Ancient Philosophy

Bertrand Russell apparently wrote his History of Western Philosophy in a hurry to raise funds. Although this reamins a popular work, it is a patchy and unreliable source. By contrast, Kenny's history of philosophy is the product of a lifetime of scholarship and this is manifest on every page. The other celebrated history of philosophy is that of Frederick Copleston, which runs to twelve volumes. Although this contains a wealth of detail and remains a valuable resource, Kenny is by far the better philosopher and writer. * James Ladyman, Times Higher Education Supplement *