and gradual, especially here.
It is a great philosophy introduction:
Author shows a great favoritism, as he says in preface, about greek classics. In fact he spends the biggest deal of pages in the book on them, from the pre to post socratics. Further ahead, this predilection is justified by itself since every single idea of west philosphy along history has even the slightest influence of them. Either agreeing, disagreeing, in a bigger or lesser degree, their pionerism and depthness are always there.
For a layperson (as me) it can be pretty monotonous in many occasions, but this is part of the learning process. For being too sinthetic, theh author links one phylosophycal idea on another one and another one and another one ans just as the reader begins to get a good grasp of it, he changes to some another. And this makes the reading pretty weary. But doesnt matter how tiresome it may be, this book will always be for me a guide for this Museum of Ideas. I will use it as a base text for all my philosphic studies.
September 14, 2011
Russell's writing is eloquent and effortless, and he is, as always, the master of this subject. Reaching back to the dawn of the great ideas, we are taken through a detailed chronology of the history of philosophy. But, more than a chronological journey, also we are shown the actual changes and details of the ideas themselves.
But the thing that sets this book apart is that this book is conceived and written for the layman, as there are numerous examples and even pictures to illustrate key ideas. The passages that elucidate the developments over time of thought and philosophical schools and systems are very satisfying.
If you are more interested in the history of philosophy, I recommend "The History of Western Philosophy" by Russell. But if you want to delve into the ideas, I recommend first "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder, then this book as a follow-up, even though you could read either book first, and still be well-appraised of the great ideas and the great conversation itself.
But the thing that sets this book apart is that this book is conceived and written for the layman, as there are numerous examples and even pictures to illustrate key ideas. The passages that elucidate the developments over time of thought and philosophical schools and systems are very satisfying.
If you are more interested in the history of philosophy, I recommend "The History of Western Philosophy" by Russell. But if you want to delve into the ideas, I recommend first "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder, then this book as a follow-up, even though you could read either book first, and still be well-appraised of the great ideas and the great conversation itself.
October 14, 2009
I bought this large, illustrated, coffee-table version of Russell's History of Western Philosophy from the Dusty Bookshelf in downtown Lawrence for $8 a few years ago. A well-paced jaunt through knowledge, this is the Reader's Digest condensed Western Civ.
From my personal proclivities, I was happy to see Charles Sanders Peirce get his due, with Wm. James properly noted as a pragmatic popularizer.
There are many photos and paintings of various dead men, but the printed illustrations are occasionally downright odd, cubist versions of Pollack in three or four colors to illustrate various deep insights.
There are days that I wished I lived tuned to one of these lives or ideologies and knew the answers. I would live as an ascetic poet or saint, boiling a potato for dinner, and then cogitate and reflect between bites. Then the feeling passes and I pour a beer and watch a baseball game and am content, mostly.
From my personal proclivities, I was happy to see Charles Sanders Peirce get his due, with Wm. James properly noted as a pragmatic popularizer.
There are many photos and paintings of various dead men, but the printed illustrations are occasionally downright odd, cubist versions of Pollack in three or four colors to illustrate various deep insights.
There are days that I wished I lived tuned to one of these lives or ideologies and knew the answers. I would live as an ascetic poet or saint, boiling a potato for dinner, and then cogitate and reflect between bites. Then the feeling passes and I pour a beer and watch a baseball game and am content, mostly.
September 15, 2012
Solid historical survey of the development of philosophy in the West, specifically for the layman. Very informative and written with Russell's clarity of style and lacerating wit. It was difficult, however, since much time is spent discussing logic, mathematics, and metaphysics, all of which I find usually hard to understand. While I can take a dose of it, especially in a general sort of way, I'm more preoccupied with ethics myself. Still, Russell shows how the development of math and logic in philosophy helped to create science, and then later, how the disciplines split from each other. In any event, a useful, interesting, and entertaining book.
April 27, 2020
I have fond memories of this one just because it was the first serious survey of the history of philosophy that I read (in the summer before my freshman year of college, taking voluminous notes). Russell is kind of a goofball, philosophically, and doesn't have the deepest grasp of most of the thinkers involved, but he's a very good writer (well, speaker; he dictated this book to a secretary) and as a working philosopher he certainly has more insight into the topic than the average historian of philosophy.
November 19, 2013
This amounts to the coffee table version of Russell's History of Philosophy, of which, frankly, I've only read portions. The author is opinionated and this makes both books somewhat less histories of philosophy than one might desire. The author is also occasionally witty and this makes both somewhat more amusing than most histories of philosophy.
October 4, 2015
يعرض راسل في هذا الكتاب بصفة مختصرة سردا تاريخيا و تحليليا للحضارات التي اثرت في تكوين حكمة الغرب،اضافة الى عرض مبادىء عامة لعدد من الفلسفات التي أثرت في تكوين الحضارة الغربية و التي يتناولها راسل بنقده اللاذع المعتاد وصولا الى الحضارة الغربية الحديثة المهيمنة على العالم و التي يحذر راسل منها ضمنيا في اطار كوارث الحربين العالميتين اللتين قامت بهما.
May 16, 2011
حكمة الغرب كتاب لبرتراند راسل على جزأين : الأول عرض تاريخي للفلسفة الغربية في إطارها الإجتماعي والسياسي، والثاني للفلسفة الحديثة والمعاصرة(الكتاب زحمة معلومات ومائدة علمية عامرة ،في طياته تعريف بمفكرين قدامى يونان ورومان وغيرهم في إطار تاريخي يدمج الحدث بالنظرية العلمية في وقتها)
December 1, 2013
Ottimo libro, accessibile a tutti, anche a quelli che non hanno profonda conoscenza della storia della filosofia occidentale. Chiaro e conciso nelle analisi sui principali pensatori dall'antica Grecia alla società occidentale contemporanea.
March 13, 2011
Good book for someone who knows nothing of Western Philosophy and wants to know more.
This man gets 5stars just for his moral courage if nothing else.Older book but
a Gem on my shelf.
This man gets 5stars just for his moral courage if nothing else.Older book but
a Gem on my shelf.
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