The History of Philosophy

Starred review from August 1, 2019

Grayling (philosophy; New Coll. of the Humanities, London; Ideas That Matter) offers a remarkably comprehensive history of philosophy from ancient Greece to the present. He covers not only Western philosophy but Indian, Chinese, Arabic-Persian, and African philosophy as well, and his skill as an expositor is apparent. Grayling clearly explains difficult ideas, such as Hegel's account of freedom and Bradley's argument about relations, and is particularly strong on philosophical logic, one of his own specialties, as is evident in his discussions of Frege, Russell, Carnap, and Quine. Grayling is a master of the surprising anecdote, e.g., Jeremy Bentham corresponded with James Madison and Charles Darwin in The Descent of Man. He does not conceal his own favorable view of the Enlightenment and replies in a penetrating way to Horkheimer and Adorno's famous critique in Dialectic of Enlightenment. VERDICT Comparable to Anthony Kenny's A New History of Western Philosophy, this work will interest readers of philosophy and intellectual history. It aims at general audiences, but scholars will also find it valuable.--David Gordon, Ludwig von Mises Inst., Auburn, AL

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Starred review from September 2, 2019
Grayling (The God Argument), founder of London’s New College of the Humanities, presents an impressive, comprehensive catalogue of great thought and thinkers in this sweeping survey. Focusing on Western philosophy (a concluding section sketches Indian, Chinese, African, and Arabic- and Persian-language philosophical traditions), the volume chronologically surveys significant thinkers—including, but not limited to, Plato, Aristotle, and Kant, who emerge here as the foremost figures—and enlivens discussions of their schooling, influences, and arguments with judiciously applied anecdote, such as how Thomas Aquinas’s brothers smuggled a prostitute into his room in a (futile) attempt to stem his religious fervor. Overviews on related schools of thought are equally enlightening, clearly distinguishing, for instance, between Stoic and Epicurean philosophies of early Rome, 19th-century movements like positivism and pragmatism, and the 20th century’s diverging analytic and Continental schools. Perhaps Grayling’s greatest strength lies in his ability to categorize, contrast, and clarify complex ideas, such as Plato’s theory of forms and Kant’s categorical imperative. Elegant, clear, and precise, Grayling’s sweep through “the principal areas of enquiry” distills philosophy to its main concerns: discerning the nature of reality, the principles of sound society, and how to live a good life. Clearly outlining “the little patch of light” that he pictures as comprising human knowledge, Grayling’s superb work is an indispensable resource for any “serious student of ideas.”

October 15, 2019
A magnificent recapping of the history of philosophy, as it stands apart from theology, in the classic model of Bertrand Russell, as "an invitation and an entrance." In the hands of British scholar and journalist Grayling (Master/New Coll. of the Humanities; Democracy and Its Crisis, 2018, etc.), it is a delight to engage in this sweeping history of the great thinkers throughout the ages, from pre-Socratics to the present. Moreover, in the last section of the book, the author offers a considerably shorter yet fair introduction to Indian, Chinese, Arabic-Persian, and African philosophy (hindered only by the "veil" of language, yet he ends with a challenge to readers to address this surmountable difficulty). The attempt to "make sense of things" has plagued humanity for centuries and has also led to its great advances, especially the "rise of modern thought" in terms of empiricism and rationalism as they gained momentum from the 17th century. These great forces unharnessed philosophy from the strictures of religion, culminating in the essential concept, particularly by Immanuel Kant and his fellow Enlightenment thinkers, that the "autonomy" of man meant "self-government, independence of thought, and possession of the right and the responsibility to make choices about one's own life." As Grayling notes, this is "essential to the life worth living," a matter dear to the very "first" philosophers: Thales, who relied on observation and reason to "know thyself," and Socrates, for whom the first great question was how to live. As he moves into the more recondite reaches of "analytic" and language philosophy of the 20th century, the author mostly keeps the narrative from becoming overly academic. Unfortunately, there is a disturbing lack of women philosophers across Grayling's 2,500-year survey, even under the cursory rubric of "feminist philosophy." The author's approach is especially refreshing due to his acknowledgement that few philosophers were truly unique (even Buddha or Confucius); often what was required for lasting significance was a kind of luck and a stable of devoted followers. Despite its glaring absence of women philosophers, Grayling's accessible omnibus will provide a steppingstone for the student or novice.

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Starred review from September 15, 2019
In John Locke's decision to explore the origin, certainty, and extent of human knowledge, Grayling recognizes an epoch-making episode in the grand intellectual adventure we call philosophy. As readers begin that adventure in ancient Greece with Thales' speculations about water as the primal substance and press forward through Locke and on to the dozens of other thinkers carrying the enterprise to today's global investigations of poststructuralism and hermeneutics, they gain a deep appreciation for the unfolding dynamics of the philosophical project. Readers see, for instance, how Aristotle reacted against Plato's transcendent metaphysics in developing his theory of matter and form; how Locke reworked Hobbes' conception of the human state of nature, so safeguarding individual liberty and limiting state authority; and how Wittgenstein borrowed from Russell's logic to articulate his analysis of language. As evidence that successive generations of philosophers have actually advanced human understanding, Grayling points not only to the ever-richer content of philosophy itself but also to new disciplines?including physics, psychology, and linguistics?incubated by philosophical inquiry. What Grayling hails as philosophy's progress may appear problematic, though, to readers reluctant to join him in embracing scientific materialism (born of Baconian experimentalism) as a replacement for religious thought. A capacious and stimulating chronicle of philosophical endeavor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)