A Little History of Philosophy

A lucid guide to humankind's greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Peter Singer

Philosophy begins with the nature of reality and how we should live. These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking awkward questions, disconcerting the people he met by showing them just how little they genuinely understood.

This engaging Little History introduces the great thinkers in Western philosophy and explores their most compelling ideas about the universe and our place in it. Nigel Warburton guides us on a tour of the lives and work of thought-provoking philosophers – from the certainty of Descartes (‘I think, therefore I am’) to Hannah Arendt who examined crimes against humanity and taught us ‘the banality of evil’.

Little Histories – Inspiring Guides for Curious Minds

MEDIA REVIEWS

“Survey the entire history of (western) philosophy through short intellectual biographies of 40 philosophers from Socrates to Peter Singer, in as broadly approachable a style as E. H. Gombrich’s A Little History of the World. A tall order; that Warburton (of the excellent podcast Philosophy Bites) has succeeded so well is a triumph.”—Steven Poole, The Guardian

“Forty short chapters offer an informative, clear guide to forty major Western philosophers. Warburton’s casual, conversational style belies the erudition that has gone into his book.”—Katie Owen, Sunday Telegraph

“This brisk primer is, for the neophyte, a good place to start immersing oneself in the history of Western thought.”—Publishers Weekly

“This book is a little classic.”—Merryn Williams, Oxford Times“A tour of the major ideas and thinkers in the history of philosophy, nicely presented in 40 brief chapters.”—The Bookseller