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How Philosophy Works: The Concepts Visually Explained
What is the meaning of life? Are we truly free? How can we make ethical choices? Discover the answers to life's greatest questions.
Demystifying the key ideas of the world's greatest philosophers, and exploring all of the most important branches of philosophical thought in a uniquely visual way, this book is the perfect introduction to the history of philosophy.
How Philosophy Works combines bold infographics and jargon-free text to demystify fundamental concepts about the nature of reality. Covering everything from ethics to epistemology and phenomenology, the book presents the ideas and theories of key philosophical traditions and philosophers - from Plato and Socrates to Nietzsche and Wittgenstein via Kant - in a novel, easy-to-understand way.
Its infographics will help you to understand the elements of philosophy on a conceptual level and, by tackling life's "big questions", it will help you to look at the world in an entirely new way.
With its unique graphic approach and clear, authoritative text, How Philosophy Works is the perfect introduction to philosophy, and the ideal companion to DK's The Philosophy Book in the "Big Ideas" series.
Demystifying the key ideas of the world's greatest philosophers, and exploring all of the most important branches of philosophical thought in a uniquely visual way, this book is the perfect introduction to the history of philosophy.
How Philosophy Works combines bold infographics and jargon-free text to demystify fundamental concepts about the nature of reality. Covering everything from ethics to epistemology and phenomenology, the book presents the ideas and theories of key philosophical traditions and philosophers - from Plato and Socrates to Nietzsche and Wittgenstein via Kant - in a novel, easy-to-understand way.
Its infographics will help you to understand the elements of philosophy on a conceptual level and, by tackling life's "big questions", it will help you to look at the world in an entirely new way.
With its unique graphic approach and clear, authoritative text, How Philosophy Works is the perfect introduction to philosophy, and the ideal companion to DK's The Philosophy Book in the "Big Ideas" series.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
135 people are currently reading
807 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
10.3k books2,132 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 17, 2024
If you are someone who wants to have a more profound knowledge of philosophy or someone who wants to know the basics of philosophy, this book will be a great choice. The basics and branches of philosophy are discussed in detail with the help of beautiful diagrams.
The ideas of great philosophers like Plato and Nietzsche are discussed in detail here with a perfect layout filled with various infographics, photos and diagrams.
This book will be helpful for people who are working or studying in other branches but love to know more about philosophy.
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The ideas of great philosophers like Plato and Nietzsche are discussed in detail here with a perfect layout filled with various infographics, photos and diagrams.
This book will be helpful for people who are working or studying in other branches but love to know more about philosophy.
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Health Channel ID - Dasfill - Health | YouTube Malayalam Channel ID - Dasfill - Malayalam | Threads ID - Dasfill | X ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
June 9, 2024
O carte excelentă pentru începători. Îmi pare rău că n-am citit-o mai devreme.
Ilustrațiile sunt foarte reușite.
Nu mi-a plăcut că a ignorat complet estetica.
Recomand
Ilustrațiile sunt foarte reușite.
Nu mi-a plăcut că a ignorat complet estetica.
Recomand
January 11, 2022
Nice, simple explanations. However, I'm not sure about the "visually explained" because the graphics are random and don't explain much. plus, they are not artistic nor beautiful
July 14, 2020
This is an excellent introductory book on the development of Western philosophy throughout the past two and a half millennia. The material is accessible for anyone with a heart for learning about the competing ideas that have plagued mankind. Each subject and/or person's idea is summarized and beautifully illustrated in a succinct two-page format.
The drawbacks of this work are its succinctness and brevity in discussing the material it presents.
The drawbacks of this work are its succinctness and brevity in discussing the material it presents.
October 9, 2019
Philosophy is a wide-ranging subject that covers a number of topics. While it is difficult to distill the message and ideas of Philosophy into one book, it is not impossible to do so. This is demonstrated by How Philosophy Works, an entry from DK Publishing that digs slightly under the surface of each topic. From the foundational history of Philosophy to the basis of Ethics, this book uses text and images to great effect, showing the reader what is meant in various cases.
The book introduces a topic or idea according to the approximate date of the conception of that idea. As I mentioned, Philosophy is a large subject and you only have so many pages. So the book is divided into sections. The first section deals with the history of Philosophy, how it came about, the luminaries of the past from Thales of Miletus to Friedrich Nietzsche, and the ideas that they espoused. This also introduces ideas like the Blank Slate and Zeno’s Paradoxes.
The next large section deals with Analytical Philosophy going slightly more in-depth with what that is. It deals with Epistemology, how language is limited in certain ways and so on. The following sections deal with what is termed Continental Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Logic.
I enjoyed the book. I didn’t really learn all that much since I really like Philosophy and it happens to be one of my guilty pleasures to read books like this; books that collect the information from other books and distill it into a readable and easily understandable format.
The book introduces a topic or idea according to the approximate date of the conception of that idea. As I mentioned, Philosophy is a large subject and you only have so many pages. So the book is divided into sections. The first section deals with the history of Philosophy, how it came about, the luminaries of the past from Thales of Miletus to Friedrich Nietzsche, and the ideas that they espoused. This also introduces ideas like the Blank Slate and Zeno’s Paradoxes.
The next large section deals with Analytical Philosophy going slightly more in-depth with what that is. It deals with Epistemology, how language is limited in certain ways and so on. The following sections deal with what is termed Continental Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Logic.
I enjoyed the book. I didn’t really learn all that much since I really like Philosophy and it happens to be one of my guilty pleasures to read books like this; books that collect the information from other books and distill it into a readable and easily understandable format.
May 18, 2022
Ok, it is basic. Still good as an introduction or quick revision.
February 18, 2022
The book's description as being the simplest guide to philosophy is unfortunately painfully astute. This could be forgiven as the book has certainly bitten off far more than possibly any single volume could chew, however, it makes the egregious mistake of assuming premises and even going so far as to literally color some philosophies as good and some bad. This error almost fully pushes the work away from educational and toward propagandistic.
Whether intentional or not, How Philosophy Works is, ironically, a testament to sophistry. If unintentional, then the authors at DK were woefully unqualified for this endeavor. If intentional, then they are paragons of falsehood.
Whether intentional or not, How Philosophy Works is, ironically, a testament to sophistry. If unintentional, then the authors at DK were woefully unqualified for this endeavor. If intentional, then they are paragons of falsehood.
Did not finish
July 31, 2020probably best as reference and not cover-to-cover reading
April 5, 2021
I wasn't sure that I would enjoy this book when I purchased it because I had originally gone to the shop to get the psychology version of this book but they unfortunately didn't have it, so in the end I opted to try the Philosophy one instead and thankfully I was not disappointed with my purchase.
The book is set out really well, with clearly set out bold chapters that make it easy to digest all the information this book contains. Which if I'm going to comment on I will say that it has a fair amount of content on several different subject matters of philosophy but that content is on the whole rather general [although I will forgive this on the fact of the sheer amount of information you are given], however the whole overall book does cover what I would think of as all the major subject matters of philosophy or at least it covers a good chunk of them.
The language overall hasn't been dumbed-down or over simplified it is just intentional, that is to say that it just is what it is with no extra fluff/flounce added to it. Overall it is a well thought out and sectioned textbook that is clear, to-the-point, and consise and which I have to admit is what I would think a textbook of this kind exactly should be like, especially if the author wants the reader to enjoy it as more than just a textbook of information.
I have to mention as well that all the illustrations in the book are really well done. Unlike a lot of books when they incorporate a fair bit of illustration in their work they can end up over doing the illustration and going too bright or too many hard to follow graphs trying to give so much information at once but this textbook doesn't do that. Its colours' are all excellently matched and the graphs of information and the 'text-blocked' sections of info are all easy to follow and are nicely digestible without ever at any point overwhelming you.
I really did rather enjoy this book, and even I, who thought I already had a pretty extensive knowledge on philosophy already, learnt a few things from this book. I would say a definate thumbs up recommendation for any adults and I even think it would be fine for slightly more intelligent your children, certainly anyone older than a teenager.
The book is set out really well, with clearly set out bold chapters that make it easy to digest all the information this book contains. Which if I'm going to comment on I will say that it has a fair amount of content on several different subject matters of philosophy but that content is on the whole rather general [although I will forgive this on the fact of the sheer amount of information you are given], however the whole overall book does cover what I would think of as all the major subject matters of philosophy or at least it covers a good chunk of them.
The language overall hasn't been dumbed-down or over simplified it is just intentional, that is to say that it just is what it is with no extra fluff/flounce added to it. Overall it is a well thought out and sectioned textbook that is clear, to-the-point, and consise and which I have to admit is what I would think a textbook of this kind exactly should be like, especially if the author wants the reader to enjoy it as more than just a textbook of information.
I have to mention as well that all the illustrations in the book are really well done. Unlike a lot of books when they incorporate a fair bit of illustration in their work they can end up over doing the illustration and going too bright or too many hard to follow graphs trying to give so much information at once but this textbook doesn't do that. Its colours' are all excellently matched and the graphs of information and the 'text-blocked' sections of info are all easy to follow and are nicely digestible without ever at any point overwhelming you.
I really did rather enjoy this book, and even I, who thought I already had a pretty extensive knowledge on philosophy already, learnt a few things from this book. I would say a definate thumbs up recommendation for any adults and I even think it would be fine for slightly more intelligent your children, certainly anyone older than a teenager.
November 8, 2021
Since I had no formal education in Philosophy, it was quite hard to structure knowledge from this topic in my head. Even though I had an understanding of basic concepts and directions of thought, still, I felt I was missing a lot. This book helped me to structure such knowledge a lot.
I found a lot of value in its visual accompaniment, especially with more complex thoughts and detailed references from one concept to another, making it easy to follow the evolution of thought in some specific direction.
All in all, a good book to have. Definitely not something that would be of huge value to those who had a nice background in philosophy. Yet, a great resource for amateurs and people who are only starting to dig this neverending topic.
I found a lot of value in its visual accompaniment, especially with more complex thoughts and detailed references from one concept to another, making it easy to follow the evolution of thought in some specific direction.
All in all, a good book to have. Definitely not something that would be of huge value to those who had a nice background in philosophy. Yet, a great resource for amateurs and people who are only starting to dig this neverending topic.
December 26, 2022
Hồi xưa cứ nghĩ triết học là một thứ nhàm chán. Lớn dần rồi mình nhận ra cuộc sống của mỗi người là tuân theo triết lý của người đó. Triết trong tiếng Hán Việt có nghĩa là trí tuệ. Triết học là một môn khoa học, tìm hiểu tư duy của con người về vạn vật, về sự tò mò, về nguồn gốc, về đáp án cho mọi câu hỏi vì sao. Cuốn sách này rất đơn giản, dễ hiểu với minh hoạ sinh động và đầy đủ thông tin, giải đáp đủ cho các thuật ngữ cũng như lịch sử của các triết lý nổi tiếng.
Triết học là nền móng cho khoa học hiện đại.
Triết học có thể giúp bản thân tự tìm ra mục đích của bản thân.
Phù hợp cho những người chưa biết gì về triết học như mình, có lẽ những người đã có tìm hiểu chuyên sâu về triết học sẽ thấy cuốn này sơ sài, hoặc là sai ở đâu đó, nhưng với mình thì dễ hiểu và cảm thấy khá đầy đủ.
Triết học là nền móng cho khoa học hiện đại.
Triết học có thể giúp bản thân tự tìm ra mục đích của bản thân.
Phù hợp cho những người chưa biết gì về triết học như mình, có lẽ những người đã có tìm hiểu chuyên sâu về triết học sẽ thấy cuốn này sơ sài, hoặc là sai ở đâu đó, nhưng với mình thì dễ hiểu và cảm thấy khá đầy đủ.
March 1, 2023
Like the other books in this series, DK's How Philosophy Works is a great starting place for those wanting to know more about philosophy, its concepts, and its history. This one particularly does a good job at crunching massive ideas digestably, especially considering that space for each concept is limited to two-page spreads with infographics. There's just enough information on each page to give you the background you need for further reading on the published philosophical works themselves. Five stars for ideal toilet reading.
December 14, 2022
Me encanta la filosofía, y al leer este libro quería adquirir un conocimiento más organizado. Sin embargo, la estructura es básica y los planteamientos demasiado superficiales. No llegué a aprender sobre nada. A pesar de las ilustraciones, el libro se hace denso, aunque hay que reconocer que las imágenes están chulas.
January 18, 2023
⭐3,5⭐
Tak sesuai ekspektasi. Enggak jelek tapi enggak sebagus buku terbitan DK biasanya. Visualisasi bagus, tapi penjelasannya masih terkesan mjelimet.
Banyak buku terbitan DK lainnya untuk mengenal filosofi yang jauh lebih bagus, seperti The Philosophy Book sama Philosophy: A Visual Encyclopedia.
Tak sesuai ekspektasi. Enggak jelek tapi enggak sebagus buku terbitan DK biasanya. Visualisasi bagus, tapi penjelasannya masih terkesan mjelimet.
Banyak buku terbitan DK lainnya untuk mengenal filosofi yang jauh lebih bagus, seperti The Philosophy Book sama Philosophy: A Visual Encyclopedia.
June 20, 2023
Về độ phổ quát thì không phải bàn, sách làm rất tốt.
Tuy nhiên, các thuật ngữ xuất hiện rất nhiều khiến cho những người đọc cơ bản có thể hơi khó nắm bắt. Ngôn ngữ dịch thuật cũng chưa được tự nhiên và dễ hiểu lắm.
Sách ổn cho các bạn có nền tảng kiến thức nhất định về triết học nhưng theo mình sẽ khá khó đọc cho người mới bắt đầu.
Tuy nhiên, các thuật ngữ xuất hiện rất nhiều khiến cho những người đọc cơ bản có thể hơi khó nắm bắt. Ngôn ngữ dịch thuật cũng chưa được tự nhiên và dễ hiểu lắm.
Sách ổn cho các bạn có nền tảng kiến thức nhất định về triết học nhưng theo mình sẽ khá khó đọc cho người mới bắt đầu.
February 13, 2026
A good book to get started in philosophy or consolidate a beginner's understanding. It helped me to recap stuff that I read years ago.
However, is too Westernised and doesn't even mention other schools or geographies of philosophy
So keep in mind that it is a much broader and more diverse field than indicated here.
However, is too Westernised and doesn't even mention other schools or geographies of philosophy
So keep in mind that it is a much broader and more diverse field than indicated here.
April 6, 2022
This book really helped me explore more about the world of philosophy. With clear, detailed and easy-to-understand information, I was finally able to explore a whole new level of philosophy. Very useful book, especially for newbies in the field of philosophy.
August 8, 2025
This book helped to break down and explain some of the more abstract concepts I’ve had a lot of difficulty wrapping my head around, and for that I appreciate very much! There is a large focus on linguistic philosophy with an entire 3rd of the book dedicated to it.
April 20, 2021
This book has a lot of information and sometimes it’s hard to process it all. It’s still a great book, especially the section on political philosophy.
July 16, 2021
Si concentra quasi totalmente sul novecento.
È divertente veloce, intuitivo , visivo. I contenuti sono scarni ma questa è la peculiarità del libro.
Adatto a tutti.
È divertente veloce, intuitivo , visivo. I contenuti sono scarni ma questa è la peculiarità del libro.
Adatto a tutti.
July 26, 2021
I love encyclopedias lol
August 4, 2021
Love this book - illustrated so well. Great coffee table book. Can pick up and learn something new every time you open it.
April 5, 2022
Interesting intro into philosophy
May 3, 2023
Efficient brush of all the concept and philosophers. Builds a map of what to dig more in detail.
May 30, 2023
2.5 out of 5 stars
November 1, 2024
>Is called "How philosophy works"
>Does not concern Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc
>Does not acknowledge Eastern philosophy, or that it is only about Western philosophy
>Bruh
>Does not concern Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc
>Does not acknowledge Eastern philosophy, or that it is only about Western philosophy
>Bruh
November 10, 2025
Beautiful and made me feel smart. I will be bringing up these theories and big words to make the most niche references; i wont rest til people get annoyed of how smart i speak. Heh.
January 28, 2021
This gave me an overview of a lot of philosophy but didn't create any interest in me to do further reading. There is so much information here that it would take years to learn about just a little of it.
August 23, 2024
I'll remember this book as I began my philosophical journey from it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews