History of Philosophy: Vols 1-11

I received this 11 volume paperback set of Copleston, A history of Philosophy. The set was well packed and it arrived on time and in good condition. I have only just started reading them, starting with volume 2 on medieval philosophy, but I am sure I will enjoy reading all of them.

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Frederick Copleston's eleven volume history of philosophy is highly respected and rightly so. Unlike many philosophers Copleston does not use his writing as a way of imposing his own views on the reader but of faithfully expressing the views of the philsophers of whom he writes. Copleston started life as an Anglican, converted to Catholicism and, aged 23, became a Jesuit. Concerned about the poor quality of philosophical works in seminaries he wrote his own history of philosophy. It had an impact way beyond the seminary and went into mainstream philosophy as a classic. Copleston is also remembered for his debate on the BBC with Bertrand Russell, a debate which showed up Russell's intellectual vacuity when he argued that words such as universe were unintelligible and scientists should not be expected to look for cause but simply accept things were there. When Copleston asked,"your general point then, Lord Russell, is that it's illegitimate even to ask the question of the cause of the world?" Russell replied "Yes, that's my position." Notwithstanding the logical positivists' attempt to remove metaphysics from philosophy Russell's response was fatuous in the extreme. What is pleasing about this volume is its clear intellectual insight into basic philosophical concepts and Copleston's ability to express those concepts in a readable manner. Philosophy itself is not an easy subject to master but Copleston makes the hard work interesting. An excellent series which is worth purchasing, something I have just done.

The books are in good condition. I'm slightly miffed about the quality of the paper because I genuinely was expecting top quality paper for such costly books. But this is good too I suppose. These are a must-buy. 👍

Clear, authoritative, detailed and not tedious, Copleston's monumental work is the sine qua non (He sometimes gives Latin side-notes) for anyone seriously interested in Philosophical thinking. As a reference, for a quick glance, or in an in depth exposition, he is superior and accessible.