History of Western Philosophy

Author: (English) Bertrand Russell
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: A History of Western Philosophy is a highly influential academic masterpiece in the global intellectual community. Since its introduction to China in the early 1960s, it has had a widespread impact among intellectuals, with many people once reading it with incense and tranquility, treating it as a philosophical classic. The author of this book, Bertrand Russell, is the founder of modern analytic philosophy and one of the most celebrated philosophers of the 20th century. In the book, the author traverses three major fields—philosophy, history, and theology—to examine the general history of philosophical development within the complex social relationships. From the beginning of the first philosophical school in the 6th century BC—the Milesian School—to the rise of modern philosophy. Almost any significant philosophical viewpoint can be found clearly discussed in this work. As Russell said: "My purpose is not to add another A History of Western Philosophy to the many existing ones. My purpose is to reveal that philosophy is a part of social life and political life. It is not the isolated thinking of an extraordinary individual but the product of the social character of various systems that once prevailed." Russell's purpose makes the narrative of the general history of philosophy in A History of Western Philosophy more extensive and concrete than that of most traditional historians of philosophy. The history of human development shows that to understand an era or a nation, one must understand its philosophy; and to understand its philosophy, one must first start with the history of philosophy.