The Story of Philosophy was first published in 1926, with modest expectations that were soon outgrown. In a few years, it sold 2 million copies. To this day, it is still capturing new readers in America and has found many abroad in translations into Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, French, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, and Swedish.
Durant provides an immensely astute, clear, and enjoyable story of philosophy. He focuses not on schools of thought or subdisciplines, but on the most vigorous, powerful, and appealing thinkers in the Western philosophical tradition, starting with the founding figures of Plato and Aristotle, and taking us through Francis Bacon, the prime theorist of present-day scientific thought, and on to Spinoza, whom Durant prizes above all for his earnest effort to live his own philosophy.
Then Durant proceeds to the wise and witty Voltaire, Nietzsche, whose shadow looms over the history of the twentieth century, and other figures, who are not as well known today as they were when this book was published, but who retain vitality and interest.
The Story of Philosophy is a rare treasure. In an age of dumbing down and short attention spans, it provides a sweeping and absorbing history of some of the most important ideas that have ever been formed by human minds. Reading it is an education in itself—and an enjoyable one. It is not to be missed.