A Short History of Philosophy

In this accessible and comprehensive work Robert Solomon and Kathleen Higgins cover the entire history of philosophy--ancient medieval and modern from cultures both East and West--in its broader historical and cultural contexts. Major philosophers and movements are discussed along with less well-known but interesting figures. The authors examine the early Greek Indic and Chinese philosophers and the mythological traditions that preceded them as well as the great religious philosophies including Christianity Hinduism Judaism and Taoism. Easily understandable to students without specialized knowledge of philosophy A Short History of Philosophy demonstrates the relevance of philosophy to our times illuminating the impact of the revolutions wrought by science industry colonialism and sectarian warfare; the two world wars and the Holocaust; and the responses of philosophy in the schools of existentialism postmodernism feminism and multiculturalism. In addition the authors provide their own twists and interpretations of events resulting in a broad view of the nature of philosophy as an intellectual discipline and its sometimes odd and dramatic consequences.