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A History of Philosophy #4-6
A History of Philosophy 4-6
Here in one convenient volume are Volumes IV, V, and VI - complete and unabridged - of the acclaimed reference work that has dominated the field of phlosophy for two decades.
Volume IV discusses the philosophies of Descartes, Pascal, Malebranche, Spinoza, and Leibniz. Volume V covers British philosophy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, marked by such giants as Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, as well as other movements of far-reaching significance. Copleston takes up the eighteenth-century continental philosophers in Volume VI - beginning with the French Enlightenment (including Fontenelle, Helvétius, Robinet, Rousseau) and then going to the German Enlightenment (which includes the work of Lessing and Wolff) and finally to an intense treatment of Immanuel Kant.
These individual volumes have been hailed as "profound and well organized ... a remarkable accomplishment [marked by] dispassionate objectivity ... a magnificent survey." Now available as a three-in-one paperback, it will be welcomed by students and scholars of modern philosophy as a reference work that no library should be without.
Volume IV discusses the philosophies of Descartes, Pascal, Malebranche, Spinoza, and Leibniz. Volume V covers British philosophy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, marked by such giants as Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, as well as other movements of far-reaching significance. Copleston takes up the eighteenth-century continental philosophers in Volume VI - beginning with the French Enlightenment (including Fontenelle, Helvétius, Robinet, Rousseau) and then going to the German Enlightenment (which includes the work of Lessing and Wolff) and finally to an intense treatment of Immanuel Kant.
These individual volumes have been hailed as "profound and well organized ... a remarkable accomplishment [marked by] dispassionate objectivity ... a magnificent survey." Now available as a three-in-one paperback, it will be welcomed by students and scholars of modern philosophy as a reference work that no library should be without.
1319 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 1985
About the author
Frederick Charles Copleston
313 books303 followersFrederick (Freddie) Charles Copleston was raised an Anglican and educated at Marlborough College from 1920 to 1925. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday he converted to Catholicism, and his father subsequently almost disowned him. After the initial shock, however, his father saw fit to help Copleston through his education and he attended St. John’s in Oxford in 1925, only managing a disappointing third in classical moderations. He redeemed himself somewhat with a good second at Greats in 1929.
In 1930 Copleston became a Jesuit, and, after two years at the Jesuit novitiate in Roehampton, he moved to Heythrop. He was ordained a Jesuit priest at Heythrop College in 1937 and soon after went to Germany (1938) to complete his training. Fortunately he made it back to Britain before the outbreak of war in 1939. The war made it impossible for him to study for his doctorate, as once intended, at the Gregorian University in Rome, and instead Copleston was invited to return to Heythrop to teach the history of philosophy to the few remaining Jesuits there.
While in Heythrop Copleston had time and interest to begin the work he is most famous for, his "A History of Philosophy" - a textbook that originally set out to deliver a clear account of ancient, medieval and modern philosophy in three volumes, which was instead completed in nine volumes (1975). To this day Copleston’s history remains a monumental achievement and stays true to the authors it discusses, being very much a work in exposition.
Copleston adopted a number of honorary roles throughout the remainder of his career. He was appointed Visiting Professor at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, spending half of each year lecturing there from 1952 to 1968. He was made Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1970, given a personal professorship from his own university (Heythrop, now re-established in the University of London) in 1972 and made an Honorary Fellow of St. John’s College, Oxford, in 1975. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Santa Clara between 1974 and 1982, and he delivered the Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen between 1979 and 1981. His lectures were published under the title Religion and the One, and were largely a metaphysical tract attempting to express themes perennial in his thinking and more personal than in his history. Gerard J. Hughes notes Copleston as remarking "large doses of metaphysics like that certainly don’t boost one’s sales".
He received honorary doctorates from a number of institutions, notably, Santa Clara University, California, University of Uppsala and the University of St. Andrews (D.Litt) in later years. He was selected for membership in the Royal Institute of Philosophy and in the Aristotelian Society, and in 1993 he was made CBE.
Copleston’s personality saw him engage in the many responsibilities bestowed upon him with generous commitment and good humour.
In 1930 Copleston became a Jesuit, and, after two years at the Jesuit novitiate in Roehampton, he moved to Heythrop. He was ordained a Jesuit priest at Heythrop College in 1937 and soon after went to Germany (1938) to complete his training. Fortunately he made it back to Britain before the outbreak of war in 1939. The war made it impossible for him to study for his doctorate, as once intended, at the Gregorian University in Rome, and instead Copleston was invited to return to Heythrop to teach the history of philosophy to the few remaining Jesuits there.
While in Heythrop Copleston had time and interest to begin the work he is most famous for, his "A History of Philosophy" - a textbook that originally set out to deliver a clear account of ancient, medieval and modern philosophy in three volumes, which was instead completed in nine volumes (1975). To this day Copleston’s history remains a monumental achievement and stays true to the authors it discusses, being very much a work in exposition.
Copleston adopted a number of honorary roles throughout the remainder of his career. He was appointed Visiting Professor at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, spending half of each year lecturing there from 1952 to 1968. He was made Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1970, given a personal professorship from his own university (Heythrop, now re-established in the University of London) in 1972 and made an Honorary Fellow of St. John’s College, Oxford, in 1975. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Santa Clara between 1974 and 1982, and he delivered the Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen between 1979 and 1981. His lectures were published under the title Religion and the One, and were largely a metaphysical tract attempting to express themes perennial in his thinking and more personal than in his history. Gerard J. Hughes notes Copleston as remarking "large doses of metaphysics like that certainly don’t boost one’s sales".
He received honorary doctorates from a number of institutions, notably, Santa Clara University, California, University of Uppsala and the University of St. Andrews (D.Litt) in later years. He was selected for membership in the Royal Institute of Philosophy and in the Aristotelian Society, and in 1993 he was made CBE.
Copleston’s personality saw him engage in the many responsibilities bestowed upon him with generous commitment and good humour.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 5, 2018
As I had indicated earlier in my review of Copleston’s first 3 books in this series, I highly recommend this second volume of his extensive work. The author has made philosophy relatively easy to understand. Many extremely challenging concepts are presented with the intent of educating the reader and not motivated by a writer interested in impressing the reader with his erudition and breadth of vocabulary.
If you are interested in Philosophy, you need this book. It is brilliant.
If you are interested in Philosophy, you need this book. It is brilliant.
Displaying 1 of 1 review