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New History of Western Philosophy #1
تاریخ فلسفۀ غرب: فلسفۀ باستان
اثر چهار جلدی تاریخ فلسفه غرب نوشته آنتونی کنی، به گواهی صاحبنظران و به گفته نشریه «فرست تینگ»، معتبرترین تاریخ فلسفه غرب تک مولف بعد از تاریخ فلسفه کاپلستون است. جامعیت و روزآمد بودن این کتاب از آثار مشابه خود بیشتر است.
و اخیرترین فلاسفه مهم غرب از جمله ژاک دریدا و بزرگان فلسفه تحلیلی مثل استراوسون، کواین، دیویدسون، رایل را از قلم نینداخته است. ضمنا مولف کوشیده است تا هم مثل راسل قلمی روان و جذاب داشته باشد و هم مانند کاپلستون معتبر، مستند و دقیق بنویسد.
نسخه اصلی این اثر چاپ آکسفورد و کتاب درسی دانشجویان دوره کارشناسی است. تحلیلها و تفسیرهای بدیع و ابتکاری او از همان صفحات اول خواننده را مجذوب میکند. استاد بهاءالدین خرمشاهی در یادداشتی درباره این کتاب نوشته است: «تاکنون کتابی به این اطلاعبخشی و ترجمهای به این معنابخشی یعنی معنارسانی کم دیدهام».
جلد اول این اثر که دربردارنده فلسفه دوره باستان است.
و اخیرترین فلاسفه مهم غرب از جمله ژاک دریدا و بزرگان فلسفه تحلیلی مثل استراوسون، کواین، دیویدسون، رایل را از قلم نینداخته است. ضمنا مولف کوشیده است تا هم مثل راسل قلمی روان و جذاب داشته باشد و هم مانند کاپلستون معتبر، مستند و دقیق بنویسد.
نسخه اصلی این اثر چاپ آکسفورد و کتاب درسی دانشجویان دوره کارشناسی است. تحلیلها و تفسیرهای بدیع و ابتکاری او از همان صفحات اول خواننده را مجذوب میکند. استاد بهاءالدین خرمشاهی در یادداشتی درباره این کتاب نوشته است: «تاکنون کتابی به این اطلاعبخشی و ترجمهای به این معنابخشی یعنی معنارسانی کم دیدهام».
جلد اول این اثر که دربردارنده فلسفه دوره باستان است.
502 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
187 people are currently reading
1152 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Kenny
177 books115 followersSir Anthony Kenny is an English philosopher whose interests lie in the philosophy of mind, ancient and scholastic philosophy, the philosophy of Wittgenstein, and the philosophy of religion.
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August 20, 2021
برای نوشتن ریویوی این کتاب، حرف زیاد دارم ولی میدونم از حوصلهتون خارج خواهد بود، بنابراین سعی میکنم خلاصهی مفیدی رو در اختیارتون بذارم.
جلد اول تاریخ فلسفهی غرب (فلسفهی باستان) از نشر پارسه، دارای ترجمهی بسیار روان و خفنی هست. کتاب از بخشهای منسجمی تشکیل شده که باعث درک بهتر مفاهیم و جذابیت بیشتر فلسفه شده است.
جلد اول از ۹ بخش تشکیل شده، که هر کدوم از این بخشها، به زیرشاخهها و مباحث مربوطه میپردازد.
*بخش اول: آغاز فلسفه (از فیثاغورث تا افلاطون)؛ این بخش به نظریهی تک تک فیلسوفها میپردازه و هرکسی که به فلسفه علاقه داشته باشه، این بخش میتونه براش بسیار مفید و قابل فهم باشه.
*بخش دوم: مکاتب فکری (از ارسطو تا آگوستین)؛ در این بخش نیز به رسالههای اخلاقی، نظریه شناسی، شکاکیت و کیهان شناسیِ فیلسوفها میپردازه. هرکسی که به مکاتب فکری فیلسوفان علاقه داره، این بخش میتونه براش خیلی مفید باشه.
* بخش سوم: چگونه استدلال کنیم (منطق)
* بخش چهارم: معرفت و محدودیتهای آن (معرفتشناسی)
* بخش پنجم: وقایع چگونه رخ میدهند (فیزیک)
* بخش ششم: هستیچیست (مابعدالطبیعه)
*بخش هفتم: نفس و ذهن
(از بخش سوم تا بخش هفتم، میتوان گفت که مباحث سختخوان میشوند و اگر افرادی علاقه به خواندن مفاهیم و نظریههای سختخوان فیلسوفها نداشته باشند، میتوانند از این بخشها عبور کنند یا فقط بعضی از مباحثشان رو مورد مطالعه قرار دهند).
* بخش هشتم: چگونه زندگی کنیم (اخلاق)
* بخش نهم: خدا
دو بخش نهایی نیز، مانند بخش اول و دوم بسیار کاربردی و قابل فهم هستند و از بخشهای مورد علاقهی من بودند.
جلد دوم تاریخ فلسفهی غرب رو هم خریدم
و بزودی میرم سراغش..
اتمام..
تاریخ ۲۹ مرداد ۱۴۰۰
ساعت ۱۵:۰۰
جلد اول تاریخ فلسفهی غرب (فلسفهی باستان) از نشر پارسه، دارای ترجمهی بسیار روان و خفنی هست. کتاب از بخشهای منسجمی تشکیل شده که باعث درک بهتر مفاهیم و جذابیت بیشتر فلسفه شده است.
جلد اول از ۹ بخش تشکیل شده، که هر کدوم از این بخشها، به زیرشاخهها و مباحث مربوطه میپردازد.
*بخش اول: آغاز فلسفه (از فیثاغورث تا افلاطون)؛ این بخش به نظریهی تک تک فیلسوفها میپردازه و هرکسی که به فلسفه علاقه داشته باشه، این بخش میتونه براش بسیار مفید و قابل فهم باشه.
*بخش دوم: مکاتب فکری (از ارسطو تا آگوستین)؛ در این بخش نیز به رسالههای اخلاقی، نظریه شناسی، شکاکیت و کیهان شناسیِ فیلسوفها میپردازه. هرکسی که به مکاتب فکری فیلسوفان علاقه داره، این بخش میتونه براش خیلی مفید باشه.
* بخش سوم: چگونه استدلال کنیم (منطق)
* بخش چهارم: معرفت و محدودیتهای آن (معرفتشناسی)
* بخش پنجم: وقایع چگونه رخ میدهند (فیزیک)
* بخش ششم: هستیچیست (مابعدالطبیعه)
*بخش هفتم: نفس و ذهن
(از بخش سوم تا بخش هفتم، میتوان گفت که مباحث سختخوان میشوند و اگر افرادی علاقه به خواندن مفاهیم و نظریههای سختخوان فیلسوفها نداشته باشند، میتوانند از این بخشها عبور کنند یا فقط بعضی از مباحثشان رو مورد مطالعه قرار دهند).
* بخش هشتم: چگونه زندگی کنیم (اخلاق)
* بخش نهم: خدا
دو بخش نهایی نیز، مانند بخش اول و دوم بسیار کاربردی و قابل فهم هستند و از بخشهای مورد علاقهی من بودند.
جلد دوم تاریخ فلسفهی غرب رو هم خریدم
و بزودی میرم سراغش..
اتمام..
تاریخ ۲۹ مرداد ۱۴۰۰
ساعت ۱۵:۰۰
January 3, 2019
From Thales to the Hellenistic philosophers, with some interesting information about St. Augustine! The book is well-written and well-organized; and the language is readable! I found the book so informative and enjoyable! I do highly recommend it as a first step before indulging in reading the works of those great philosophers
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October 10, 2024طبعن صلاحیتی برای بررسی این کتاب ندارم. اما از دو چیزش بسیار لذت بردم، یکی لحن سادهاش برای توضیح موضوعات پیچیده (که البته پیچیدگی بعضی موضوعات آنقدر زیاد است که هیچ لحن سادهای برایش کارساز نیست) و دیگری رویکرد تاریخی-مضمونی موازی، که در جلدهای بعد هم تکرار میشود. دو فصل اول داستانگوست و تاریخ را روایت میکند و فصلهای بعدی هر کدام به یک موضوع مهم فلسفه این دوران — متافیزیک، معرفتشناسی، اخلاق، خدا و الخ — میپردازند.
———————
در حاشیه، اگر خواستید تاریخ فلسفه بخوانید، نسخههای شناختهشدهی موجود در بازار را اینطور میشود دستهبندی کرد (متاسفانه از کیفیت ترجمهها اطلاعی ندارم).
کتابهای تکجلدی برای مرور کلی دورهها، مکاتب و فیلسوفهای معروفتر: هم ویل دورانت و هم برایان مگی «داستان فلسفه»ی خودشان را نوشتهاند. کتاب دورانت یک قرن پیش نوشته شده ولی کتاب مگی بسیار جدیدتر و کوتاهتر است و لحن امروزیتری هم دارد. هر دو نفر نقطهی شروع بسیار خوبی هستند برای آشنایی کلی با تاریخ اندیشه، بدون جزئیات بیش از حدی که خواننده نوپا را خسته نکند.
دورههای چند جلدی، جامع و تخصصی: تاریخ فلسفه کاپلستون و راتلج. هر دو مفصل، پرجزئیات و آکادمیک هستند. اولی کاری عظیم و یکنفره است که بین دهههای ۴۰ تا ۷۰ میلادی نوشته شده و آخرش به سارتر و مرلوپونتی میرسد. نُه جلد اولش به ترتیب زمانی است و جلد دهم و یازدهمی هم دارد مخصوص فلسفه روسیه، پوزیتویسم منطقی و اگزیستانسیالیسم. دومی را مجموعهای از نویسندهها نوشتهاند، بهروزتر است و نیمهی دوم قرن بیستم را هم دربرمیگیرد. (بیشتر جلدهایش روی طاقچه بینهایت و فیدیپلاس هم هستند.)
اما بین این دو گروه کتابهای دیگری هم هستند. برتراند راسل احتمالن معروفترین فیلسوفیست که تاریخ فلسفه هم نوشته. مفصلتر از گروه اول، اما نه به اندازهی دومیها پُر پروپیمان. و البته معروف هم هست که بدون احساس نیاز به بیطرفی معمول آکادمیک، برداشت خودش را از تاریخ نوشته و به هر کسی که لازم دیده صفحات بیشتری اختصاص داده و کسی هم که نیاز نبوده (مثل هایدگر) کلن حذف شده. با همهی اینها آنقدر خوب بوده که از دلایل اصلی بردن جایزهی نوبلش شده.
(کتاب آنتونی کنی را هم بهنوعی میشود در همین دستهی بینابینی گذاشت.)
———————
در حاشیه، اگر خواستید تاریخ فلسفه بخوانید، نسخههای شناختهشدهی موجود در بازار را اینطور میشود دستهبندی کرد (متاسفانه از کیفیت ترجمهها اطلاعی ندارم).
کتابهای تکجلدی برای مرور کلی دورهها، مکاتب و فیلسوفهای معروفتر: هم ویل دورانت و هم برایان مگی «داستان فلسفه»ی خودشان را نوشتهاند. کتاب دورانت یک قرن پیش نوشته شده ولی کتاب مگی بسیار جدیدتر و کوتاهتر است و لحن امروزیتری هم دارد. هر دو نفر نقطهی شروع بسیار خوبی هستند برای آشنایی کلی با تاریخ اندیشه، بدون جزئیات بیش از حدی که خواننده نوپا را خسته نکند.
دورههای چند جلدی، جامع و تخصصی: تاریخ فلسفه کاپلستون و راتلج. هر دو مفصل، پرجزئیات و آکادمیک هستند. اولی کاری عظیم و یکنفره است که بین دهههای ۴۰ تا ۷۰ میلادی نوشته شده و آخرش به سارتر و مرلوپونتی میرسد. نُه جلد اولش به ترتیب زمانی است و جلد دهم و یازدهمی هم دارد مخصوص فلسفه روسیه، پوزیتویسم منطقی و اگزیستانسیالیسم. دومی را مجموعهای از نویسندهها نوشتهاند، بهروزتر است و نیمهی دوم قرن بیستم را هم دربرمیگیرد. (بیشتر جلدهایش روی طاقچه بینهایت و فیدیپلاس هم هستند.)
اما بین این دو گروه کتابهای دیگری هم هستند. برتراند راسل احتمالن معروفترین فیلسوفیست که تاریخ فلسفه هم نوشته. مفصلتر از گروه اول، اما نه به اندازهی دومیها پُر پروپیمان. و البته معروف هم هست که بدون احساس نیاز به بیطرفی معمول آکادمیک، برداشت خودش را از تاریخ نوشته و به هر کسی که لازم دیده صفحات بیشتری اختصاص داده و کسی هم که نیاز نبوده (مثل هایدگر) کلن حذف شده. با همهی اینها آنقدر خوب بوده که از دلایل اصلی بردن جایزهی نوبلش شده.
(کتاب آنتونی کنی را هم بهنوعی میشود در همین دستهی بینابینی گذاشت.)
November 23, 2024
Het is simpel: ik vind de meeste filosofie niet leuk, ik vind antieke filosofie al helemaal niet leuk, want altijd komen Socrates, Plato en Aristoteles weer met hun ground-breaking (oprecht wel) geyap! Ik heb er na de 40000 mention gewoon genoeg van snapje?
Daarnaast was het ook gwn tering moeilijk? Like epistemologie en metafysica deden mijn brein oprecht pijn!!! De rest was wel ok ig.
Ma deze dude pullde de meest vreemde engelse voc?! Like Milton en Shakespeare gebruikte minder vage woorden?
Al bij al gewoon geen leuke ervaring, maar de lessen zijn nog erger dus pest en cholera i guess
(Ik vind determinisme, ethiek, filosofie over doodgaan, gender/seksualiteitsfilosofie en vrije wil wel leuk dus ik ben geen barbaar maar gwn dit niet yk)
Daarnaast was het ook gwn tering moeilijk? Like epistemologie en metafysica deden mijn brein oprecht pijn!!! De rest was wel ok ig.
Ma deze dude pullde de meest vreemde engelse voc?! Like Milton en Shakespeare gebruikte minder vage woorden?
Al bij al gewoon geen leuke ervaring, maar de lessen zijn nog erger dus pest en cholera i guess
(Ik vind determinisme, ethiek, filosofie over doodgaan, gender/seksualiteitsfilosofie en vrije wil wel leuk dus ik ben geen barbaar maar gwn dit niet yk)
December 12, 2012
Ancient Philosophy by Anthony John Patrick Kenny is the first in a four part collection on the progression of Western Philosophy. This entry covers the span of major philosophical inquiry from the Pre-Socratics to the pre-Christian Augustine. It starts off with the first two chapters chronologically covering the general concepts of the major philosophical players. The next seven chapters each cover a specific aspect of philosophy and the arguments that contributed to each field, including: Logic, epistemology, physics, metaphysics, the study of the soul and mind, and god.
Despite being in college I have yet to take a single philosophy course (the joys of being a science major), so to fill this gap in my formal education I decided to pick this up. The subject of philosophy told in the context of historical progression is one of the simplest ways to introduce a topic to someone uninitiated (at least in my opinion) which is one of the reasons I started here. Now, I’m not the hugest fan of ancient philosophy, but I still did enjoy this text even if I found a few parts tedious. Most of the tediousness has more to do with my own preferences than anything else.
My major complaint with this book would have to be organization. I appreciate that the author attempted something a bit more outside the box than merely speaking from a purely chronological view by concentrating the last seven chapters on philosophical topics. However, I just don’t feel like this method ended up granting anything more to the text than could have been achieved with the simpler organization. In fact, it really became kind of annoying for two large reasons. One: In the introduction to this text he states that the book is meant for those without a background in philosophy, much like myself. That being said, this organization makes the unfamiliar reader have to flip back and forth to the chronological list at the end of the text to keep all of these newly introduced Greek and Latin names straight. Two: If you make a comment like “But we will talk more about this later in Chapter 6” more than a couple of times every single chapter, you are either being a needlessly annoying author or you need to reorganize your book. Seriously, I wish I had counted how many times I read that.
Now, despite my criticisms I did actually like this book. It did what it promised and gave me a good basis on the earliest parts of Western Philosophy and it wasn’t nearly as much of a chore as I would have expected. Yes, I think it could’ve been organized more efficiently but it still didn’t totally flop. If you’re looking for a decent intro to the topic or merely a refresher I think this book could be good asset before taking a more in depth look at the work of various individual philosophers. I fully intend on reading the next installment in this series.
You can read this review, others, and a wealth of information for independent learners at my blog: http://theacademicjawa.com/?p=297
Despite being in college I have yet to take a single philosophy course (the joys of being a science major), so to fill this gap in my formal education I decided to pick this up. The subject of philosophy told in the context of historical progression is one of the simplest ways to introduce a topic to someone uninitiated (at least in my opinion) which is one of the reasons I started here. Now, I’m not the hugest fan of ancient philosophy, but I still did enjoy this text even if I found a few parts tedious. Most of the tediousness has more to do with my own preferences than anything else.
My major complaint with this book would have to be organization. I appreciate that the author attempted something a bit more outside the box than merely speaking from a purely chronological view by concentrating the last seven chapters on philosophical topics. However, I just don’t feel like this method ended up granting anything more to the text than could have been achieved with the simpler organization. In fact, it really became kind of annoying for two large reasons. One: In the introduction to this text he states that the book is meant for those without a background in philosophy, much like myself. That being said, this organization makes the unfamiliar reader have to flip back and forth to the chronological list at the end of the text to keep all of these newly introduced Greek and Latin names straight. Two: If you make a comment like “But we will talk more about this later in Chapter 6” more than a couple of times every single chapter, you are either being a needlessly annoying author or you need to reorganize your book. Seriously, I wish I had counted how many times I read that.
Now, despite my criticisms I did actually like this book. It did what it promised and gave me a good basis on the earliest parts of Western Philosophy and it wasn’t nearly as much of a chore as I would have expected. Yes, I think it could’ve been organized more efficiently but it still didn’t totally flop. If you’re looking for a decent intro to the topic or merely a refresher I think this book could be good asset before taking a more in depth look at the work of various individual philosophers. I fully intend on reading the next installment in this series.
You can read this review, others, and a wealth of information for independent learners at my blog: http://theacademicjawa.com/?p=297
February 23, 2019
This is an ambiguous book, since it is written as part chronology and part thematic overview. Anthony Kenny uses the first third of Ancient Philosophy (2004) to explain, chronologically, the developments in thinking from the start of philosophy in Antiquity up to the conversion of Saint Augustine. After setting out the main plot and introducting the different characters - so to speak - he delves into the various major themes that were developed in this period. He explains what Presocratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus and the Stoics thought about subjects like ethics, religion, metaphysics, epistemology, physics, psychology and logic.
Even though I am familiar with these subjects, I found this book very tiresome to work through and I can't help but notice Kenny's style is entirely not my cup of tea. When explaining the various subjects - which are already highly abstract and unfamiliar to modern men - he continuously makes use of analogies and illustrations to explain what the philosophers involved meant. After a couple of sentences I have lost track of the main argument and feel like I'm drowning in irrelevant material.
Kenny's intention here is to make the material more accessible (which is to be praised) but, counterproductively, it makes the book more inaccessible to me. I have always been a straightforward learner: please just tell me what's the deal and skip all the redundant stuff. But unfortunately, most popular science and philosophy books are aimed at a general audience and their authors go out of their way to flood the reader with examples. I simply hate this and hence I am not content with this book - which is unfortunate since Kenny certainly knows what he's talking about and he has lots of interesting things to say about the different subjects.
A second major flaw in Ancient Philosophers is the lack of systematization in the text. Kenny continuously refers to different chapters and the choice of division per thema means that the philosophy of major thinkers is chopped up into many pieces and hussled together with all the other pieces. It simply makes the main ideas hard to grasp in their totality and one constantly gets the picture that there's more to the story (which usually there is - in later chapters).
I feel a bit of disappointment, since I looked forward to reading an interesting, modern overview about philosophy the period of Antiquity up to the early Middle Ages. I can't really recommend this book, and I doubt that people who are not or only slightly familiar with the material and thinkers involved can understand Kenny's explanations.
Even though I am familiar with these subjects, I found this book very tiresome to work through and I can't help but notice Kenny's style is entirely not my cup of tea. When explaining the various subjects - which are already highly abstract and unfamiliar to modern men - he continuously makes use of analogies and illustrations to explain what the philosophers involved meant. After a couple of sentences I have lost track of the main argument and feel like I'm drowning in irrelevant material.
Kenny's intention here is to make the material more accessible (which is to be praised) but, counterproductively, it makes the book more inaccessible to me. I have always been a straightforward learner: please just tell me what's the deal and skip all the redundant stuff. But unfortunately, most popular science and philosophy books are aimed at a general audience and their authors go out of their way to flood the reader with examples. I simply hate this and hence I am not content with this book - which is unfortunate since Kenny certainly knows what he's talking about and he has lots of interesting things to say about the different subjects.
A second major flaw in Ancient Philosophers is the lack of systematization in the text. Kenny continuously refers to different chapters and the choice of division per thema means that the philosophy of major thinkers is chopped up into many pieces and hussled together with all the other pieces. It simply makes the main ideas hard to grasp in their totality and one constantly gets the picture that there's more to the story (which usually there is - in later chapters).
I feel a bit of disappointment, since I looked forward to reading an interesting, modern overview about philosophy the period of Antiquity up to the early Middle Ages. I can't really recommend this book, and I doubt that people who are not or only slightly familiar with the material and thinkers involved can understand Kenny's explanations.
January 4, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this kind of book and I also hate myself for not going straight to read the main works rather than reading books like this. This is one of my major conundrums while reading philosophy classics and my life has been divided between this continuous oscillation from texts to books like this. The introduction goes with something along the lines of "books like this tend to be either the history of philosophy or the philosophy of history and this book has tended to be both" which is fair to say: the first two chapters are very much biographical and chronological account of pre-Socratic, post-Socratic, Roman philosophers just briefly mentioning Augustine and then saying "this is gonna be our next volume and now let's get into the ideas." After that the book - also, I checked, the other books in the series follow the same line - goes on touching upon an issue in various chapters: metaphysics, epistemology, physics, ethics, philosophy of mind, etc, which basically turn out to be summaries of this Socratic dialogue and that other essay by Seneca, which I guess one can just quickly read through because you are basically reading this book to prepare for reading those main sources, right!? At least, that's my plan!
I cannot say this is a bad book because it is not, but I am not gonna read the next volume! I know I need to read a lot more of philosophy but I do think the time has come for me to seriously read original sources and not accounts of them. If you wanna read a book in this category, this is definitely a good one!
I cannot say this is a bad book because it is not, but I am not gonna read the next volume! I know I need to read a lot more of philosophy but I do think the time has come for me to seriously read original sources and not accounts of them. If you wanna read a book in this category, this is definitely a good one!
January 22, 2011
A little over a decade after college and wanting to "brush up" (background reading before plunging into some individual works) I was in search of a good history of philosophy. One can always rely on Fr. Copleston's 11-volume history, but between the demands of job and fatherhood I needed something more manageable -- and after finishing the first volume, I believe I've found it.
The first hundred pages present a chronological history of ancient philosophy -- the pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the various schools thereafter. The remainder of the book is then broken out into more substantial and stimulating treatments of individual subjects: "Logic", "Epistemology", "Physics, "Metaphysics", "Soul and Mind" and "God" which allow for better comparison/contrast of various positions.
Reminiscent of reading Roger Scruton, Kenny's personality comes through in his characteristically dry English commentary -- as in the following discussion of Plato's description of the soul in the Phaedrus:
"Think of it, he says, as a triad: a charioteer with a pair of horses, one good and one bad, driving towards a heavenly banquet (246b). The good horse strives upwards while the bad horse constantly pulls the chariot downards. The horses are clearly meant to represent the two different parts of the soul, but their exact functions are never made clear. Plato applies his analogy mainly in the course of setting out the lineaments of his ideal philosophical type of homoerotic love. When we reach the point where we have a man and a boy and four horses all in bed together, the metaphor has obviously got quite out of hand. The anatomy of the soul is more soberly described in the Republic. ..."
All in all I'm sufficiently motivated to check out the remaining 3 volumes.
The first hundred pages present a chronological history of ancient philosophy -- the pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the various schools thereafter. The remainder of the book is then broken out into more substantial and stimulating treatments of individual subjects: "Logic", "Epistemology", "Physics, "Metaphysics", "Soul and Mind" and "God" which allow for better comparison/contrast of various positions.
Reminiscent of reading Roger Scruton, Kenny's personality comes through in his characteristically dry English commentary -- as in the following discussion of Plato's description of the soul in the Phaedrus:
"Think of it, he says, as a triad: a charioteer with a pair of horses, one good and one bad, driving towards a heavenly banquet (246b). The good horse strives upwards while the bad horse constantly pulls the chariot downards. The horses are clearly meant to represent the two different parts of the soul, but their exact functions are never made clear. Plato applies his analogy mainly in the course of setting out the lineaments of his ideal philosophical type of homoerotic love. When we reach the point where we have a man and a boy and four horses all in bed together, the metaphor has obviously got quite out of hand. The anatomy of the soul is more soberly described in the Republic. ..."
All in all I'm sufficiently motivated to check out the remaining 3 volumes.
December 29, 2019
I know next to no philosophy, so I am not really qualified to write a review.
It seems to me that it would be better to start with a history, rather than jumping straight into primary sources.
This has a few drawbacks, though : It is probably more boring, and it gives less insight into the philosophical method itself. It is also less lively. Finaly in this book at least, there is quite a lot of interpretation done by the author, which I found to be beneficial for me as a beginner, but more advanced readers, or those who want to form their own impression upon the primary texts, might find irritating.
It seems to me that it would be better to start with a history, rather than jumping straight into primary sources.
This has a few drawbacks, though : It is probably more boring, and it gives less insight into the philosophical method itself. It is also less lively. Finaly in this book at least, there is quite a lot of interpretation done by the author, which I found to be beneficial for me as a beginner, but more advanced readers, or those who want to form their own impression upon the primary texts, might find irritating.
July 26, 2021
A decent introduction to ancient western philosophy. Other reviewers have complained about the structure. It is not a very good structure if you're really interested in chronology, but it is a good one if you care more about contrasting different philosophers' views on specific topics.
Could be a little overwhelming for absolute beginners, but if you are fine with using your dictionary and googling every once in a while, it will definitely pay off.
Kenny's style is okay. He writes coherently and fairly economically.
Overall highly recommended. This book definitely sharpened my thinking skills and shed light on the central issues of philosophy.
Could be a little overwhelming for absolute beginners, but if you are fine with using your dictionary and googling every once in a while, it will definitely pay off.
Kenny's style is okay. He writes coherently and fairly economically.
Overall highly recommended. This book definitely sharpened my thinking skills and shed light on the central issues of philosophy.
September 3, 2021
کتاب آنتونی کنی کتاب خوبیه و ترجمه هم خوب دراومده، لحن و نوشتار کتاب حالت درسی و دانشگاهی داره ولی نسبتا روانه هر چند به نظرم برای کسی که اولین بار میخواد، چیزی در مورد فلسفه بخونه مناسب نیست و کتاب هایی مثل دنیای سوفی یا کتاب برایان مگی یا حتی کتب فلسفه و منطق دبیرستان میتونن برای شروع و به عنوان پیش نیاز این کتاب مناسب باشن، بخش اول کتاب یک دید تاریخی از زندگی و اندیشه های فیلسوف های باستان به ما میده و بقیه فصول به مسائلی میپردازه که موضوعات اصلی فلسفه اند مثل معرفت شناسی،فیزیک و طبیعیات،وجود، اخلاق و خدا، کتاب از طالس تا آگوستین رو در بر میگیره.
May 16, 2017
This is the history of philosophy text I recommend. Kenny is generally more readable than Fr. Copleston and more accurate than Bertrand Russell. He interacts with recent scholarship, and his particular expertise (in this volume, on Aristotelian ethics and philosophical theology) is especially helpful.
February 12, 2017
I decided to rate each volume independently for practical reasons. This volume has been an illuminating and easy to digest account of ancient philosophy. Sir Anthony Kenny critiques philosophical propositions with sharp wit and diligence.
August 13, 2017
An excellent read about the history of Ancient Greek philosophy, from Thales to the Hellenistic philosophers, with some interesting information about St. Augustine! The book is well-written and well-organized; and the language is readable! I found the book so informative and enjoyable! I do highly recommend it as a first step before indulging in reading the works of those great philosophers.
August 20, 2024
Leuk boek, minder leuk examen
August 27, 2019
Dopo alcuni libri di storia dell'antica Grecia, sono passata alla filosofia.
Ho trovato due corsi su Coursera:
1- Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors
2-Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors
Sono organizzati su 9 settimane di studio in tutto, con questionari di comprensione, esercitazioni sui forum e in peer review dei compiti finali.
La particolarità è che partono dai frammenti e documenti dei filosofi antichi (che ho cercato in italiano) sui quali poi sono organizzate le lezioni in video, ma con la possibilità multimodale di seguire in testo, che ho copiato su un doc (189 + 218 pagine).
Avevo bisogno però di un testo di riferimento, soprattutto per confrontare la terminologia specifica in quanto i due corsi sono in inglese e anche perché, mi piace attingere a fonti diverse.
Ho trovato questo di Antony Kenny,
che afferma nella presentazione di essere un testo strutturato anche per i non addetti ai lavori.
Infatti la lettura è gradevole e, a differenza dei due corsi precedenti, dà una panoramica cronologica iniziale e si sviluppa poi sui specifici temi: La logica, Il sapere e i suoi limiti, La Fisica, La Metafisica, Anima e mente, L'Etica, Dio, dove riprende i diversi pensatori mettendone a confronto le teorie.
In realtà le due modalità, corso e libro, si compensano. A volte per quantità di argomentazione (nel primo è dato molto spazio ai presocratici), altre per qualità dell'approfondimento (ad esempio per tutte le tipologie di sillogismi di Aristotele).
La scelta di seguire prima il corso e poi leggere il libro è stata funzionale e propedeutica alla struttura reticolare del secondo.
Ho trovato due corsi su Coursera:
1- Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors
2-Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors
Sono organizzati su 9 settimane di studio in tutto, con questionari di comprensione, esercitazioni sui forum e in peer review dei compiti finali.
La particolarità è che partono dai frammenti e documenti dei filosofi antichi (che ho cercato in italiano) sui quali poi sono organizzate le lezioni in video, ma con la possibilità multimodale di seguire in testo, che ho copiato su un doc (189 + 218 pagine).
Avevo bisogno però di un testo di riferimento, soprattutto per confrontare la terminologia specifica in quanto i due corsi sono in inglese e anche perché, mi piace attingere a fonti diverse.
Ho trovato questo di Antony Kenny,
che afferma nella presentazione di essere un testo strutturato anche per i non addetti ai lavori.
Infatti la lettura è gradevole e, a differenza dei due corsi precedenti, dà una panoramica cronologica iniziale e si sviluppa poi sui specifici temi: La logica, Il sapere e i suoi limiti, La Fisica, La Metafisica, Anima e mente, L'Etica, Dio, dove riprende i diversi pensatori mettendone a confronto le teorie.
In realtà le due modalità, corso e libro, si compensano. A volte per quantità di argomentazione (nel primo è dato molto spazio ai presocratici), altre per qualità dell'approfondimento (ad esempio per tutte le tipologie di sillogismi di Aristotele).
La scelta di seguire prima il corso e poi leggere il libro è stata funzionale e propedeutica alla struttura reticolare del secondo.
October 29, 2015
If a philosopher's importance is measured by the questions he dares to ask then ancient philosophy is a gold mine of inquiries that reflects its golden shadow on the walls of modernity and in the "souls" that still seek understanding.
Kenny manages to mine this gold by combining the chronological and the thematic approaches : he starts with a chronological overview then he moves to a thematic discussion of subjects deemed of the most importance.
Considering the complexity of the subjects, he does a good job explaining, contrasting , criticizing and offering his own learned input. But the broad nature of the matter may require elaboration in other specific sources. Nevertheless , this is a good starting point.
Kenny manages to mine this gold by combining the chronological and the thematic approaches : he starts with a chronological overview then he moves to a thematic discussion of subjects deemed of the most importance.
Considering the complexity of the subjects, he does a good job explaining, contrasting , criticizing and offering his own learned input. But the broad nature of the matter may require elaboration in other specific sources. Nevertheless , this is a good starting point.
October 7, 2021
I liked it very much. It is well-written, generally reliable and I particularly like the fact that the philosophers are sketched first which is followed by chapters on epistemology, philosophy of mind, physics, metaphysics, religion etc. In this way one gets the general and the systematic at the same time.
April 24, 2010
A very well written account of ancient philosophy. It doesn't only give you an account of the philosophers but also an overview of what they wrote about and how these theories related to the writings of other ancient philosophers. I can't wait to read the next volume of this book.
February 23, 2022
(Jim Cook’s review). Ancient Philosophy is the first volume in a four-volume history of philosophy. The set was published in 2010 by Oxford University Press. All four volumes are high-quality paperbacks each of which has many illustrations. The cover illustration on volume I shows Alexander the Great speaking with the Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope. Alexander has asked Diogenes whether there is anything he can do for him. Diogenes’ famous reply was “You can move out of my light!”
Volume I (like each of the others) has a pretty good index, a table of the book’s illustrations, a separate bibliography for each of the chapters, a chronology, and an index of abbreviations and conventions. In other words the trappings of a scholarly apparatus.The books in the series are, however, aimed at the educated layperson and the undergraduate student in philosophy. The philosophers covered in volume I lived during the period 585 BC to approximately 400 AD.
The book is structured in an interesting manner. It’s first two chapters (up to page 115) describe the philosophers and their respective schools of thought in chronological order. We hear about the pre-socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, Stoics, and Cynics, ending with Augustine. This chronological approach is fairly typical of texts written about the history of philosophy. What is different in Kenny’s work is that these first chapters are following by a thematic approach which explores, in some detail, a number of key philosophical ideas that are found in the writings of these ancient philosophers. All of these philosophical themes are still relevant today.
The themes explored by Kenny include the following: logic, epistemology, physics, metaphysics, soul and mind, and ethics and theology. Each of Kenny’s thematic chapters is lucid and well-organized, as well as reasonably comprehensive. Some offer valuable insights into the ideas raised by particular philosophers. The only thematic chapter that was somewhat difficult, if not tedious to read, was the one on logic - not an easy topic to write or read about in any case.
I also found a statement made by Kenny early on in volume I quite interesting. Write a list of “a dozen really great philosophers’ he says and you are “likely to discover that the list consists almost entirely of bachelors.” Kenny then presents the reader his own list (of 11) philosophers from Plato to Wittgenstein “none of whom were married” (p. 5).
But the attentive reader will notice there is something wrong with Kenny’s list. At least two of those named on his list may not have ever been married but it’s a bit of a stretch to call them bachelors - each of them kept a mistress with whom they had a child. A third name on the list of “bachelors” is Hegel. Now Hegel had a child with a mistress (his landlady) but he also subsequently married Marie von Tucher in 1811 and remained married to her until his death in 1831. This marriage produced two sons. How could someone like Kenny (a famous philosopher in his own right) miss something like that?
Perhaps Freud was right when he wrote about slips of the pen in his Psychopathology of Everyday Life and Kenny’s slip expresses an unconscious wish? For you see, while Hegel’s marriage was unproblematic, Kenny’s own was not, as it resulted in his excommunication from the Catholic Church!
Regardless of the rationale for Kenny’s interesting statement, it’s unlikely to be generally true. It may have been relatively true for a certain period of time in Europe when the Catholic Church held a virtual monopoly over higher education and when most scholars, of necessity, were also ordained as priests. This was, for instance, the case with Kenny. As he was nominally a priest his marriage violated his oath of celibacy - hence his excommunication.
I enjoyed reading volume I and have now embarked on volume II, Medieval Philosophy, which I will review after I have finished it. I hope you found my review helpful.
Volume I (like each of the others) has a pretty good index, a table of the book’s illustrations, a separate bibliography for each of the chapters, a chronology, and an index of abbreviations and conventions. In other words the trappings of a scholarly apparatus.The books in the series are, however, aimed at the educated layperson and the undergraduate student in philosophy. The philosophers covered in volume I lived during the period 585 BC to approximately 400 AD.
The book is structured in an interesting manner. It’s first two chapters (up to page 115) describe the philosophers and their respective schools of thought in chronological order. We hear about the pre-socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, Stoics, and Cynics, ending with Augustine. This chronological approach is fairly typical of texts written about the history of philosophy. What is different in Kenny’s work is that these first chapters are following by a thematic approach which explores, in some detail, a number of key philosophical ideas that are found in the writings of these ancient philosophers. All of these philosophical themes are still relevant today.
The themes explored by Kenny include the following: logic, epistemology, physics, metaphysics, soul and mind, and ethics and theology. Each of Kenny’s thematic chapters is lucid and well-organized, as well as reasonably comprehensive. Some offer valuable insights into the ideas raised by particular philosophers. The only thematic chapter that was somewhat difficult, if not tedious to read, was the one on logic - not an easy topic to write or read about in any case.
I also found a statement made by Kenny early on in volume I quite interesting. Write a list of “a dozen really great philosophers’ he says and you are “likely to discover that the list consists almost entirely of bachelors.” Kenny then presents the reader his own list (of 11) philosophers from Plato to Wittgenstein “none of whom were married” (p. 5).
But the attentive reader will notice there is something wrong with Kenny’s list. At least two of those named on his list may not have ever been married but it’s a bit of a stretch to call them bachelors - each of them kept a mistress with whom they had a child. A third name on the list of “bachelors” is Hegel. Now Hegel had a child with a mistress (his landlady) but he also subsequently married Marie von Tucher in 1811 and remained married to her until his death in 1831. This marriage produced two sons. How could someone like Kenny (a famous philosopher in his own right) miss something like that?
Perhaps Freud was right when he wrote about slips of the pen in his Psychopathology of Everyday Life and Kenny’s slip expresses an unconscious wish? For you see, while Hegel’s marriage was unproblematic, Kenny’s own was not, as it resulted in his excommunication from the Catholic Church!
Regardless of the rationale for Kenny’s interesting statement, it’s unlikely to be generally true. It may have been relatively true for a certain period of time in Europe when the Catholic Church held a virtual monopoly over higher education and when most scholars, of necessity, were also ordained as priests. This was, for instance, the case with Kenny. As he was nominally a priest his marriage violated his oath of celibacy - hence his excommunication.
I enjoyed reading volume I and have now embarked on volume II, Medieval Philosophy, which I will review after I have finished it. I hope you found my review helpful.
May 10, 2018
If you're like me, then you probably have a vague grasp of ancient philosophy. You know of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. You might even recall some of their biography, or tentative outlines of portions of their philosophy from half-remembered reading assignments. You know of Zeno, but mostly just his paradoxes. A moment's thought and you might recall the name of Cicero, or Lucretius, or Democritus, but you might struggle to articulate something specific to associate with them.
The obvious remedy to the deficit is to read the works of these philosophers. However, these are no easy task. They are voluminous, abstract, often incomprehensible, and sometimes just utterly wrong. Even if you were to attempt it, you'd need some kind of guide to even keep you straight about who goes where, who is worth reading, and what the major pitfalls are in trying to read any translation of the works of ancient philosophers.
Anthony Kenny could be that guide. This New History of Western Philosophy is a great idea, so far well executed by an engaging author. There are two major strokes. Firstly, a chronology covering philosophy at a high level from Thales to Augustine, diving into some detail at points to explain the connection between influences and to stress significant developments. This is presented in the first two chapters, from which I extracted the most value. The remaining eight are topical treatments of e.g. logic, ethics, metaphysics, going into more detail about the nuances of arguments put forward by major contributors, accompanied by Kenny's own challenges and clarifications.
There were a few examples of the typical problem with philosophical texts -- cases where the author says something obviously is or isn't something else without explanation, where the student is left to frown in puzzlement. Thankfully, these were mostly rare and non-central. The use of a consistent single voice, rather than an assortment of experts with clashing styles and terminology, makes for a smooth and pleasant reading experience, and Kenny's quiet humour is something to be appreciated.
The obvious remedy to the deficit is to read the works of these philosophers. However, these are no easy task. They are voluminous, abstract, often incomprehensible, and sometimes just utterly wrong. Even if you were to attempt it, you'd need some kind of guide to even keep you straight about who goes where, who is worth reading, and what the major pitfalls are in trying to read any translation of the works of ancient philosophers.
Anthony Kenny could be that guide. This New History of Western Philosophy is a great idea, so far well executed by an engaging author. There are two major strokes. Firstly, a chronology covering philosophy at a high level from Thales to Augustine, diving into some detail at points to explain the connection between influences and to stress significant developments. This is presented in the first two chapters, from which I extracted the most value. The remaining eight are topical treatments of e.g. logic, ethics, metaphysics, going into more detail about the nuances of arguments put forward by major contributors, accompanied by Kenny's own challenges and clarifications.
There were a few examples of the typical problem with philosophical texts -- cases where the author says something obviously is or isn't something else without explanation, where the student is left to frown in puzzlement. Thankfully, these were mostly rare and non-central. The use of a consistent single voice, rather than an assortment of experts with clashing styles and terminology, makes for a smooth and pleasant reading experience, and Kenny's quiet humour is something to be appreciated.
September 2, 2025
Anthony Kenny, former president of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, aims to write a comprehensive and approachable history of philosophy, in which historians, philosophers, and the general public can engage with. As such, he divided the book into 2 parts: the first has a historical focus, highlighting the life and relevance of each thinker; and the second philosophical, in which he divided ancient philosophy within different branches, such as metaphysics, ethics, etc. However, this partition led to a few problems.
The author argues that his goal in partitioning the work thus was to facilitate a quick research into the most relevant topic, by discipline. So the historian, for example, can just read the first two chapters, which are his main interest. However, I believe that an introduction benefits more from a linear, author focused organization present in Copleston's A History of Philosophy, in which there is a systematic review of each author, sequentially and with all of his thought in the same chapter, instead of the subgenre approach of Anthony Kenny's. Due to this organization, the work has the tone of a lecture, in which each topic is presented in a somewhat unnatural way, all to encompass the whole of, let's say, Epistemology, in the Ancient world.
Nevertheless, the author succeeded in his goal of writing an approachable introduction to ancient philosophy. While some prefer the partition selected, I'd say the linearity of Copleston's would be better in this case, but I may be biased.
The author argues that his goal in partitioning the work thus was to facilitate a quick research into the most relevant topic, by discipline. So the historian, for example, can just read the first two chapters, which are his main interest. However, I believe that an introduction benefits more from a linear, author focused organization present in Copleston's A History of Philosophy, in which there is a systematic review of each author, sequentially and with all of his thought in the same chapter, instead of the subgenre approach of Anthony Kenny's. Due to this organization, the work has the tone of a lecture, in which each topic is presented in a somewhat unnatural way, all to encompass the whole of, let's say, Epistemology, in the Ancient world.
Nevertheless, the author succeeded in his goal of writing an approachable introduction to ancient philosophy. While some prefer the partition selected, I'd say the linearity of Copleston's would be better in this case, but I may be biased.
Read
September 1, 2020A prominent piece of knowledge for anyone willing to dive into the history of western philosophy and namely its first fathers - the Greeks and Romans. The book covers philosophers from Thales of Miletus up to Saint Augustine and a wide range of schools that were developed between the lives of those two philosophers.
Ancient Philosophy has two distinct parts - historical and theoretical. The first part of the book takes on the task to convey general succession of philosophers and development of their thought in relation to historical events and their interconnections. The second part is mainly focused on the ideas and is separated into several chapters called, God, Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics, Soul and so on. Here every chapter accumulates the positions of different philosophers of the era on a certain topic, brings them together and shows how they influenced one another and the modern thought.
The tone of the book is academic but entertaining enough to ease the immersion into the world of ancient Greece and Rome and the views its inhabitants had. It's the first book of the series and the only I read so far, but I am positive on reading the next volumes because of how great this one is.
Ancient Philosophy has two distinct parts - historical and theoretical. The first part of the book takes on the task to convey general succession of philosophers and development of their thought in relation to historical events and their interconnections. The second part is mainly focused on the ideas and is separated into several chapters called, God, Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics, Soul and so on. Here every chapter accumulates the positions of different philosophers of the era on a certain topic, brings them together and shows how they influenced one another and the modern thought.
The tone of the book is academic but entertaining enough to ease the immersion into the world of ancient Greece and Rome and the views its inhabitants had. It's the first book of the series and the only I read so far, but I am positive on reading the next volumes because of how great this one is.
September 28, 2021
تاریخ فلسفه غرب
جلد اول
کتاب در مقدمه خود همه چیز را بیان می کند از ترجمه خوب واز آسان خوانی این تاریخ فلسفه و اینکه کنی خود یکی از شاگردان کاپلستون بوده.تنها فرق اینباره ماجرا چیزی نیست غیر سهل و آسان خوانی تاریخی پر پیچ و خم فلسفه مخصوص در کشوری که خوانش فلسفه یا بزن در رویی بوده یا در حدا کتاب های هگل برای جوانان و غیره مانده، که همه اینها نشات گرفته از جامعه ایی ضد تاریخ و میل به کوتاه بودن همه ماجراهای اطراف و درون دارد.
من خواننده یک پیشنهاد برای مخاطبین اولیه فلسفه و این کتاب دارم کسانی که تا بحال چندان پیوسته فلسفه را نخواندن کتاب سبک کردن بار سنگین فلسفه نشر مرکز را پیشنهاد می کنم که کمی با مفاهیم و رویدادهای فلسفی آشنا بشوند بعد اگر توش و توان مطالعه فلسفه را در خود دیدن سراغ این کتاب بیایند.
در تاریخ فلسفه نویسی کتابی کم یاب دیگری هم داریم که بسیار خوش نوشته شده آن هم توسط یک ایرانی خوش ذوق و کلام جناب اقای مصطفی ملکیان که در کمال تاسف سالهاست نایاب شده یا به صورت افست در انقلاب به فروش میرسد.
جلد اول
کتاب در مقدمه خود همه چیز را بیان می کند از ترجمه خوب واز آسان خوانی این تاریخ فلسفه و اینکه کنی خود یکی از شاگردان کاپلستون بوده.تنها فرق اینباره ماجرا چیزی نیست غیر سهل و آسان خوانی تاریخی پر پیچ و خم فلسفه مخصوص در کشوری که خوانش فلسفه یا بزن در رویی بوده یا در حدا کتاب های هگل برای جوانان و غیره مانده، که همه اینها نشات گرفته از جامعه ایی ضد تاریخ و میل به کوتاه بودن همه ماجراهای اطراف و درون دارد.
من خواننده یک پیشنهاد برای مخاطبین اولیه فلسفه و این کتاب دارم کسانی که تا بحال چندان پیوسته فلسفه را نخواندن کتاب سبک کردن بار سنگین فلسفه نشر مرکز را پیشنهاد می کنم که کمی با مفاهیم و رویدادهای فلسفی آشنا بشوند بعد اگر توش و توان مطالعه فلسفه را در خود دیدن سراغ این کتاب بیایند.
در تاریخ فلسفه نویسی کتابی کم یاب دیگری هم داریم که بسیار خوش نوشته شده آن هم توسط یک ایرانی خوش ذوق و کلام جناب اقای مصطفی ملکیان که در کمال تاسف سالهاست نایاب شده یا به صورت افست در انقلاب به فروش میرسد.
October 16, 2020
Nesse primeiro volume, Kenny apresenta a filosofia antiga de Pitágoras até Agostinho de Hipona. A obra é fruto de um projeto de Oxford para desenvolver uma história da filosofia ocidental sob a leitura de um autor.
O livro tem nove capítulos dos quais os dois primeiros formam um percurso histórico-cronológico da filosofia antiga, enquanto que dos capítulos três a nove, Kenny divide a filosofia antiga por temas: lógica, epistemologia, física, metafísica, alma e mente, ética e Deus. É uma leitura densa. Um livro a ser lido, relido, e consultado.
O livro tem nove capítulos dos quais os dois primeiros formam um percurso histórico-cronológico da filosofia antiga, enquanto que dos capítulos três a nove, Kenny divide a filosofia antiga por temas: lógica, epistemologia, física, metafísica, alma e mente, ética e Deus. É uma leitura densa. Um livro a ser lido, relido, e consultado.
March 18, 2023
This is a strong introduction. You will learn a lot from it. It is not just a summary, but offers penetrating insight and commentary. I especially appreciated the parts on Aristotle's logic. Kenny divides the book into topics, dealing, for instance, with God, or the soul, or the ethical views of the various schools of ancient philosophy.
July 11, 2024
Since the "one" book is really four figured I rate them individually as I go. Really good writing. 3 stars only because so much ancient philosophy is simply wrong (logic, physics, etc.) so for me its not useful outside of an historical perspective.
September 26, 2019
Most of the sentences are hard to follow.You need to have a clear mind if you want to understand subjects.
March 22, 2020
Clear and thorough guide of ancient philosophy.
January 4, 2021
Concise historical introduction to philosophy.
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