Good book for general introduction to philosophy

[FatalMuse]

So I've already aquired a handful of philosophy books, some primary source, but now before I go any further I want to read a good general introduction/history.

In another thread (the library one) I was recommended Copleston's History of Philosophy. This comes in both 11 volumes and also in a concise single 550pg book, condensed. I've also been contemplating History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. I like the idea of collecting all volumes of the Copleston series but it would be quite expensive and my local library only has one of the volumes.

So, I'm wondering what peoples recommendations would be:
-Collect the series of Coplteston's one-by-one (the cons of this are cost and also not achieving my goal of a brief overview)
-Buy the concise condensation of the series (cons = obviously condensed)
-History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell

I'm interested to hear opinions from people who have read any of these and particularly if anyone has read both. I'm keen to read a good overview of all the philosophers and ideas before I continue my journey through my areas of interest.

[VideCorSpoon]

I would honestly recommend collecting the Copleston series. Not only because I have read bits and pieces of that series (namely the modern philosophers) but because I have read Russell’s book... well... at least sections of it.

A History of Philosophy – Frederick Copleston

With the Copleston series, you have the ability to collect at your own pace. From what I have seen, the books a relatively cheap compared to a compendium…at around $13 each from amazon. The books are surprisingly thick and the way they are put together is great. They give you a brief introduction of their general life and death, how and when they wrote their works, etc. They then go into the primary works. But this is where the series really gets points. They give you a brief, two or three sentence abstract which encapsulates the four or five pages of that particular section. You know what to look for in advance and can reference it when your memory gets foggy. And that sort of outline follows throughout. It is very easy to read as well. And what is best is that there is no bias, it is a strict translation of the original text. The price is high when you think of the collective price, but it is cheap when you add to it periodically.

A History of Western Philosophy – Bertrand Russell

Russell’s work is very good, but it is not as approachable as Coplestons. Have you ever read some philosophical writings where it sounds like they expect you to know what they are talking about even before you actually study it? Well this is almost like that. Nothing against Russell, but it is not as easy to read as Copleston. Also, the text is a little outdated. Not that philosophy should be modernized to be good, but you can tell. The content is actually pretty good, though I have a gripe with some of the emphasized content and focus. For example, the way he emphasized the scholastics and such, but other than that, it is not that bad.

All in all, I guess you have to decide what type of format you like best to decide. Try renting Russell’s book through the library (and if they do not have it, order it through interlibrary loan) and Copleston’s text as well to see which one you would like better format and content wise. After all, only you are the best judge of your own preference.

[Holiday20310401]

Guess what... Our school library has no philosophy books, or encyclopedias. Anything philosophical is online but not really ever the target.

[Victor Eremita]

Get the four volume New History of Western Philosophy by Sir Anthony Kenny. It's much more accurate than Russell's book and is a bit more entertaining read than Copleston's book. Plus, it was written in the last 10 years, so it incorporates recent research.

But before Kenny, if I had to choose between Copleston and Russell, choose Copleston.

[VideCorSpoon]

Holiday,

You should petition that your school get some philosophy books. Not only because they should, but because that would look really good on your application when you apply to college. I don’t think anybody could turn down that kind of activism.

[Deftil]

My advice would be to go with the single condensed volume. You can still get a lot of info in 550 pages. I would save multi-volume collecting until later on, possibly when you have more money for that type of thing.

As a brief, but informative intro to Western Philosophy I recommend The Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee.


PS - Fatal, who is that in your avatar?

[FatalMuse]

Thanks for all the replies, it has helped me narrow down my considerations.

Originally Posted by Deftil

PS - Fatal, who is that in your avatar?

It is Hermann Hesse.

[Deftil]

Originally Posted by FatalMuse

Thanks for all the replies, it has helped me narrow down my considerations.



It is Hermann Hesse.

Hey, me too! *high five*

[Fido]

Originally Posted by FatalMuse

So I've already aquired a handful of philosophy books, some primary source, but now before I go any further I want to read a good general introduction/history.

In another thread (the library one) I was recommended Copleston's History of Philosophy. This comes in both 11 volumes and also in a concise single 550pg book, condensed. I've also been contemplating History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. I like the idea of collecting all volumes of the Copleston series but it would be quite expensive and my local library only has one of the volumes.

So, I'm wondering what peoples recommendations would be:
-Collect the series of Coplteston's one-by-one (the cons of this are cost and also not achieving my goal of a brief overview)
-Buy the concise condensation of the series (cons = obviously condensed)
-History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell

I'm interested to hear opinions from people who have read any of these and particularly if anyone has read both. I'm keen to read a good overview of all the philosophers and ideas before I continue my journey through my areas of interest.

I have the last one and it is good. I prefer the older Story of philosophy by Durant. I think it is good too , but he covers philosophy in his story of civilization volumes, and the going price for them seems to be three to four dollars. A lot of them are really good. And he was a story teller, and he seemed to grasp sexuality as a life force too, and I have to wonder if he didn't turn into a dirty old man. But a lot of comparative religion, and leading figures and the current of thought. The guy was a Scholar. And he gave credit to his wife which few great men have the good graces to do.

[Fido]

Originally Posted by FatalMuse

Thanks for all the replies, it has helped me narrow down my considerations.



It is Hermann Hesse.

True Hermann?????