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| Story of Philosophy | 
 enlarge | Author: Bryan Magee
Creator: Jonathan Metcalf
Publisher: DK ADULT
Category: Book
List Price: $22.00
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $13.01 (59%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (31 reviews)
Sales Rank: 226096
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.7 x 0.7
ISBN: 078947994X
Dewey Decimal Number: 190
EAN: 9780789479945
ASIN: 078947994X
Publication Date: July 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Comprehensive, highly visual, and filled with insightful observations, The Story of Philosophy opens up the world of philosophical ideas in a way that is easily understood by everyone. Bryan Magee embarks on an entertaining and enlightening journey and addresses such influential questions as "What is Philosophy?" "What is being?" and "Can the existence of God be proved?"
Amazon.com Review
Bryan Magee has been one of the most successful English-language popularizers of philosophy in the 20th century; in this coffee-volume, he presents a brief but information-packed history of Western philosophy from pre-Socratic Greek philosophers like Thales and Heraclitus to postmodern French thinkers like Derrida and Foucault. Illustrations fill every page, offering not only portraits of the major philosophical thinkers but illustrations of some of their key concepts, while ample marginalia provide supplementary information for historical context.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 The Illustrated Philosopher's Stone December 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My copy of this book was damaged during Hurricane Ike. I even took pains to store it further inland, away from the Gulf Coast, in what I thought would be a safe place, but Ike still managed to drench it. It is still very readable however, and even though I intend to replace it with a new copy someday, I will always prize my wrinkled, water-damaged copy. It has become a life raft of sorts.
I studied philosophy for years, which is why I love this book so much. Bryan Magee gives the reader a magnificent overview of a rather complex subject by bringing the great philosophers to life with superb color graphics as well as a succinct analysis of each thinker's contribution to civilization.
Not only does he convey the essence of their individual point of view in a few, well-chosen words, but he also reveals the way in which they influenced each other, as well as subsequent world history. Some of them knew one another personally, or studied under the elder of the two, and they often knew or taught other world-historical figures with far-reaching cultural impact. The story of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Alexander the Great is a perfect example of this. Because of an emotional and intellectual bond between the four figures -- a chain of custody as it were -- in just four generations, Greek philosophy was able to extend its influence to the edges of the known world. And it would later become intertwined with Christian theology, thus insuring that it would be studied and revered for over two millenniums.
Indeed, the Twin Towers, Plato and Aristotle, were so great that philosophy made almost no progress until Rene Descartes (1596-1650) wrote "Discourse on Method," which was published in 1637. But there were a number of important innovations after Plato and Aristotle. The Cynics, the Skeptics, the Stoics, the Epicureans, and the Neoplatonists all had their say. And they would have at least some influence upon the likes of St. Augustine, Boethius, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Machiavelli -- even Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo, all of whom either agreed or disagreed with many of the above, including the great "pre-Socratic" philosophers. In fact, Pythagoras (a pre-Socratic) may have been one of the most influential men to have ever lived. His impact on Plato, Copernicus and Kepler, in particular, was profound. Mathematics, music, and astronomy seemed to unify as a coherent system of rational thought in Pythagorus. So the lively ferment of philosophical discourse amid the tumult of time, chance, and history is tightly packed into the pages of this book, no matter how crinkled they may be.
Also, if you have ever wondered how science, which is unique to Western Civilization, developed within a culture that was dominated by Christian theology, then you might want to read "The Story of Philosophy." The fermentation process that led to the magical elixir of science can be experienced spontaneously while perusing the luminous pages of this manuscript. Saint Thomas Aquinas is the key figure, in my opinion, because he was able to weave Aristotelian logic into Catholic theology, and at a time when Aristotle had been completely forgotten in the West, or was associated in some way with "Arab" doctrines, which meant that he bordered on heresy as far as the Church was concerned.
However, once the other Twin Tower was resurrected via the labors of Saint Thomas, the Western Mind began to think on an entirely new level, armed now with the syllogism of Aristotelian logic. Aristotle "invented" logic, and almost every innovation you can imagine with respect to mathematics, physics, technology, philosophy, and even the science of logic itself, was derived from the fundaments of Aristotelian logic. I've often wondered if this is why Alexander the Great was able to conquer the world and never lose a single battle. It indicates at least, that a properly trained mind (that strives to see all things as they actually are) may be the ultimate weapon, because knowledge is power.
So, if you're a little tired of watching the news, and you just want to learn how to do things better, and rise above the mediocrity of our age, then try reading Bryan Magee's "The Story of Philosophy." You'll be in for one heck of a ride!
comprehensive and beautiful September 17, 2008
This book is full of art that enhances the history of philosophy. It also has several references to the philosophers' writings. I had checked it out in my local library and found so much information that I couldn't, or didn't want to, get through it all in a few weeks.
 Decent, But Biased June 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Story of Philosophy is an encyclopedic history of philosophy. It is well laid out, being divided by eras of philosophy. Each section has many pictures usually relating to the philosopher or history of the time. Bryan Magee's writing style is decent, though not always clear or engaging. Unfortunately, the book is marred with bias.
Bryan Magee is clearly not sympathetic to religious thought. He is critical of religion throughout, often giving naturalism the final say or criticism on a topic. He abandons spirituality in the end, with but a brief mention of religious existentialism. Religious philosophy is far from dead and Magee is far from objective on the topic.
As example, Magee bluntly states that the Bible supports a flat earth by quoting Psalm 93. The Psalms are a collection of ancient songs. Taking a verse in a song as a literal scientific statement is not a fair or honest interpretation. Galileo stated this in his defense to the Catholic Church. Magee often alludes to the negative consequences of religious philosophies, yet gives a detailed defense for the naturalist philosophy of Nietzsche (which influenced such people as Hitler and Stalin).
The bias is unfortunate, because The Story of Philosophy is an otherwise decent, if not colorful, overview of philosophy.
 An excellent guide for a beginner or student January 15, 2007
The DK series of books seem targeted for younger readers, and Bryan Magee's comprehensive guide to philosophers throughout history is no exception. There is little text and many illustrations and photographs. It is a bit simplistic for those who've studied philosophy, but for a new student or someone who wants a generalized account of the history of philosophical thought, it's a good book.
Accessible introduction to Philosophy November 21, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In this short book, Magee examines the history of Western philosophy by looking at key philosophers and their ideas.
This book is very clearly written and beautifully illustrated. While it lacks the depth necessary to introduce a university student to the subject, this book would be a valuable addition to high school libraries and worth buying for younger readers, as well as adult readers who have not had higher university education but are curious about life's deeper questions.
This book lacks in depth coverage of Eastern philosophy, but that is well covered in other books such as Ninian Smart's 'World Philosophies.'
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