Living Biographies of Great Philosophers

by Henry Thomas, Dana Lee Thomas

Every biography is a story of adventure. The energetic personalities of the world represent an adventure in living. The philosophical personalities, on the other hand, represent an adventure in thinking. And when we examine the lives of the philosophers, we find that the procession of a man's thoughts can be as exciting a spectacle as the pageantry of a man's deeds.

The great thinkers introduced in this work include: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Spencer, Nietzsche, William James, Bergson, and Santayana.

Genres: Philosophy, Biography, History, Nonfiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

1888(?)-1970

Henry Thomas Schnittkind (1886-1970) was the full name of the American author who also wrote under the pen name Henry Thomas. Highly educated, with a PhD from Harvard, his subjects ranged from mathematics and politics to biography and philosophy. In a Who's Who entry from the late 1930s, he listed his hobby as "education of the masses."

Reviews

[William Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

[Mahmoud El · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book gives simple biographies of some important Western philosophers whilr ignoring others that may have been more important. It doesn't cover the most important issue in philosophers' lives which is their thoughts with the needed depth. It may be suitable for those seeking to read some entertaining material regarding philosophers but not those interested in philosophy in particular.

[Nadya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started it, but stopped after a few chapters. Just not my type.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick traipse across the centuries with some serious thinkers. Outlines of the lives of men (all men) such as Aristotle, Aquinas, Spinoza, Kant, Voltaire and others are provided with the foundations and summaries of each man's philosophy appearing inter alia. Not a dumbed-down survey, though certainly not a distillation, but a decent sketch of Western thought through the ages.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book accomplishes what it set out to do, e.g., present an overview of the lives and thinking of many of the worlds great philosophers. Discussed in the book are Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Spencer, Nietzsche, William James, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Santayana. Not so in-depth as to bore the reader with excess details, yet not so superficial as to leave the reader uninformed.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Listened to this an Audio Book.

Living Biographies of Great Philosophers is a great addition to understanding the lives, thinking and the works of the great philosophers. By presenting the philosophies in a way that is detailed enough to be informational but not so in-depth that it is readable and understandable.

Discussed in the book are Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Spencer, Nietzsche, William James, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Santayana.

[Iceman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biografias de filósofos que ficaram famosos. De uma forma rápida mas muito clara, os autores abordam as várias facetas dos homens que escreveram a história da filosofia. Um bom livro para quem gosta do género.

[U. S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

a simple and very interesting book about the living of philosophers and slightly touch of their Ideologies....

[Joseph Telles]

My favorite!

[Henry Sturcke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my favorite of the series Living Biographies and was a very good way to bootstrap my way as a young teenager into the great conversation that it philosophy.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tops!