Philosophic Classics, Volume IV: Contemporary Philosophy

by Walter Kaufmann (Editor), Forrest E. Baird (Editor)

This anthology of readings in contemporary Western philosophy focuses on Nineteenth-century philosophers who represent a variety of different responses to the issue of the day—i.e., whether or not there was a knowable, nonhuman rational order upon which thinking persons could willfully choose to act. Striking a balance between major and minor figures, it features the best available translations of texts—complete works or complete selections of works—which are both central to each philosopher's thought and are widely accepted as part of the "canon." The selections are readable and accessible, while still being faithful to the original. Includes Introductions to each philosopher, and an abundance of drawings, diagrams, photographs, and a timeline. KEY TOPICS: Jeremy Bentham. Johann Gottlieb Fichte. G.W.F. Hegel. Arthur Schopenhauer. Auguste Comte. Ludwig Feuerbach. John Stuart Mill. Soren Kierkegaard. Karl Marx. Charles Sanders Peirce. William James. Friedrich Nietzsche. MARKET: For anyone interested in 19th-century Philosophy or Contemporary Philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Anthologies, Nonfiction

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Walter Arnold Kaufmann was a German-American philosopher, translator, and poet. A prolific author, he wrote extensively on a broad range of subjects, such as authenticity and death, moral philosophy and existentialism, theism and atheism, Christianity and Judaism, as well as philosophy and literature. He served for over 30 years as a Professor at Princeton University.

He is renowned as a scholar and translator of Nietzsche. He also wrote a 1965 book on Hegel, and a translation of most of Goethe's Faust.

Reviews

[Ethan Zimmerman]

I read only in part. This is a good anthology for 19th century philosophy.