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Main Currents of Western Thought: Readings in Western Europe Intellectual History from the Middle Ages to the Present
“Baumer’s collection maps better than any other with which we are familiar the seminal and distinguishing ideological climates in western civilization.”— Seventeenth Century News
Many disciplines create books of readings by the dozens; it is a rare event when a reader helps to create a discipline. On its initial publication in 1952, Main Currents of Western Thought did just that.
In the years since its first appearance, Main Currents has remained unquestionably the leading reader in its field. The illuminating short essays that introduce sections and subsections are well known, but the continuing usefulness of any reader depends upon the quality of its selections. Franklin Le Van Baumer has sought out passages that best represent and illuminate the ideas and preoccupations of each age. He has found them in the works of the great, including Augustine, Aquinas, Dante, Luther, Newton, Voltaire, Darwin, Whitehead, and Freud. But he has also discovered telling statements in writings less widely Ramón Lull on chivalry (13th century), Henry Peacham on “the complete gentleman” and Leonard Busher on religious liberty (both 17th century), Louis-René de la Chalotais on education (18th century), Samuel Smiles on “self-help” (19th century) and Virgil Gheorgiu on mechanization (20th century).
Many disciplines create books of readings by the dozens; it is a rare event when a reader helps to create a discipline. On its initial publication in 1952, Main Currents of Western Thought did just that.
In the years since its first appearance, Main Currents has remained unquestionably the leading reader in its field. The illuminating short essays that introduce sections and subsections are well known, but the continuing usefulness of any reader depends upon the quality of its selections. Franklin Le Van Baumer has sought out passages that best represent and illuminate the ideas and preoccupations of each age. He has found them in the works of the great, including Augustine, Aquinas, Dante, Luther, Newton, Voltaire, Darwin, Whitehead, and Freud. But he has also discovered telling statements in writings less widely Ramón Lull on chivalry (13th century), Henry Peacham on “the complete gentleman” and Leonard Busher on religious liberty (both 17th century), Louis-René de la Chalotais on education (18th century), Samuel Smiles on “self-help” (19th century) and Virgil Gheorgiu on mechanization (20th century).
808 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Franklin L. Baumer
9 books2 followersFranklin Le Van Baumer (b.1913) was a historian at Yale University.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 3, 2008
I think this book is great because it compiles the actual works of lucid, powerful, thinking, attempting, achieving, spiritual, scientific, practicle people from the medieval christian world view, through the renaissance, the confessional age into the scientific revolution on up to the present...there are so many great writings in this book that to name them all would take up more space than I want to use at the moment...there are also some contraversal writing from the differant people at differant times...I have learned more from this book than I have from many other history books...I count this an excellent read, but a great study tool and a wonderful piece of compiling for the purposes of a non-fiction western world view... any one want to read this book I have a copy... mike seely and the acid tong...
September 13, 2007
I read the first half of this in a history of philosophy class and have decided to work on the rest over time. The value of this book? These are the primary sources. Instead of reading about Dante, Machiavelli, Descartes, etc., here you read what they wrote. Translations are not always the best or most recent (public domain is cheaper, I'm sure).
August 25, 2023
برای درک سیر تحول اندیشه و نظام فکری بشر از قرون وسطی تا اواسط قرن بیستم و پاسخ به این سوال که "چرا ما اینگونه فکر می کنیم؟" فوق العاده مفید بود
November 21, 2023
مقدمه خوبی هست بر تاریخ فلسفه، شاید بهتر از تاریخ فلسفههای متعارف.
August 13, 2016
The book cover isn't notable. It is deep red fabric with gold lettering on spine and unadorned title impressed into the face.However, this is an impressive book on the inside, one that contributes to our understanding of why we think as we do.
It is organized as ages:
One: age of religion,
Two: age of science,
Three: age of anxiety. [19-20 cent.]
Alfhough it includes somewhat on the French revolution, it ignores the American. Communism & Fascism are each thoroughly covered.
IMO, it has a great defect in not speciifying the temporal spans of each age, nor of the subsections. Each essay is nicely introduced, as, for exanple,with bio info on author, provenance of translation, and temporal/social context of the material.
Many of the anchors of middle-ages thought lie much more anciently. These aren't always clearly highlighted. The key is to understand that much of the thought throughout the book is truly innovative in its era and a serious break from the traditional--inciting great social upheaval.
The "currents" in the title suggests some variety of "flow". This, also, is not presented, tho is somewhat explained in the intro.
It is organized as ages:
One: age of religion,
Two: age of science,
Three: age of anxiety. [19-20 cent.]
Alfhough it includes somewhat on the French revolution, it ignores the American. Communism & Fascism are each thoroughly covered.
IMO, it has a great defect in not speciifying the temporal spans of each age, nor of the subsections. Each essay is nicely introduced, as, for exanple,with bio info on author, provenance of translation, and temporal/social context of the material.
Many of the anchors of middle-ages thought lie much more anciently. These aren't always clearly highlighted. The key is to understand that much of the thought throughout the book is truly innovative in its era and a serious break from the traditional--inciting great social upheaval.
The "currents" in the title suggests some variety of "flow". This, also, is not presented, tho is somewhat explained in the intro.
April 8, 2013
Selections from modern philosophy. Excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews