Astonishingly wideranging and comprehensive, graylings synthesis of eastern and western thought is the first heavyweight onevolume history of philosophy since the war. Scholarly yet accessible, grayling marshals disparate theories into a coherent narrative whole to spin an endlessly illuminating tale of intellectual progress. Most philosophy done in the english speaking world is analytic philosophy. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. These terms are central to the study of philosophy. This is the best general book on philosophy for university students. At the same time he recognised that it was not always accurate. He is author of wittgenstein in the very short introductions series, as well as an introduction to philosophical logic, the refutation of scepticism, and berkeley. Grayling has done the general reader a service by explaining the difference between epistemology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, morals, aesthetics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, political philosophy, history of philosophy, and deductive and inductive reasoning. He is a reader in philosophy at birbeck college, university. Grayling is one of britains leading thinkers, highly regarded as a public philosopher of distinction as well as in academic circles for his scholarly work on descartes, berkeley, russell and wittgenstein, his writings on the problem of scepticism, his widely used introduction to.
A c grayling ebooks epub and pdf downloads ebookmall. Grayling has 71 books on goodreads with 110376 ratings. Applying philosophy to life suggestions people are yet to still left their article on the overall game, or not read it still. Nov 27, 20 in this extract from the introduction to friendship, a. Graylings book is an ideal introduction to the history of philosophy for the lay reader. The philosophy of friendship yale university press. A new book for those who dont want millions, but an answer to.
A c grayling on growing up, discovering philosophy and the. He has written and edited numerous works of philosophy and is the author of biographies of descartes and william hazlitt. Anthony grayling ma, dphil oxon frsl, frsa is master of the new college of the humanities, and a supernumerary fellow of st annes college, oxford. Grayling interviews books bible god religion ethics pick a side morality philosophy. Ac graylings the god argument fails to ask what value religion has if one accepts that. Author, journalist and philosopher aj graylings new book the meaning of things. An introduction to philosophical logic 9780631199823. Grayling is master of the new college of the humanities, uk. As grayling says, the book is a study of the case law of philosophy, the thinkers and schools who have exerted the most influence on its big themes and questions. Grayling is no big fan of wittgenstein, certainly no fawning apostle, as is made clear in his closing remarks in which he doubts whether history will even regard w as a major philosopher, if it isnt already clear to the reader by the critical challenges grayling makes to ws philosophy earlier in this book. He has written and edited many books on philosophy and other subjects. Of democracy and its discontents, with a resonant defense of what winston churchill called the least bad of all systems. Grayling s latest, the history of philosophy, and heres why.
It was a time of creativity unparalleled in history before or since, from science to the arts, from philosophy to politics. While there have been many women philosophers, none have achieved the status of the most important thinkers who address the core questions of philosophy. A fair attempt at an introduction to philosophy but really lacks any depth or insight into any of the topics covered. Grayling is master of the new college of the humanities, and a supernumerary fellow of st annes college, oxford. The enduring value of philosophy is one of the central themes of grayling s exceptional new book. Grayling sketches out the philosophical underpinnings of friendship and discusses why this type of relationship is considered essential for a life well lived. Professor ac grayling, master of new college of the humanities in london. To revalue the ideas of the past, to insist that these ideas have origins and histories, to explain how these histories arise in deeply human practices and concerns. Grayling loved writing the history of philosophy and it shows. Applying philosophy to life is a collection of short, selfcontained essays or sketches, which began as contributions to the guardians last word column. Graylings recent book, the god argument, is difficult.
I just think this is one of the best philosophy books youll ever buy, read, and use again. A must read for anyone interested in having a reasonably detailed introduction to history of philosophy. A celebration of tribal peoples, released in october 2009. The good book is a manifesto for rational thought, but mirrors the bible in both form and language. An introduction to philosophical logic by a c grayling saved me from disaster. Ac graylings steamroller attack on religion as the catchall enemy of progress fatally banjaxes this book. Grayling is reader in philosophy, birkbeck college, university of london, and a supernumerary fellow, st annes college, oxford. A lot of generalisations made through the most pretentious writing style imaginable. Britains brexit referendum, in which, by the authors account. To date about the book we now have the meaning of things. The book does a great job surveying many of the most important debates over this time period up to the near present. Jun 20, 2019 ludwig wittgenstein 18891951 was an extraordinarily original philospher, whose influence on twentiethcentury thinking goes well beyond philosophy itself.
Discover book depositorys huge selection of a c grayling books. He believes that philosophy should take an active, useful role in society. The age of genius explores the eventful intertwining of outward event and inner intellectual life to tell, in all its richness and depth, the story of the 17th century in europe. Greek philosophy from about 600 bc until 322 bc the date of aristotles death, and modern philosophy from descartes to kant the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries ad.
Mar 15, 20 a c grayling on growing up, discovering philosophy and the meaning of life philosopher a c grayling talks to angela wintle about growing up in zambia, being bowled over by plato and the meaning of. But now, if i had to recommend one book to someone interested in the subject, it would be a. Grayling the times the story of philosophy is an epic tale. Ac grayling, who is a supremely rational and talented philosopher and essayist, has in this little book laid out the basic ideas of wittgensteins philosophy, and has clearly demonstrated that they do not make sense. As grayling notes, this is essential to the life worth living, a matter dear to the very first philosophers. As grayling wrote, if the starting point for reflection is the acceptance of religious doctrine, then the reflection that follows is theology, or theodicy, or exegesis, or casuistry, or apologetics, or hermeneutics, but it is not philosophy. In this book, which aims to make wittgensteins thought accessible to the general nonspecialist reader, a. Grayling s humanist bible, the good book, is a collection of great wisdom, but its nothing stephen would kill somebody else over. Grayling has always been vociferously antichristian, and this mars the opening of the book. Grayling was one of the contributors to the book, we are one. It was a book of spectacular dullness, but at that moment the. His latest books are the good book 2011, the god argument 20 and friendship 20. Jun 20, 2019 i have now completed anthony graylings history of philosophy and can truly say that it is a comprehensive and highly impressive work.
It covers not only the history of western philosophy, as bertand russells book did over 70 years ago, but also philosophies from around the world, including india, china, arabia and africa. Apr 11, 20 the duty to think, the god argument, humanism point of inquiry interview a. In the tradition of bertrand russells history of western philosophy, grayling takes us through the field from its beginnings to the present day, throwing in a comparative study of indian, arabicpersian, chinese and african philosophy along the way. One of the principal methods of analytic philosophy is analysis of the concepts we employ in thinking about ourselves and the world. He grew up in a colonial family in what is now zambia, where the grownups. His the history of philosophy note the authoritative the sees no dark side to the cult of reason.
Nov 05, 2019 moreover, in the last section of the book, the author offers a considerably shorter yet fair introduction to indian, chinese, arabicpersian, and african philosophy hindered only by the veil of language, yet he ends with a challenge to readers to address this surmountable difficulty. This allows him to dedicate more space to modern and contemporary philosophy. It is a credit to grayling s abilities that he has penned such a perspicuous book on some very difficult subjectsgiving the a reader a clear overview of the complexities of scholastic logic, analytic philosophies of language and mind, and much else besides is no easy feat, but grayling has achieved it. Grayling, 9780631199823, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Really quite annoying to read, and makes the book inaccessible to those who would want an introduction this basic. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy and other subjects, and has written on nonwestern philosophy. The first truly authoritative and accessible history of philosophy to cover both western and eastern traditions if there is any such person in britain as the thinking man, it is a. Until 2011 he was professor of philosophy at birkbeck college, university of london. Grayling is master of new college of the humanities, and a supernumerary fellow of st. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. I have now completed anthony graylings history of philosophy and can truly say that it is a comprehensive and highly impressive work. The book explores the cultures of peoples around the world, portraying both their diversity and the threats they face. Grayling makes wittgensteins thought accessible to the general reader by explaining the nature and impact of wittgensteins views.
British philosopher professor ac grayling has written numerous books on philosophy, politics and history his latest the history of philosophy, a huge endeavour, looks back on 2000 years of philosophical thought he told jim mora philosophy was, and remains, an important intellectual pursuit. Ac grayling s friendship grayling s timely book reacquaints us with a great but forgotten good. The greeks initiated all of philosophys major fields, and identified their basic questions. Ludwig wittgenstein 18891951 was an extraordinarily original thinker, whose influence on twentiethcentury thinking far outside the bounds of philosophy alone. The chapters in this book well display both its character and its methods.
A c grayling on growing up, discovering philosophy and the meaning of life philosopher a c grayling talks to angela wintle about growing up in zambia, being bowled over by plato and the meaning of. Well im an admirer of russell, both for his work early on in technical philosophy, i think if you look at the index to his book the principles of mathematics, published in 1903, you. Eleven extended essays have been specially commissioned from leading philosophers. In this extract from the introduction to friendship, a. Two recent developments, writes grayling philosophynew coll. Jul 26, 2012 the good book is a manifesto for rational thought, but mirrors the bible in both form and language. Grayling explains the nature and impact of wittgensteins views. It is intended to orientate, assist, and stimulate the reader at every stage in the study of the subject. Essential readings for the nonbeliever, and the good book, and more on. He talks about why religion angers him, the power of philosophy and his mane of hair. Its aim is not to persuade readers to accept one particular philosophical point of view or theory, but to help us consider the wonderful range of insights which can be drawn from an immeasurably rich history of philosophical. This book is an accessible, lively and thoughtprovoking series of linked commentaries, based on a.
Philosopher and author ac grayling the book show abc. Two main periods of the history of western thought are discussed in this volume. A secular bible, the philosopher sets out his manifesto for rational thought. Applying philosophy to life book online at best prices in india on. He is the author of numerous books, and is also a distinguished literary journalist and broadcaster. Grayling clearly articulate the reasons for the debates and the sides that are battling it out. An extended introduction provides general context and explains how the different subjects are related. Thales, who relied on observation and reason to know thyself, and socrates, for whom the first great question was how to live. The consolation of philosophy presents interpretative difficulties of a different order from the logical works or the theological treatises. The highest and finest of all human relationships is, arguably, friendship. Thinking through the ages philosophy s questions seem timeless, but its methods are not. Ac grayling talks to ellie cawthorne about his new book on the history of philosophy, which explores how ideas have shaped the world, and how the world has shaped great thinkers share on facebook share on twitter. Its aim is not to persuade readers to accept one particular philosophical point of view or theory, but to help us consider the wonderful range of insights which can be drawn from an immeasurably rich.
He covers propositions, necessity, existence, meaning, truth, reference, etc. It comprises specially commissioned explanatory surveys of the main areas of philosophy, written by thirteen leading philosophers. Grayling explains he has spent several decades on his ambitious project, distilling what he. But since the longpopular classic bertrand russells history of western philosophy, first published in 1945, there has been no. Astonishingly wideranging and comprehensive, grayling s synthesis of eastern and western thought is the first heavyweight onevolume history of philosophy since the war. Its aim is not to persuade readers to accept one particular philosophical point of view or theory, but to help us consider the wonderful range of insights which can be drawn from an immeasurably rich history of philosophical thought. Lets start by reminding us all about mr hercules and what his story was. The philosophy of friendship yale university press london. He describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and. Grayling s the history of philosophy delves into the thinkers who explored who we are and what it all means. Philosophy, he begins, is the attempt to make sense of things, to achieve understanding and perspective, in relation to those many areas of life and thought where doubt, difficulty, obscurity and. If grayling does have one fundamentalist article of faith, it is that all of us are capable of understanding philosophy. Ac grayling bbc video interview tackling the good book the sydney morning herald the new atheists are responding, not attacking new humanist pressing questions for our century edge ac grayling s top 5 nonreligious books slate a.
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