A History of Western Philosophy
by Bertrand Russell · first published 1945
57% recommend31% neutral12% critical
Why HN recommends it
Accessible, readable single-volume survey of Western philosophy from the Greeks on, delivered with enthusiasm and concise sections; suits newcomers who want a starting point and accept Russell's opinionated take.
Common criticism: Opinionated and not always reliable or accurate in its treatment of some philosophers
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
[The author's] purpose is to exhibit philosophy as an integral part of social and political life: not as the isolated speculations of remarkable individuals, but as both an effect and a cause of the character of the various communities in which different systems flourished.-Pref.
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Also by Russell: A History of Western Philosophy. It has various critics, for good reasons, but it's as good a walkthrough of philosophical developments in the West as anything you'll find.
on “Eminent Philosophers Name the Most Important Philosophy Books from 1950-2000” ↗Bertrand Russell: A history of western philosophy. I haven't read it all but what I've read was both informative and witty. Note that Russell, kind of similar to The Economist, is "opinionated". Must be that British style...
on “Ask HN: Best Philosophical Books?” ↗Bertrand Russell - The History of Western Philosophy: http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Philosophy-Bertrand-Ru...
on “Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?” ↗* "The history of western philosophy" by Bertrand Russell. A fun read so far (~100 pages). Russell is not afraid to tell the reader that he really dislikes Plato, and thinks he destroyed western philosophy. * SICP (Structure and interpretation…
on “Ask HN: What books are you currently reading?” ↗It's a bit of an odd one, but I can't recommend Bertrand Russell's 'History of Western Philosophy' enough here. It's engaging and well written, as Russell tends to be, and its focus around the philosophical development of the Western World is a useful 'road through history'. Obviously the picture…
on “The Griffin Warrior Tomb Upends What We Know About the Roots of Mycenae” ↗For those interested in a grand overview of history of philosophy (the ideas themselves and the people behind them), this is a worth-reading classic: A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Western_Philosoph...
on “Nicomachean Ethics” ↗* For an (opinionated) overview of philosophy up until the first part of the 20th century you can try Russell's History of Western Philosophy [1]. * A very detailed and useful resource for a lot of topics is also the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [2]. * You can also try the Oxford University Press Very Short Introduction series [3].…
on “Ask HN: Learning about philosophy” ↗Sparta was a totalitarian state well beyond the wildest dreams of Hitler or Stalin. Bertrand Russell does an excellent job The History of Western Philosophy of showing how depraved they were (as does Devereaux), how they influenced Plato (himself a disgruntled Athenian aristocrat who resented his social class' loss of power when Athens became a democracy,…
on “Spartans Were Losers” ↗This is a deep question; I think the answer is a mix of economics and philosophy. Depending on how interested you are, consider maybe "History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell.
on “Timing: Why this crisis is our biggest break” ↗If you've got the time to spare, even a passing interest in philosophy, and haven't read it already, I can't recommend his History of Western Philosophy highly enough. It's delivered with a tone that really imparts a sense of Russell's enthusiasm both for the subject and for teaching; I've never found 900 pages easier to read or more informative :)
on “Bertrand Russell’s 10 Commandments for Teachers” ↗Russell's "History of Western Philosophy" is a wonderful book, but I am told by people more expert in the history of philosophy than I am that it's not terribly accurate. I don't think that's much reason not to read it, but treat knowledge acquired…
on “Bertrand Russell’s 10 Commandments for Teachers” ↗> recommendations for entry level philosophy/ethics books Nice (but opinionated and now ~50y old) overview: Bertrand Russell's "History of Western Philosophy". Long but extremely readable. Not necessarily very reliable. Ethics specifically: Peter Singer's "Practical ethics". Note that Singer thinks that we (in the affluent West) should all be giving a lot…
on “Daniel Dennett: The Normal Well-Tempered Mind” ↗Also strong recommendations: A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell (himself also more than worthwhile a read!)
on “Why Epicurus Matters Today” ↗…environment is very complex, and fun to speculate about, especially the internet's role in possibly allowing new power structures to exist that may lead to new systems. 1. In particular, Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy, which has been a surprising lot of fun.
on “A prototype of a decentralized political party” ↗The article already mentions it but I highly recommend "The History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell, if you are interested in any type of philosophy or philosophers. It gives a good overview from the pre-Socratics up until the beginning of the 20th Century.
on “Pre-Socratics: A Painless Introduction” ↗