Portraits from Memory and Other Essays - Bertrand Russell

Advantages: Very valuabe book
Disadvantages: None

...(pages: 490-836) ** Part I. From the Renaissance to Hume In this part, Bertrand Russell brings the readers along with him to take a look to the history and characteristics of the renaissance, the reformation and counter-reformation movements, the rise of science, and the rise of philosophical liberalism. Russell also brings the readers to trace the influence of Machiavelli, Erasmus, Sir Thomas More, Francis Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, in the modern philosophy era. According to Russell (p.491), the period of history which is commonly called "modern" has a mental outlook which differs from that of the medieval period in many ways. Of these, two are the most important: the diminishing authority of the Church, and the increasing authority of science. With these two, others are connected. The culture... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Insightful and eloquently written
Disadvantages: None

...This is a remarkable book divided into three distinct periods of Bertrand’s life, eloquently put together by a collection of letters and thoughts. He was perhaps one of the most important (and many times overlooked) characters of the 20th century. I would recommend this book strongly to fan’s of Russell, and to those who share a love for history, and also not forgetting great letter writing! I noticed that the last reviewer included the closing lines, well, if nobody has any objections, I would like to include the opening prologue entitled “What I have lived for”. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful prologues ever written! “Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: An excellent overview, great for general reference.
Disadvantages: Can be somewhat lacking in detail and a little opinionated.

...In his famous "History of Western Philosophy," Bertrand Russell aimed not only to give a comprehensive overview of the history of ideas, from the Pre-Socratics to the beginning of the twentieth century, but to examine the connections between the ideas of the philosophers and the society and culture in which they were writing. The resulting tome is fascinating, and reasonably readable for a work on philosophy, but suffers, as Russell admits, from a certain lack of detail, inevitable when a single author takes such a wide subject matter. The book is structured simply enough, moving in chronological order and split up into three parts, covering classical philosophy, the rise of the church and the scholastics in the middle ages (Russell makes a brief diversion into history here, but it is helpful in putting the scholastic philosophy... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful