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Living Biographies of Great Philosophers

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From the Introduction : "Every biography is a story of adventure. The energetic personalities of the world represent an adventure in living. The philosophical personalities, on the other hand, represent an adventure in thinking. And when we examine the lives of the philosophers we find that the procession of a man’s thoughts can be exciting a spectacle as the pageantry of a man’s deeds." Included are these great Plato and Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Spencer, Nietzsche, William James, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Santayana.

335 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

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5 stars
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4 stars
26 (32%)
3 stars
23 (29%)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
24 reviews
November 16, 2025
The book gives simple biographies of some important Western philosophers whilr ignoring others that may have been more important. It doesn't cover the most important issue in philosophers' lives which is their thoughts with the needed depth. It may be suitable for those seeking to read some entertaining material regarding philosophers but not those interested in philosophy in particular.
Profile Image for Nadya.
59 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2018
I started it, but stopped after a few chapters. Just not my type.
Profile Image for Allan.
229 reviews10 followers
June 9, 2017
A quick traipse across the centuries with some serious thinkers. Outlines of the lives of men (all men) such as Aristotle, Aquinas, Spinoza, Kant, Voltaire and others are provided with the foundations and summaries of each man's philosophy appearing inter alia. Not a dumbed-down survey, though certainly not a distillation, but a decent sketch of Western thought through the ages.
Profile Image for Ray.
1,064 reviews56 followers
June 20, 2009
The book accomplishes what it set out to do, e.g., present an overview of the lives and thinking of many of the worlds great philosophers. Discussed in the book are Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Spencer, Nietzsche, William James, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Santayana. Not so in-depth as to bore the reader with excess details, yet not so superficial as to leave the reader uninformed.
Profile Image for Jeanette.
112 reviews78 followers
November 8, 2010
I Listened to this an Audio Book.

Living Biographies of Great Philosophers is a great addition to understanding the lives, thinking and the works of the great philosophers. By presenting the philosophies in a way that is detailed enough to be informational but not so in-depth that it is readable and understandable.

Discussed in the book are Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Spencer, Nietzsche, William James, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Santayana.
Profile Image for Iceman.
357 reviews26 followers
February 5, 2013
Biografias de filósofos que ficaram famosos. De uma forma rápida mas muito clara, os autores abordam as várias facetas dos homens que escreveram a história da filosofia. Um bom livro para quem gosta do género.
Profile Image for U. S..
2 reviews
February 27, 2009
a simple and very interesting book about the living of philosophers and slightly touch of their Ideologies....
Profile Image for Henry Sturcke.
Author 5 books32 followers
August 12, 2015
This was my favorite of the series Living Biographies and was a very good way to bootstrap my way as a young teenager into the great conversation that it philosophy.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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