The Book of Dead Philosophers (Vintage)
by Simon Critchley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Simon CritchleyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-10
ISBN: 0307390438
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Vintage
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780307390431
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of The Book of Dead Philosophers (Vintage)
Book Review: Dead funny
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't be misled by the "Little Book of..." style title and the jokey jacket: in his book Simon Critchley succeeds in setting out philosophical ideas on life and death across the millennia in a serious, accessible, and often witty, way.
The structure of the book, set out in roughly chronological, biographical paragraphs, makes it a page turner. Philosophical positions which may sound forbidding to the non-philosopher (me) - the ontological argument for the existence of God is just one example - are set out in such clear fashion that the flow is uninterrupted.
Many years ago, I took an undergraduate course titled, History of Modern Philosophy; the most modern of the philosophers considered was Immanuel Kant. So, it was interesting to read about thinkers such as Foucault and Derrida, who, until now, have only been names. There were other names that I'd never even heard, but that I was fascinated to read about: Edith Stein, Gadamer, and Levinas.
Although the book is written with considerable wit, at times, particularly in the earlier chapters, I wondered if some of the references were spoofs:
Could someone called Gilles Menage really have written a History of Women Philosophers in 1609 ? And was there an early Christian Father called John the Dwarf ?
As I read on, however, I realised that the jokes in the book - there are some good ones - are more subtly expressed. There are also some enjoyable asides: what links Hegel and the Brooklyn Bridge ? How are A J Ayer and Mike Tyson connected ?
A minor criticism I was going to make has been torpedoed by looking in the dictionary: the verb "preponderate" is in the OED. On first reading, I thought the author had been in LA for too long.
Simon Critchley summarises his own ideas in the final chapter; after almost two hundred deaths, they are lively and uplifting.
For those who are encouraged by the book to read more, there is an extensive bibliography.
This is a serious book (you won't find any quotes from Bill Shankly) which wears its erudition lightly.
Recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of ideas.
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