A History of Western Philosophy: From the Pre-Socratics to Postmodernism

by C. Stephen Evans

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2018

Overview

Plato. Aristotle. Augustine. Hume. Kant. Hegel.

These names and the philosophies associated with them ring through the minds of every student and scholar of philosophy. And in their search for knowledge, every student of philosophy needs to know the history of the philosophical discourse such giants have bequeathed us.

Noted philosopher C. Stephen Evans brings his expertise to this daunting task as he surveys the history of Western philosophy, from the Pre-Socratics to Nietzsche and postmodernism—and every major figure and movement in between.

Key Features

• Provides insight into the context, lives, and legacies of key philosophers
• Includes a helpful introduction to orient readers to the study of philosophy
• Focuses on the intersection between philosophy and religion

Contents

• Introduction to the Project
• The Beginnings of Western Philosophy: The Pre-Socratics
• Socrates and the Sophists
• Plato
• Aristotle
• Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods: Epicureanism, Stoicism, Skepticism, and Neoplatonism
• Early Christian Thought Through Augustine
• Early Medieval Philosophy
• The High Middle Ages (I): Thomas Aquinas
• The High Middle Ages (II): Bonaventure, Scotus, Ockham
• Philosophy Between the Medieval and Modern Periods
• Descartes and the Beginning of Modern Philosophy
• Continental Rationalism: Spinoza and Leibniz
• British Empiricism: Locke and Berkeley
• The Scottish Enlightenment (I): David Hume
• The Scottish Enlightenment (II): Thomas Reid
• Enlightenment Deism, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Mary Wollstonecraft
• Immanuel Kant
• German Idealism and Hegel
• Karl Marx
• Søren Kierkegaard
• John Stuart Mill and Nineteenth-Century Positivism
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• Conclusions: Some Lessons from the History of Western Philosophy

Top Highlights

“In some cases this postmodernism appears to take the form of a rejection of realism. Reality is not independent of the human mind but is ‘constructed’ by humans. Jacques Derrida raises questions about the ability of language to refer to a stable reality independent of ourselves. Michel Foucault, following Nietzsche, sees human thinking as shaped by attempts to dominate and control our fellow human beings. Claims to truth are seen as disguised expressions of a will to power. The issues raised by this are complex, and an adequate treatment is beyond the scope of this chapter. Nevertheless, I will later in this chapter offer some convictions about what is right and what is wrong with such postmodern ways of thinking.” (Page 573)

“William James famously defined philosophy simply as ‘an unusually obstinate effort to think clearly.’” (Page 7)

“Thales and his successors made several key assumptions: (1) The natural universe is rational and intelligible. (2) The natural universe is a unity, in that all of it can be explained by one or more simple principles. The challenge such a view faces lies in explaining the apparent diversity of the natural world as well as the changes it undergoes. (3) There is a distinction between reality and appearance; the natural world is not simply as it appears but must be understood in terms of a true nature that differs from that appearance. These assumptions not only have been determinative of the history of Western philosophy, but continue to shape the natural sciences even today.” (Page 16)

Praise for the Print Edition

Few textbook writers have a long and distinguished record of first-rank scholarship, but this one does. Even fewer have been able to write successfully for disciplinary specialists, interested intellectuals, and first-time inquirers, but this one has. Almost none of these can offer the fruit of a lifetime’s reflection on philosophy from an informed and discerning Christian viewpoint, but this one can. Steve Evans’s new survey is a rare gift, as he himself is, and I trust this book will gain the wide reading it deserves.

—John G. Stackhouse Jr., Samuel J. Mikolaski professor of religious studies, Crandall University, Moncton, Canada

We have here an overview of western philosophy from the pre-Socratic philosophers of ancient Greece to the twentieth century. It offers a summary of the basic teachings of the major thinkers we have come to call philosophers that is comprehensive, succinct, lucid, and evenhanded. In addition there are occasional reflections on the significance of the material for Christian thought. Combined with the appropriate primary source readings, this volume will be a very useful textbook for a variety of college level courses.

—Merold Westphal, distinguished professor of philosophy emeritus, Fordham University

When a world-class Christian philosopher writes on the history of Western philosophy, one can expect a first-rate work that illuminates and enriches—and that is just what we find here. Evans’s book effectively distills key philosophical figures and their ideas, considering both their historical context and their lasting influence. What we have in this volume is a marvelous resource that engages key thinkers and philosophical concepts judiciously, insightfully, and Christianly.

—Paul Copan, the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University, author of A Little Book for New Philosophers

Product Details

• Title: A History of Western Philosophy: From the Pre-Socratics to Postmodernism
• Author: C. Stephen Evans
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2018
• Pages: 600
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Philosophy

About C. Stephen Evans

C. Stephen Evans is University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Baylor University. He is also a Professorial Fellow at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University and is a widely travelled speaker. Evans is the author or editor of more than two dozen books, including the Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics and Philosophy of Religion, Faith Beyond Reason: A Kierkegaardian Account, Why Believe? Reason and Mystery as Pointers to God, and God and Moral Obligation.