The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers is a 1926 book by Will Durant, in which he profiles several prominent Western philosophers and their ideas, beginning with Socrates and Plato and on through Friedrich Nietzsche. Durant attempts to show the interconnection of their ideas and how one philosopher’s ideas informed the next.
The book was preceded by a number of pamphlets in the Little Blue Books series of inexpensive worker education pamphlets. They proved so popular they were assembled into a single book and published in hardcover form by Simon & Schuster in 1926. Philosophers profiled are, in order: Plato (with a section on Socrates), Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Baruch Spinoza (with a section on Descartes), Voltaire (with a section on Rousseau), Immanuel Kant (with a section on Hegel), Arthur Schopenhauer, Herbert Spencer, and Friedrich Nietzsche. The final two chapters are devoted to European and then American philosophers.
Durant wrote the book in a clear and engaging style, and he did an excellent job of explaining complex philosophical ideas in a way that was accessible to the lay reader. The book was a critical and commercial success, and it has been translated into many languages. It remains one of the most popular and influential books on philosophy ever written.
Here are some of the key takeaways from The Story of Philosophy:
- Philosophy is the love of wisdom. It is a way of thinking about the world and our place in it.
- There are many different schools of philosophy, each with its own unique perspective on the world.
- Philosophy can help us to understand ourselves and the world around us. It can also help us to make better decisions in our lives.
- Philosophy is a lifelong journey. There is always more to learn.
The Story of Philosophy is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about philosophy. It is an enjoyable and informative read that will leave you with a deeper understanding of the world.