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professor_x's review
5.0
Finally I have finished this behemoth of a book -- not necessarily of physical size but because of the weight of the thought and knowledge inscribed within. The amount of wisdom and enlightenment that Durant crams into this work is phenomenal. So many different schools of thinking are introduced within these pages.
Reading The Story of Philosophy is the equivalent of Olympic training for the mind. As you read your way through the chapters, one perceives change occurring in one's own thought. Dogmatic beliefs are shattered. So many of these differing philosophies beg contemplation. Deep contemplation in return brings about more questions that begs the reader to pick the source texts of these learned men and to read their own words; to decrypt, solve, and pick apart their thoughts so that in return they sharpen and brighten your own.
This was for me a fantastic introduction to the world of Philosophy. I've read other "Philosophy 101" books but Will Durant's opus was supreme. It was a challenging read but a beneficial one. Challenging not so much in language but in the deciphering of the ideas and thoughts of these thinkers. That deciphering is the key to it all. To think and contemplate, to examine and observe, to dive deeply into one's intellect is truly the sweet fruit of life.
Reading The Story of Philosophy is the equivalent of Olympic training for the mind. As you read your way through the chapters, one perceives change occurring in one's own thought. Dogmatic beliefs are shattered. So many of these differing philosophies beg contemplation. Deep contemplation in return brings about more questions that begs the reader to pick the source texts of these learned men and to read their own words; to decrypt, solve, and pick apart their thoughts so that in return they sharpen and brighten your own.
This was for me a fantastic introduction to the world of Philosophy. I've read other "Philosophy 101" books but Will Durant's opus was supreme. It was a challenging read but a beneficial one. Challenging not so much in language but in the deciphering of the ideas and thoughts of these thinkers. That deciphering is the key to it all. To think and contemplate, to examine and observe, to dive deeply into one's intellect is truly the sweet fruit of life.
amorasad's review
4.0
This book can be the vital entry point to philosophy. I've been reading and re-reading some portions for a couple of years now. Each philosopher has their own chapter, so if you just want to read about a certain one, you can do it.
Will Durant, the writer of the book was himself a historian and philosopher and he offers his criticisms. But it's important to keep in mind that this book was written in 1926, almost a hundred years ago. So the reader must be aware that the philosophical world has changed a lot along with scientific discoveries over the years.
Will Durant, the writer of the book was himself a historian and philosopher and he offers his criticisms. But it's important to keep in mind that this book was written in 1926, almost a hundred years ago. So the reader must be aware that the philosophical world has changed a lot along with scientific discoveries over the years.
tygg3n's review
5.0
Excellent summary of most, but far from all, philosophers and their historical context.
Not as long as, but in some aspects better than, Betrand Russels "History of western philosophy"
Read both if you're interested, they're excellent education and entertainment if you like things like this.
Not as long as, but in some aspects better than, Betrand Russels "History of western philosophy"
Read both if you're interested, they're excellent education and entertainment if you like things like this.
nichpk's review
4.0
Durant is a skilled writer and historian, no doubt. There are delicious morsels of information contained within, all sorts of interesting and engaging anecdotes. He also explicates the philosophy with expert clarity and conciseness. Unfortunately, the age of this book really stands out. It's dreadfully Western-centric and male-focused. A forgivable product of the time period, to be sure. But by excluding a diverse range of thinkers it fails miserably to live up to its title.
cmpn's review
4.0
Any sins of omission or emphasis or folly of purpose are all forgiven in the light of Durant’s trenchant and beautiful prose.
nk13's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.75
The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant is an introduction to philosophy book. This book covers some of the most important figures in western philosophy. It starts from Plato and ends with John Dewey, so it covers thousands of years of philosophy.
Some notable philosophers that it covers include Aristotle, Voltaire, Kant, Spinoza, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. Most chapters go over the background and historical setting of the philosopher's time period, a brief biography, their most important ideas and some criticism of their work. Some philosophers are covered in much more detail than others.
If you've already read a few philosophy books, then this isn't for you. This is for people just starting to learn more about western philosophy. While some of the writing may still be a little difficult to understand, It's still a pretty good book for beginners. It does a good job of providing you the context to understand the thinking behind each philosopher's ideas and how those ideas evolved over time. This book also has some suggestions on which books you should read later on specific philosophers if you're interested.
One of the main issues with this book is the pacing. I felt that some chapters were so well-structured that it was a breeze to get through them, even though they were long. But, some chapters just had a lot of stuff that didn't go anywhere. So, the editing of the book could have been better. Some ideas are explained better than others, too. If you're looking for an in-depth guide on the philosophy of the people featured in this book, then you won't find it here. It only gives you a brief look into their philosophy, and then it's up to you to decide if you want to learn more about them. I highly suggest pairing this book with other resources like YouTube videos or articles when going through certain chapters.
Overall, I can see myself coming back to this book time after time just to revisit some of my favorite philosophers mentioned in this book. While this is a challenging book to read, I enjoyed the challenge.
Here's my ranking of the philosophers featured in this book (solely based on how they were presented in this book)
1. Plato
2. Socrates
3. Aristotle
4. Voltaire
5. Kant
6. Schopenhauer
7. Nietzsche
8. Bergson
9. Spinoza
10. Spencer
11. Bergson
12. Dewey
13. Bacon
14. James
15. Hegel
16. Russell
17. Croce
Some notable philosophers that it covers include Aristotle, Voltaire, Kant, Spinoza, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. Most chapters go over the background and historical setting of the philosopher's time period, a brief biography, their most important ideas and some criticism of their work. Some philosophers are covered in much more detail than others.
If you've already read a few philosophy books, then this isn't for you. This is for people just starting to learn more about western philosophy. While some of the writing may still be a little difficult to understand, It's still a pretty good book for beginners. It does a good job of providing you the context to understand the thinking behind each philosopher's ideas and how those ideas evolved over time. This book also has some suggestions on which books you should read later on specific philosophers if you're interested.
One of the main issues with this book is the pacing. I felt that some chapters were so well-structured that it was a breeze to get through them, even though they were long. But, some chapters just had a lot of stuff that didn't go anywhere. So, the editing of the book could have been better. Some ideas are explained better than others, too. If you're looking for an in-depth guide on the philosophy of the people featured in this book, then you won't find it here. It only gives you a brief look into their philosophy, and then it's up to you to decide if you want to learn more about them. I highly suggest pairing this book with other resources like YouTube videos or articles when going through certain chapters.
Overall, I can see myself coming back to this book time after time just to revisit some of my favorite philosophers mentioned in this book. While this is a challenging book to read, I enjoyed the challenge.
Here's my ranking of the philosophers featured in this book (solely based on how they were presented in this book)
1. Plato
2. Socrates
3. Aristotle
4. Voltaire
5. Kant
6. Schopenhauer
7. Nietzsche
8. Bergson
9. Spinoza
10. Spencer
11. Bergson
12. Dewey
13. Bacon
14. James
15. Hegel
16. Russell
17. Croce
pranavmutatkar's review
5.0
A great overview of philosophers and their thoughts and histories. It was great as a way to get a nice intro to each person so that I know which directions I can lean in. Durant is a great storyteller so for the most part it was all really interesting.
regalalgorithm's review
5.0
(Listened to audiobook)
A great survey of various great philosophers. The mix of biography and philosophical summary is a good structure, and though the selection of philosophers does skip some important names it is nevertheless a great read (or listen).
A great survey of various great philosophers. The mix of biography and philosophical summary is a good structure, and though the selection of philosophers does skip some important names it is nevertheless a great read (or listen).