#6 in Philosophy
A History of Western Philosophy
- 895
- Pages
- about 16 h
- Reading time
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About the book
History of Western Philosophy is a 1945 book by British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872–1970). A survey of Western philosophy from the pre-Socratic philosophers to the early 20th century, each major division of the book is prefaced by an account of the historical background necessary to understand the currents of thought it describes. When Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950, A History of Western Philosophy was cited as one of the books that won him the award. Its success provided Russell with financial security for the last part of his life. The book was criticised, however, for overgeneralizations and omissions, particularly from the post-Cartesian period, but nevertheless became a popular and commercial success, and has remained in print from its first publication.
Reading order · A History of Western Philosophy
Full order & progress →- A History of Western PhilosophyThis book
8.18.1 / 10 - A History of Western Philosophy, Part 2: Catholic PhilosophyA History of Western Philosophy, Part 2: Catholic Philosophy–Not ranked yet
- A History of Western Philosophy, Part 3: Modern PhilosophyA History of Western Philosophy, Part 3: Modern Philosophy–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 97 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 39% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Philosophy average of 8.0. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.3 | 24 | 25% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 73 | 75% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“This felt like a fairly comprehensive account of the development of philosophy in the west, but it's hard to know how much I was able to absorb. The book is written in a way that I felt was very scattered. Some sections have an incredible…”
“There doesn't seem to be a wasted section in this book because all the pieces seem to tie together from early to modern times. The author will first tell you the relevant history and social conditions at the time and how they went about influencing…”
Frequently asked
How long is A History of Western Philosophy?
It has 895 pages — longer than 95% of the ranked books in Philosophy.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Philosophy — with scores between 7.8 and 8.2, closest to this book.
