Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English.
Copleston, an Oxford Jesuit of immense erudition who once tangled with A. J. Ayer in a fabled debate about the existence of God and the possibility of metaphysics, knew that seminary students were fed a woefully inadequate diet of theses and proofs, and that their familiarity with most of history's great thinkers was reduced to simplistic caricatures. Copleston set out to redress the wrong by writing a complete history of Western philosophy, one crackling with incident and intellectual excitement — and one that gives full place to each thinker, presenting his thought in a beautifully rounded manner and showing his links to those who went before and to those who came after him.
The result of Copleston's prodigious labors is a history of philosophy that is unlikely ever to be surpassed. Thought magazine summed up the general agreement among scholars and students alike when it reviewed Copleston's A History of Philosophy as "broad-minded and objective, comprehensive and scholarly, unified and well proportioned... We cannot recommend [it] too highly."
Anonymous
Posted March 26, 2000
Over the course of a few years I have read most of this series. Only a few books have given me as much as this series. They are difficult, 'But all noble things are as difficlut as they are rare.' Spinoza, Ethics.
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Posted February 10, 2000
Frederick Copleston's A History of Philosophy, Volume I covers philosophy from its pre-Socratic roots through the dawn of the Middle Ages. For those readers who have read Durant's The Story of Philosophy and desire more detail look no further. This volume is richly textured; it is very well thought-out, combining historical fact with Copleston's own musings. The chapters dealing with the pre-Socratic philosophers is especially illuminating, reminding the reader that Socrates was the inheritor of an established Greek philosophic tradition rather than its progenitor. Philosophic issues that affect us still were contemplated 2500 years ago, including the nature of reality (metaphysics), how humans obatin knowledge (epistemology) and how man should conduct himself (ethics). Such great questions all were tackled by these seminal Greek thinkers. Copleston does not gloss over philosophic tenets when discussing each significant philosopher or school. He provides in-depth examples from their writings. This ample source material allows the reader to delve into philosophic thought without being completely overwhelmed by it. Copleston is very careful to attribute his thoughts concerning a particular philosophy so that the reader may know where fact ends and speculation begins. This, one can argue, is only appropriate from an author that loves philosophy as Copleston must. There are several irritants though for the laymen. The book is larded with philosophical terms (e.g., epistemology, nous, eclecticism). I found it necessary to purchase a dictionary of terms to accompany my reading. The greatest drawback of the volume is Copleston's habit of sprinkling quotes in Greek and Latin. This is irritating as it upsets the flow of reading and there is no translation provided! I almost regard this as an affectation of the author, detracting from my overall enjoyment of the volume. Luckily, the book is understandable and the intellectual rewards when one finishes are satisfying. I have a much better grasp of philosophy and the eternal issues that the Greeks contemplated. I intend to read the entire Copleston series. I have no plans to learn Greek, however.
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Posted November 17, 2011
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Posted February 17, 2009
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Overview
Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English.
Copleston, an Oxford Jesuit of immense erudition who once tangled with A. J. Ayer in a fabled debate about the existence of God and the possibility of ...