A New History of Western Philosophy: In Four Parts

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Kenny was Gifford Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh 1972–73 and at the University of Glasgow in 1988, Stanton Lecturer at the University of Cambridge 1980–83, and Bampton Lecturer at Columbia University in 1983. Some aspects of Quine's philosophy -- his deflationary views on modality, his indeterminacy of translation thesis -- do come in for discussion (and Quine is also one of those exalted few to have a portrait included among the illustrations, though I must admit that the criteria for the selection of illustrations was not readily decipherable). Indeed, Kenny is well aware that the idea that there is such a gap is itself only a recent development.

Kenny shows how Aristotle founded logic, science and metaphysics (the science of the divine, or universal being), mainly as a development of (not contradiction to) Plato's philosophy. g.: into empirical, rational and idealist components (that had been fully coherent and united under Aquinas). After reading Bertrand Russell's history, it was a welcome change to see so much of philosophies history treated with respect and dignity. Beautifully illustrated throughout, Kenny's book introduces us to some of the world's most original and influential thinkers. This is not simply a chronology of famous names and dates or a series of biographical notes; it is very much a history of the ideas themselves, told in an objective, concise and, occasionally, witty manner.He was never released from his obligation of clerical celibacy and was therefore excommunicated on his marriage to Nancy Gayley [2] in 1965. Depending on the different periods, some topics were treated extensively, while others disappeared totally. It is not (just) an introduction to the famous names, as so many other such introductions tend to be, but it really does introduce philosophy itself as a subject.

To my mind, the real problem lies in the fate of the five philosophers Kenny does portray here in the subsequent topical chapters: with the exception of Freud and Husserl, in the nine topical chapters to follow there is nothing by way of substantive discussion of any of the remaining three figures discussed in this chapter (and I should note that Husserl's views receive roughly three further pages of discussion, while Freud's get roughly five across two separate chapters). Beyond single book histories, arguably the gold standard for thoroughness is the series by Copleston. Consideration of that era in philosophy was included in the third volume ( The Rise of Modern Philosophy). The book is split into four periods, with each period split between a chronological overview and a thematic treatment of the various theories.He presents the complex net of ideas through the lenses of all relevant philosophers since ancient times. And this brings us to Wittgenstein, because Wittgenstein was able to affect a certain resolution of the problems between the analytical and the continental traditions. 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. Anthony Kenny's Philosophy in the Modern World is the fourth and final volume of his series collectively titled, "A New History of Western Philosophy. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1974 and served as a member of the Council of the Academy 1985–88, as Vice President 1986–88 and President 1989–93.

The titles of Kenny's three bio-centric chapters -- "Bentham to Nietzsche," "Peirce to Strawson," and "Freud to Derrida" -- indicate his desire to give a more, rather than less, inclusive account of recent and near-recent philosophy that spans what is taken to be a gap between "continental" and "analytic" philosophy.Anthony Kenny starts with the ancient Greek philosophers and shows how they set the stage for the reform of Athens, in the fourth and third centuries BC. Specially written for a broad popular readership, but serious and deep enough to offer a genuine understanding of the great philosophers, Kenny's lucid and stimulating history will become the definitive work for anyone interested in the people and ideas that shaped the course of Western thought. Sir Anthony John Patrick Kenny FBA (born 16 March 1931) is a British philosopher whose interests lie in the philosophy of mind, ancient and scholastic philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and the philosophy of Wittgenstein of whose literary estate he is an executor. Kenny also looks closely at each of the main areas of philosophical exploration: knowledge and understanding; science; metaphysics; mind and soul; the nature and content of morality; political philosophy; and God. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.