The Great Philosophers An Introduction to Western Philosophy

Conversations with 15 contemporary writers and philosophers provide an accessible and exciting account of Western philosophy and its greatest thinkers. Includes contributions from A.J. Ayer, Bernard Williams, Martha Nussbaum, Peter Singer, and John Searle. 28 halftones.

Beginning with the death of Socrates in 399 BC, and following the story through the centuries to recent figures such as Bertrand Russell and Wittgenstein, Bryan Magee's conversations with fifteen contemporary writers and philosophers provide an accessible and exciting account of Western philosophy and its greatest thinkers. The contributors include A. J. Ayer, Bernard Williams, Martha Nussbaum, Peter Singer, and John Searle, so that the book is not only an introduction to the philosophers of the past, but gives an invaluable insight into the view and personalities of some of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century.

Bryan Magee was born in London in 1930. He was educated at Oxford where he took two honours degrees and was President of the Oxford Union. He held a fellowship in philosophy at Yale until 1956 when he became an independent writer in philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford. In 1973 he was elected a Visiting Fellow of All Souls, Oxford. From 1974-6 he was a regular columnist on 'the Times' and in 1979 was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Television Society for his work in broadcasting. Since 1994 he has been A Visiting Professor at King's College London and has published sixteen other books including Modern British Philosophy, Popper, Creators of Contemporary Philosophy, The Philosophy of Schopenhauer, Aspects of Wagner, and On Blindness.