The Story of Philosophy: The Essential Guide to the History of Western Philosophy

246 Pages·1998·7.86 MB·English

by  Bryan Magee

MAGEE
BFLYAN
PHILOSOPHY
THE
ESSENTIAL
GUIDE TO THE
HISTORY OF
WESTERN
PHILOSOPHY
.*s>
THE STORY/
PHILOSOPHY
"ALL MEN BY NATURE
TO KNOW"
DESIRE
Aristotle
PHILOSOPHY IS A SUBJECT that
influences many aspects of
our lives and our understanding
of our experiences, yet it can seem
dauntingly inaccessible. Unrivaled
in its clarity and insight, The Story of
Philosophyis an approachable guide to
the history of ideas and thinking.
HISTORY OFWESTERN PHILOSOPHY
Professor Bryan Magee traces 2,500 years of
Western philosophy from the Ancient Greeks
to modern thinkers. His deep appreciation of the
subject and grasp of its complexities have enabled
him to produce a book accessible to the general
reader, yet substantial enough for the
more experienced student.
WHAT PHILOSOPHY?
IS
Philosophers question the fundamental principles
underlying all knowledge and existence. Among
the important philosophical issues that The Story of
Philosophyaddresses are questions such as "What is
being?" and "Can the existence of God be proved?"
Covering every major philosopher from Plato to
Popper via Saint Augustine, Locke, and Nietzsche,
Bryan Magee opens up the world of ideas in
a way that is easily understood by everyone.
Additional background information puts
the philosophers in historical context with the
influences that shaped their lives and work.
Comprehensive, highly visual, and filled with
penetrating observations. TheStory ofPhilosophy
is the es.sential guide to this fascinating subject.
$29.95

THE STORY OF
PHILOSOPHY

THE STORY OF
PHILOSOPHY
BRYAN MAGEE
DK PUBLISHING, INC.
The Great Democracy and
Rationalists Philosophy
Descartes 84 The Utilitarians 182
Spinoza 90 The American
Leibniz 96 Pragmatists 186
Rene de.sc;artes (1596-1650) John stuart mill (1806-73)
The Great 20th-century Philosophy
Empiricists
Frege and Modern Logic 194
Locke 102 Russell and Analytic
Philosophy 196
Berkeley 110
Hume 112 Wittgenstein and Linguistic
Philosophy 202
Burke 118
Existentialism 208
Jt)HN LOCKE (1632-1704)
Revolutionary
French Thinkers
Vokaire 122
Diderot 124
Rousseau 126
Thepeasantweighed downby
thenobilityand the clergy
(french revolution 1789-99) JhAN-PAUL SARTRE (1905-80)
Bergson and Recent French
A
Golden Century of Philosophy 214
German Philosophy Popper 220
The Future of Philosophy 226
Kant 132
Schopenhauer 138
Some Comparisons of
East and West 146
Fichte 154 Glossary 228
Schelling 156 Guide to
Hegel 158 Further Reading 232
Marx 164 Index 233
Nietzsche 172 Acknowledgments 239
Caspar daviu friedrich, tvcomenbythesea
lookingatthemoonrising (c. 1817)
THE STORY OF PHILOSOPHY
An Invitation
to
Philosophy
QUESTIONING THE FUNDAMENTALS WE NORMALLY
TAKE FOR GRANTED
THE DAILY LIVES OF MOST ofus are full ofthings
that keep us busy and preoccupied.But every
now and again we find ourselves drawing back
and wondering what it is all about. And then,perhaps,
we may start asking fundamental questions that normally
we do not stop to ask.
This can happen with regard to any aspect oflife.
In politics,for example,people are all the time bandying
around terms like"freedom,""equality,""social justice,"
and so on.But every now and again somebody comes
along who asks:"Yes,but what do we actually mean
by freedom? And what do we mean by equality?"
Such questioning can become challengingly awkward.
The person may say:"Surely freedom and equality are
in conflict with one another? Ifwe're all free to live our
lives as we like,aren't we bound to end up in a whole
lot ofdifferent and very unequal situations? And isn't
that something that can be prevented only bygovernment
interference? Ifthat's true,then it's no good us saying
we're in favour offreedom and equality and just leaving
it at that. There's an element ofcontradiction involved."
It is when people start to talk like this that they arc
beginning to think philosophically. In this case they are
embarking on what is known as political philosophy.
RhMBRANDT, THh. VAO PHILOSOPHERS (1628)
People can subject any field ofhuman activity to Disciissidii. cirgiimeiil. debate, arecrucialtophilosophy, because
fundamental questioning like this - which is another et'erylhiiig that issaidmustlieope)! to question andcriticism.
So one mightsay it lakestwo tophilosophize, andphilosophy is
way ofsaying that there can be a philosophy ofanything. asharedsearchforthe truth.
"PHILOSOPHY BEGINS IN
Lawyers are referring constantly to guUt and innocence, health - ifnot,what do we mean by cure?"is beginning
justice,a fair trial,and so on.But ifone ofthem says: to do philosophy ofmedicine. In every field ofactivity
"'Wlien we talk about justice,do we mean the same as there is a philosophy ofit that involves questioning its
what the politicians mean when they talk about social fimdamental concepts,principles,and methods.So there
justice,or are we talking about something different here?" is philosophyofscience,philosophy ofreligion,philosophy
he is beginning to do philosophy oflaw. The doctor ofart,and so on.Nearly always,some ofthe best
who asks himself:"Is there ever such a thing as perfect practitioners in each field are interested in its philosophy.
AN INNITATION TO PMILOS()lMI^
It is important to realize that when the political for your rational assent,not for faith or obedience.
philosopher asks:"What is freedom?"he is not just asking Philosophy tries to see how far reason alone will take us.
for a definition ofthe word.Ifthat were all he wanted Because philosophy is a quest for rational
he could look it up in the dictionary. His question goes understanding ofthe most fundamental kind it raises
far beyond that. He is seeking an altogether deeper important questions about the nature ofunderstanding
understanding ofthe concept,and ofhow it actually and hence ofenquiry and knowledge. How are we to
functions in our thoughts and our lives,and ofother ways go about finding answers to all these questions ofours?
in which it might also be used,and ofthe possible dangers Can we ever really know,in the sense ofbeing sure of,
ofits use,and ofhow it does or could relate to other key anything? Ifso,what? And even ifwe do know,how will
political concepts such as equality. He is trying clarify his we be able to be sure that we know;in other words can
mind and ours on a subject that has important practical we ever know that we know? Questions like this have
implications for us and yet which bristles with difficulties. themselves come to occupy a place near the center of
philosophy. Alongside questions about the world around
THIS ELUCIDATION OF CONCEPTS,though, us,the philosopher asks questions about the nature
fascinating as it is,is the mere surface of ofhuman perception,experience,and understanding.
philosophy. The greatest philosophers have So,put at its most basic,philosophy has developed
gone much deeper than that and questioned the in such a way that two fundamental questions
most fundamental aspects ofour existence lie at its heart: the first is"What
and our experience.We human beings find is the nature ofwhatever
ourselves in a world we had no say about it is that exits?"and
entering. In its most obvious and basic the second is "How,
features it consists ofa framework ofspace
and time - three dimensions ofspace and one
dimension oftime - inhabited by a large number AUGUSTE RODIN,
THE THINKER (1880)
ofwidely differing material objects,some ofwhich Thi' nakedness of
are people like ourselves. And philosophers have Rodinsfamous
statueofasolilaiy
raised questions like; "What is time?"and lhi)ikerdeeply
"Is everything that actually exists,including people, wrapped in thougl^l
suggeststhat ma)!
a material object and nothing more? Can something is a uniquely
that is not a material object have real existence? I•rrfllefc-taiwt'aereand
Ifso,what is the nature ofthat existence?"In asking animal, andthat
this issomethiitg
questions like this they are not just trying to fundamentalto
achieve a deeper understanding ofconcepts. thehuman
condition.
They are striving towards a fundamental
understanding ofwhatever it is that exists,
including ourselves. And they are trying
to do this without making it a question of
WONDER
religious faith,or appealing to the say-so ofan authority.
They may as individuals have religious beliefs - most
great philosophers have had,though some have not -
yet as good philosophers they do not attempt to support
their philosophical arguments with appeals to religion.
A philosophical argument is one that carries its own
credentials with it,in the form ofreasons:it asks you
THE STORY OF PHILOSOPHY
ifat all,can we know?"Investigation into the first Into this mainstream flow all the important tributaries,
question,about what exists and the nature ofexistence, such as moral and political philosophy,philosophy of
constitutes the branch ofphilosophy known as ontology. science,aesthetics,philosophy ofreligion,and the rest.
Investigation into the second question - about the All these have their place in philosophy as a whole,but
nature ofknowledge,and what,ifanything,we can questions about what exists,and how we can know, are
know - is called epistemology It is the development logically prior to questions raised in these other branches.
ofthese two over the centuries - and ofall the It may be that to some ofour most important
subsidiary questions that arise out ofthem - that questions we shall never find the answers. But that is
constitute the mainstream ofphilosophy's history. itselfnot something we can know in advance. So we
"THE BUSINESS OF
NOT TO
BUT
GIVE RULES,
IS
THE
PRIVATE
COMMON
OF
shall want to mount assaults on all the problems that
interest us. Ifin the course ofdoing so we discover good
reasons to believe that a particular question is not
susceptible ofan answer we shall have to find a way
ofcoming to terms with that.It is a conclusion which -
like all other philosophical conclusions - we shall
require good reasons for believing.We shall not be
willing just to accept it on spec,or on faith,or because
we have an intuition to that effect:we shall want to
know why we should believe it to be true.
THIS INSISTENCE ON REASONS is one ofthe
hallmarks ofphilosophy. It distinguishes
philosophy from,for example, both religion
and the arts. In religion,reasons arc appealed to
sometimes,but also faith,revelation, ritual, and
obedience have indispensable roles,and reason can
never take a person the whole way. The creative artist,
like the philosopher, is fully committed to a truth-seeking
activity,trying to see below the surface ofthings and
acquire a deeper understanding ofhuman experience;
William blake,theancientofdays (1794)
Regulahly isfoundateverylevel in theknown universe. however he publishes, or publicly presents,his insights
from thevery biggesttotheverysmallest, and
usually informs that can beexpressed in mathematical in a different form from the philosopher a form that
equations. It isas ifthe universe itselfembodies relies on direct perception and intuition rather than
ralionalily. It isas if somebodyoncesaid:
"God is a mathematician " on rational argument.