From Socrates to Sartre, philosophy has played a central part in the history of Western civilization. Written for the general reader by a team of distinguished philosophers, this beautifully illustrated book charts the growth of Western philosophy from its ancient beginnings to the presentday--emphasizing the development of philosophy in its intellectual context. Key concepts, doctrines, and schools of thought from both the Anglo-American and Continental traditions are explored in a distinctive, authoritative, and accessible way. There is detailed coverage of the lives and works ofall the major thinkers through the ages from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, and Hegel, to recent figures such as Russell and Wittgenstein. Their personalities and ideas are brought to life as the book captures the richness and vitality of philosophy across a widerange of cultures and times. Lively, original, and highly readable Each chapter is written by an acknowledged expert, and presents an original and uniquely informed view of the subject. The chapters are lively and intelligible, and communicate the authors' deep understanding of--and their enthusiasm and zest for--the subject. Beautiful and varied selection of illustrations The 150 lavish colour and black-and-white illustrations are specially chosen to complement and illuminate the text. The historical framework is reinforced by maps and a detailed chronological table, and the reference material is completed with an annotated guide to further reading and a full index. Authoritative, comprehensive, and highly readable, the volume will be welcomed by anyone who has an interest in the history of philosophy and the intellectual development of Western civilization.Contributors: Stephen R. L. Clark, Paul Vincent Spade, Anthony Kenny, Roger Scruton, David Pears, Anthony Quinton

In 1998, the first edition of Anthony Kenny's comprehensive history of Western philosophy was published, to be met with immediate praise and critical acclaim. As the first book since Bertrand Russell's 1945 A History of Western Philosophy to offer a concise single-author review of the complete history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics to the modern masters of the 20th century, Kenny's work fills a critical gap in the modern philosophy reading list and offers valuable guidance for the general reader of philosophy—an ideal starting point for anyone with an interest in great thinkers and the family lines of philosophical evolution. Widely considered to be one of the most thorough and accessible historical reviews in philosophy, An Illustrated Brief History of Western Philosophy has earned an estimable and distinctive reputation, both for the compelling writing style of Anthony Kenny, one of the most respected and accomplished living philosophers, and for the rich collection of paintings, illustrations, maps, and photos included with every chapter to complement this review of 2,500 years of philosophical thought. Newly revised and expanded for a special 20th anniversary publication, the latest edition of An Illustrated Brief History of Western Philosophy contains all of Kenny's original writings on the history of Western philosophy from ancient to modern, along with new writings on the philosophy of the mid-20th century, covering important contributions from continental philosophers and philosophers of the post-Wittgenstein anglophone tradition, including the work of many women who have too often been neglected by the historical record.

This illustrated edition of Sir Anthony Kenny’s acclaimed survey of Western philosophy offers the most concise and compelling story of the complete development of philosophy available. Spanning 2,500 years of thought, An Illustrated Brief History of Western Philosophy provides essential coverage of the most influential philosophers of the Western world, among them Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Jesus, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Darwin, Freud, Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein. Replete with over 60 illustrations - ranging from Dufresnoy’s The Death of Socrates, through to the title page of Thomas More’s Utopia, portraits of Hobbes and Rousseau, photographs of Charles Darwin and Bertrand Russell, Freud’s own sketch of the Ego and the Id, and Wittgenstein’s Austrian military identity card - this lucid and masterful work is ideal for anyone with an interest in Western thought.

Written by a team of distinguished scholars, this is an authoritative and comprehensive history of Western philosophy from its earliest beginnings to the present day. The book is illustrated with over 150 colour and black-and-white pictures, chosen to illuminate and complement the text. Now in paperback, this lively and readable volume is an ideal introduction to philosophy for anyone interested in the history of ideas. An outstanding team of contributors... Stephen. R. L. Clark on Ancient Philosophy Paul Vincent Spade on Medieval Philosophy Anthony Kenny on Descartes to Kant Roger Scruton on Continental Philosophy from Fichte to Sartre David Pears and Anthony Kenny on Mill to Wittgenstein Anthony Quinton on Political Philosophy - ;Written by a team of distinguished scholars, this is an authoritative and comprehensive history of Western philosophy from its earliest beginnings to the present day. The book is illustrated with over 150 colour and black-and-white pictures, chosen to illuminate and complement the text. Lively and readable, this is an ideal introduction to philosophy for anyone interested in the history of ideas. `a wonderfully lucid exposition of difficult ideas' Tablet `Anthony Kenny, the editor of this courageously erudite compendium, reminds us that philosophy has always been fascinated by the interweaving of words and images, while artists have played upon philosophic concepts.' Observer - ;Preface; Ancient Philosophy; Medieval Philosophy; Descartes to Kant; Continental Philosophy from Fichte to Sartre; Mill to Wittgenstein; Political Philosophy; Conclusion: Contemporary Philosophy. - ;a wonderfully lucid exposition of difficult ideas - Tablet;Anthony Kenny, the editor of this courageously erudite compendium, reminds us that philosophy has always been fascinated by the interweaving of words and images, while artists have played upon philosophic concepts. - Observer

This book is no less than a guide to the whole of Western philosophy—the ideas that have undergirded our civilization for two-and-a-half thousand years. Anthony Kenny tells the story of philosophy from ancient Greece through the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment into the modern world. He introduces us to the great thinkers and their ideas, starting with Plato, Aristotle, and the other founders of Western thought. In the second part of the book he takes us through a thousand years of medieval philosophy, and shows us the rich intellectual legacy of Christian thinkers like Augustine, Aquinas, and Ockham. Moving into the early modern period, we explore the great works of Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Leibniz, Spinoza, Hume, and Kant, which remain essential reading today. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Hegel, Mill, Nietzsche, Freud, and Wittgenstein again transformed the way we see the world. Running though the book are certain themes which have been constant concerns of philosophy since its early beginnings: the fundamental questions of what exists and how we can know about it; the nature of humanity, the mind, truth, and meaning; the place of God in the universe; how we should live and how society should be ordered. Anthony Kenny traces the development of these themes through the centuries: we see how the questions asked and answers offered by the great philosophers of the past remain vividly alive today. Anyone interested in ideas and their history will find this a fascinating and stimulating read.

In 14 original essays, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book reveals the history of books in all their various forms, from the ancient world to the digital present. Leading international scholars offer an original and richly illustrated narrative that is global in scope. The history of the book is the history of millions of written, printed, and illustrated texts, their manufacture, distribution, and reception. Here are different types of production, from clay tablets to scrolls, from inscribed codices to printed books, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers, from written parchment to digital texts. The history of the book is a history of different methods of circulation and dissemination, all dependent on innovations in transport, from coastal and transoceanic shipping to roads, trains, planes and the internet. It is a history of different modes of reading and reception, from learned debate and individual study to public instruction and entertainment. It is a history of manufacture, craftsmanship, dissemination, reading and debate. Yet the history of books is not simply a question of material form, nor indeed of the history of reading and reception. The larger question is of the effect of textual production, distribution and reception - of how books themselves made history. To this end, each chapter of this volume, succinctly bounded by period and geography, offers incisive and stimulating insights into the relationship between books and the story of their times.