11 Volumes wow!Hobbes' Choice wrote:If you want the heavy dope in the matter of a history of philosophy you really need to consult the 11 volume Copelston's History. Russell is okay, but a bit brief, and not deep enough when you want to really find out what has been going on. Russell can also be a bit too honest in his limitations. For Hegel he simply declares himself incapable of penetrating it. For my money Hegel is an obscurantist twat, but Russell sort of gives up, Cop tries to unpack it all.yiostheoy wrote:For me Bertrand Russell's book "History Of Western Philosophy" was the most useful philosophy book because it surveys the entire field from Thales to Russell himself. For an update after Russell I have found "Essentials Of Philosophy" by James Mannion to be particularly helpful. And for a complete update on modern philosophy Roger Scruton's "Modern Philosophy" helped to modernize for me the various topics which are currently debated in Philosophy.
Mannion also covers Asian philosophies as well as modern self improvement groups including AA and their 12 step program. He also touches on the various female philosophers starting with Mary Wollstonecraft in the 1700's and her modern protegee's Steinem and Friedan, which most authors omit.
These books vaulted Philosophy to the forefront of my own life and rose above even science and religion as macro models for life on Earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History ... Copleston)
You can get it via PDF.
http://www.dhspriory.org/kenny/PhilText ... sophy1.pdf
Thanks for the update.
Apparently this is the Vatican's short course for aspiring Catholic priests.
I am sure I would agree with it, especially on Aquinas.
I feel like Roger Scruton the famous British philosopher got me up to speed fairly well with his book "Modern Philosophy".
I like Bertrand Russell's overview precisely because it is brief and it shows us how we got here, from Thales to the British Empiricists.