One Hundred Philosophers: The Life and Work of the World's Greatest Thinkers

by Peter J. King

Book Overview

What is the nature of good and evil? What is the meaning of existence and who are we really? For thousands of years philosophers have struggled with questions such as these, weighing every thought... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764127918
• ISBN13: 9780764127915
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: B.E.S. Publishing
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.5" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Concise and Informative

The book provides a thumnail sketch that is very helpful. However, if you need in depth information this is not the book. It offers an easy to read format and concise.

Wonderful for a philosophy reference

I got this as a Christmas present to my dad, but found myself wishing I had got it for me. I'm one of those kinds of people that wish I knew more about this and that philosopher, but aren't sure where to begin. I've heard lots of the names in this book but never really knew what they believed, but the book goes over it quite well.

Excellent book for philosophy beginners!

I bought this book after taking an introductory philosophy course in college. I had a deep interest in the subject, but not a very strong background. If you are like me, then this book will be a great starting point for you. Do not expect to find any great analysis of any philosophical theories, or even any opinions on the theories of the various philosophers. In fact, some of the philosophers are covered very briefly, and we are given only the most basic information about them (where they were born, where they studied, what kind of family they came from, where they died, etc.). However, having said that, this book WILL provide you with the basic knowledge of the most influential philosophers so that you may embark on your greater journey into the world of philosophy. It clearly deliniates the beginning of philosophical thought and it's transition to modern philosophy and as most reviewers have stated, it is very well structured and organized. Every major philosopher that you have ever read about/heard of is in this book. I strongly encourage any and all readers interested in a philosophy background to purchase this book!

A good starting point and linker

Well, I can't pretend that I understood it. I didn't understand "Sophie's World" either. I prefer the format of this lay textbook over the device of the bizarre story of Sophie's World as a structure for didacticism though I admit the bizarre stuff was there to illustrate the philosophical points. I read "One Hundred Philosophers" quickly to see what was available in it but would need to study it with additional texts to go in- depth and attempt to understand the actual philosophy. I bought the book because it links together disjointed pieces of information. I think it's a good starting point and I intend to use it as a reference book rather than having to go on the net to find the same information. It's amazing that I'm encountering beliefs out there that I've been reading about in the book and can easily refer to for discussions. There's some surprising individuals in the book to read about, real eye-openers. There are also patterns of biography depending on the era cited e.g. starting out as a theological scholar and getting side-tracked into philosophy. Some of the woman philosphers' lives make sad reading, early deaths and in one case matyrdom. In contrast, some of the men lived to great ages. As well though, I saw a pattern of philosophers being repeatedly exiled, tortured, imprisoned and executed for their beliefs though this isn't happening with the latest Continental and Anglo-American ones featured! I found this book so worthwhile I felt inspired to buy one for my 14 year old neice as a great introduction to the valuable and deep subject of philosophy. Funnily enough, I bought it as one of a selection of books available in the tea-room at work among the usual recipe and typical prosaic lifestyle selection. It was a great buy for $NZ12 (New Zealand).

A Great Survey--"One Hundred Philosophers"

One Hundred Philosophers: The Life And Work Of The World's Greatest Thinkers By Peter J. King Quarto/Barron's Educational Series www.barronseduc.com 2004 ISBN # 0-7641-2791-8 Large Paperback $19.95 US $28.95 Canada This strong basic reference type text opens with a brief introduction that explains how the author sees the realm of Philosophy, the main divisions in Philosophy, and what he is attempting to cover in this book, which spans ancient times to the 20th century. Of course, there are limitations as to what could be covered and the author makes his case as to why certain persons made the cut and others did not. What follows are the various sections detailing periods in time starting with the Ancient World 700 B. C. E. -400 B.C.E. A timeline complete with illustrations and pictures as well as dates is given for the relevant points in history within and without the realm of Philosophy. Then, in page summary format, each Philosopher is listed, with a date of life, main interests, influences, influenced, and an explanation of what is known about the Philosopher, the thinking of the Philosopher and the role of the Philosopher at that time. This same formula continues through out the nearly 200-page book. The 100th Philosopher, Peter Singer, is covered at the end of the twentieth century section followed by a comprehensive and detailed two-page section suggesting other reading. This section leads into a glossary of terms used in the book, which is followed by an index. This book obviously can't cover everyone to great depth and doesn't try to do so. Instead, it serves more as an instruction to a wide range of thought and would be especially helpful not only to the laymen but for students considering study in the world of Philosophy. Not only does it give some understanding of each Philosopher covered, it provides avenues of exploration and learning for those interested and deserves a place in the home library. This review previously appeared online at the Blue Iris Journal Blog. Kevin R. Tipple © 2005