A history of philosophy
by Frederick Charles Copleston · first published 1900
63% recommend13% neutral25% critical
Why HN recommends it
Accessible, comprehensive survey of Western philosophy from the Greeks onward, valued as a broad starting point for readers who want an overview across the whole tradition.
Common criticism: Untranslated quotes from primary sources can make parts hard going.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
v. <7 > ; 23 cm
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…border, and that's no exaggeration. Russell's History is a good read, lots of good jokes as usual, but there are much fairer and more accurate histories of philosophy. e.g. I like Copleston's multi-volume History of Philosophy, or reading in the Stanford encyc of philosophy on particular topics/people. https://plato.stanford.edu/ My favourite historical philosophy book is Santayana's Egotism in German Philosophy[0], which…
on “The Presocratic Philosophers [pdf]” ↗Copleston's History of Philosophy is a good read, but without much coverage of anything non-Occidental: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Philosophy_(Cople...
on “History of philosophy, “without any gaps.”” ↗"Some ask whether it is worth studying ancient philosophy at all." I'm one of those persons who thinks it is worthwhile to do so. Frederick Copleston's[1] A History of Philosophy series[2] (the early volumes in this case) is a good resource for getting one's feet wet. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Copleston [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Philosophy_%28Cop...
on “Why Epicurus Matters Today” ↗For Western philosophy, you should read Copleston's History of Philosophy. It's probably the most comprehensive treatment of western philosophy out there.
on “Ask HN: Learn Philosophy The Hard Way” ↗A highly accessible overview of Western philosophy, from the Greeks to present day, can be found in Frederick Copleston's 9-volume "A History of Philosophy" series. Vol 1, as sold on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/History-Philosophy-Vol-Pre-Socratics-P... A sharp person with a high school education, and a willingness to lookup terms or references s/he doesn't…
on “Terrence Tao: The Cosmic Distance Ladder” ↗Copleston's A History of Philosophy series is a decent way to get one's feet wet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Philosophy_%28Cop... There was a famous debate between Russell and Copleston broadcast over radio by the BBC…
on “Eminent Philosophers Name the Most Important Philosophy Books from 1950-2000” ↗…period of time, and it is better - IMO - than telling somebody "go read primary sources for all Western philosophy developed since the Greeks." I suppose one could recommend Frederick Copleston's A History of Philosophy, but it's difficult due to all the untranslated quotes from primary sources. (Well, unless you happen to read Latin, German, Greek, and whatever else.) It's also 9 volumes long, which is quite an undertaking.
on “Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?” ↗…view, and from a book written by someone with such esteem as Russell you come out parroting objections to Hegelianism that were refuted sixty years ago. And for the record, I wouldn't recommend Hegel's History of Philosophy lectures for the same reason.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?” ↗…ago, and that it is often the harshest and most strident critics of earlier works who are to be credited with even a partial survival of them, by virtue of their anacronistic Fisking. Peter Adamson's History of Philosophy podcast addresses these aspects in several episodes, largely on earlier philosophers.
on “When did the English discover the Anglo-Saxons? (2018)” ↗…<https://newlearningonline.com/literacies/chapter-1/socrates-...> Note that this is actually Plato writing what many philosophers consider more a literary than literal work (see, e.g., Peter Adamson of The History of Philosophy podcast and book series), through his character Socrates, who then quotes another, so three levels of nested narrative and storytelling. And while we're noting, "Plato" is itself believed a nickname…
on “Why do we call it “boilerplate code?”” ↗Self-consistent narratives generated with half-truths and false premises describes one heck of a lot of philosophy and theology, something I note being current with Peter Adamnson's History of Philosophy podcasts, inclusive of Western and other traditions (Indian and Africana being completed, Chinese just having launched). That's not to denigrate all philosophy (much of it is useful, and even the wrongheaded…
on “Is Mars Habitable? (1907)” ↗