Book review: A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton
A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If by doubting your existence you prove that your doubting thoughts exist, what happens if you then doubt your doubts?
A Little History of Philosophy is pretty much summed up by its title. It spends a chapter on each famous Western philosopher or movement (e.g. Aristotle gets a chapter; Sartre, Camus, and de Beauvoir share one) and takes a shallow dive into each. Nothing more, nothing less.
After recently reading Bertrand Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy I thought I’d read a book that covered the same topic with less of the surrounding history and more of the philosophy overview. Nigel Warburton does this well in a brief, clear, and accessible manner. A strength of the overview is how he ties theories and influences together (e.g. Brentham to Mill, Mill to Russell) so that you can see how thinking has evolved. A negative is the sometimes tenuous segues Warburton uses to end a chapter. Seriously, you really start to notice it and laugh.
This was a great way to dip my toes into philosophy. Between Russell and Warburton I feel I’ve been given enough to start the journey down the rabbit hole. Made me think.
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Tagged: Bertrand Russell, Book review, Book reviews, Nigel Warburton, Philosophy, Reading, Right What You No, Tyson Adams
