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The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers Audiobook
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Plot Summary
Over eleven years went into writing this classic historic chronology of our great Western thinkers. Will Durant is best known for his collaboration with his wife Arial Durant on The Story of Civilization, an eleven book series, which took them over fifty years to write. Yet here in the Story of Philosophy, with no less attention to detail and to sweeping scope of philosophical merit, Durant loads his text with biographical information of each philosopher, from the ancient Socrates to the modern Santayana. Indeed, though there are excerpts from these philosophers' original texts, Durant uses a careful treatment of the time in which these thinkers lived to elucidate and highlight the function and impact of their main tenets and most well known ideas.
This book is known as a classic that popularized philosophy, and because each era of Western philosophy's history comes alive under the lens of Durant, the contemporary audience will no doubt be left with a sense of being educated, while also broadly entertained.
Critics have remarked that his prose begs to be read aloud. In fact, his prose has been called so beautiful that it rivals poetry. Take the opportunity to hear it now by downloading this audiobook on Audiobooks.com today!
Will Durant was born in 1885. His scholarly activities are known for being exacting and scrupulous in their methodology. Durant was a prolific writer, historian and philosopher and he collaborated frequently with his wife Arial Durant. He is known for his gifts as a prose stylist and his storytelling abilities, which stand in stark contrast to other more formal academic writings. He and his wife won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non Fiction and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
"Magnificent overview of the development of Western thought despite the lack of emphasis on the significance of the Presocratics and a bit of overemphasis on Voltaire. What really makes this shine is the way Durant masterfully captures the style of each thinker he's going over in each section. "
— Guy (4 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
The product of eleven years of research, The Story of Philosophy is an endlessly inspiring and instructive chronicle of the world’s greatest thinkers, from Socrates to Santayana. Written with exacting and scrupulous scholarship, it was designed both to command the respect of educators and to capture the interest of the layman.
Durant lucidly describes the philosophical systems of such world-famous “monarchs of the mind” as Plato, Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Spinoza, Kant, Voltaire, and Nietzsche. Along with their ideas, he offers their flesh-and-blood biographies, placing their thoughts within their own time and place and elucidating their influence on our modern intellectual heritage. This book is packed with wisdom and wit.
The Story of Philosophy is a key book for any listener who wishes to survey the history and development of philosophical ideas in the Western world.
Download and start listening now!
Quotes
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“A delight.”
— New York Times -
“Easily the most engaging writer of Western intellectual history in the English language, Will Durant breathes life into philosophers and their ideas. He is colorful, witty, and above all, informative.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review
The Story of Philosophy Listener Reviews
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PRS, 11/28/2021
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" I read this early on, when such books were in the public library. Recently I went back to my hometown library: there were three books about philosophy and 15 different "Chicken Soup" editions. What happened to Jaspers, Russell, Mortimer Adler, Durant, Sartre that I read there? "
— Alan, 12/29/2013 -
" If you didn't read it in Philosophy 101, than I'd recommend it to any classically trained scholar. Reviews the major points of thought from all major philosophers over the last 3000 years. Good conversation starter for New England cocktail parties. "
— Hal, 12/18/2013 -
" the only philosophy book i have ever read the purpose of which is for the reader to understand the philosophy of the philosopher. this should be the starting point of any serious inquiry into philosophy or even a particular philosopher covered--it will all follow from this clear foundation. "
— Monica, 12/18/2013 -
" very engaging writing style about the lives of great philosophers. "
— Elisabeth, 11/23/2013 -
" The book is a compendium of philosophical thought over the ages,A very good book "
— Cherry, 11/12/2013 -
" A classic. Not a simple read by any means, but a classic none the less. "
— Bruce, 8/13/2013 -
" Smooth and Vivid. Put itself as a clear guide to philosophy. "
— Khalid, 7/31/2013 -
" I would have given it a five, had it included eastern philosophies too. "
— Nandakishore, 4/23/2013 -
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Timothy Mott Sr, 3/24/2013
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" A concise and well critiqued summary of works of major philosophers from ancient Greece till 19th century. "
— Prateek, 2/13/2013 -
" Good, but getting old. Brushes over the middle ages rather quickly. "
— Shawn, 12/8/2012 -
" Logical, clear, and at times having dramatic flourishes, great read for anyone looking for an introduction to philosophy. "
— Gaurav, 8/3/2012 -
" This book helped to direct and define my early career as scholar, historian, teacher, techie, and modern pagan. "
— Jon, 3/25/2012 -
" Anyone who reads this will have a life-long love of philosophy. There simply isn't a better and more well-written introduction, even after these many years. Durant's prose is a delight to read. "
— Arjun, 2/19/2012 -
" Magnificent overview of the development of Western thought despite the lack of emphasis on the significance of the Presocratics and a bit of overemphasis on Voltaire. What really makes this shine is the way Durant masterfully captures the style of each thinker he's going over in each section. "
— Guy, 12/6/2011 -
" The Pythagorean Theorem will forever look different to you after you read this introduction to the Pythagorean Brotherhood. Celebrate irrational numbers! "
— Darisann, 5/21/2011 -
" An enjoyable overview of a few known philosophers. "
— Arnþór, 5/9/2011 -
" This is a history of philosophy, not a philosophy book. Read it as such! "
— Mahmood, 4/13/2011 -
" One of the best book I've read about philosophy. "
— Ibrahim, 3/27/2011 -
" Smooth and Vivid. Put itself as a clear guide to philosophy. "
— Khalid, 2/1/2011 -
" Durant is a great writer, makes arcane subject matter accessible to the ordinary reader. "
— Rich, 12/22/2010
About Will Durant
Will Durant (1885–1981) was an award-winning American writer, historian, and philosopher. He and his wife were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1968 for Rousseau and Revolution, and he was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Durant spent over forty years writing the critically acclaimed eleven-volume Story of Civilization, the later volumes with the help of his wife, Ariel. He sought to revitalize history by unifying and humanizing the great body of historical knowledge, which had become voluminous and fragmented into esoteric subcategories. He also strove to bring philosophy to the common man. Durant was a champion of human rights, social reform, and the brotherhood of man long before they became well-known issues.
About Grover Gardner
Julie McKay is a voice talent and audiobook narrator. She has a degree in music and a background in classical theater. As an actor, she has worked at Shakespeare festivals and regional theaters across the country as well as off-Broadway in New York.