Bryan Magee The Great Philosophers Pdf Merge

In this infectiously exciting book, Bryan Magee tells the story of his own discovery of philosophy and not only makes it come alive but shows its relevance to daily life. Magee is the Carl Sagan of philosophy, the great popularizer of the subject, and author of a major new introductory history, The Story of Philosophy. Confessions follows the course of Magee's life, explor In this infectiously exciting book, Bryan Magee tells the story of his own discovery of philosophy and not only makes it come alive but shows its relevance to daily life. Magee is the Carl Sagan of philosophy, the great popularizer of the subject, and author of a major new introductory history, The Story of Philosophy. Confessions follows the course of Magee's life, exploring philosophers and ideas as he himself encountered them, introducing all the great figures and their ideas, from the pre-Socratics to Bertrand Russell and Karl Popper, including Wittgenstein, Kant, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer, rationalism, utilitarianism, empiricism, and existentialism. The plain fact is that none of our direct experience can be adequately put into words. When I discovered episodes of Bryan Magee's program on YouTube, I felt like I hit a gold mine.

6 Collins 2000, p.4; the great modern example of the philosopher as organizational leader is Paul Kurtz, the founder of secular. 35th International Medieval Conference: see also. 70 See Bryan Magee, 'Sense and nonsense', in Philosophy: Basic Readings, ed. Bryan Magee has been a Member of Parliament, a critic of music and. College, Oxford. His books include The. Philosophy of Schopenhauer, The Great Philosophers, Aspects of. Wagner and Sight Un'seen. Confessions of a Philosopher. Taken on his own terms, what Popper has done is combine a.

I couldn't believe that someone had made a television show like this, wherein an eminent living philosopher gave a lengthy and detailed explanation of a great dead philosopher's ideas. The more I watched, however, the more I came to appreciate Magee rather than his guests. His ability to give lucid, brief, and insight The plain fact is that none of our direct experience can be adequately put into words. When I discovered episodes of Bryan Magee's program on YouTube, I felt like I hit a gold mine. I couldn't believe that someone had made a television show like this, wherein an eminent living philosopher gave a lengthy and detailed explanation of a great dead philosopher's ideas. The more I watched, however, the more I came to appreciate Magee rather than his guests. His ability to give lucid, brief, and insightful explanations of the subject matter, while skilfully guiding the discussion to the most pertinent points, was really impressive.

So when I finished watching every episode I could find, I went ahead and bought one of his books. Confessions of a Philosopher attracted me in particular because of its concept: to introduce the reader to philosophy through the medium of autobiography. This appealed to me because, before I had even heard of this book, I often wondered why philosophy wasn't more often written in an autobiographical style. This would help with philosophy's image problem, at least.

So often I encounter bafflement that philosophers can be so passionately interested in their questions—questions that to many people seem pointless and inconsequential. I have trouble understanding this bafflement, since for me philosophical questions are some of the most intellectually puzzling and emotionally gripping questions I know, and moreover relate directly to my own experience. A philosophical autobiography struck me as the perfection solution to this perceived triviality, so I was excited to see Magee's version.

Unfortunately, I think this book is far weaker than it could have been. This does not mean that I think it's bad or not worth reading; indeed it is immensely readable and remarkably interesting. Magee is a skilled and entertaining writer—his prose always lucid and clear, if sometimes wordy and repetitive. Ice Age 1 Greek Audio Free Download Full Movie Online more.

And the reader of this book, especially someone new to philosophy, will emerge from the end of it much more knowledgeable. Indeed, even though I've read a decent amount of philosophy myself, I learned a good deal, especially about Schopenhauer and Popper. So this book has much to commend it. But along with its good points were many aspects I found frustrating and off-putting.

This is due, ultimately, I think, to its attempt to do too many things at once. The book starts off strong with a series of short vignettes, illustrating how philosophical problems appeared in Magee's life ever since he was a child. He wondered about how his conscious experience related to the rest of reality, why his awareness was tied inextricably to his body, and whether time and space were infinite or came to an end eventually.

These anecdotes were, for me, perhaps the best part of the book, since here Magee illustrates how abstract problems can arise in everyday experience and also depicts some of the existential dread that often comes along with these questions. From there, Magee moves on to his philosophical training at Oxford, and that's where the trouble starts. When he began studying, logical positivism was the dominant paradigm, although it was soon to be replaced by linguistic analysis. Though they differ in many respects, these two approaches share the idea that most philosophical problems, as traditionally conceived, aren’t real problems at all. The only reason people think they are real problems is because of inadequate logical analysis of the concepts, terms and propositions, or a lack of subtlety in appreciating the finer points of linguistic usage. Thus analysis of one kind or another could dissolve the problem simply by clarifying it.

As Magee repeatedly makes clear, he found these approaches both intellectually unsound and personally unsatisfying. But it soon becomes apparent that, because he had been forced to study this philosophy for so long, his antipathy goes deeper than that. He is resentful and bitter that the philosophy is so popular.

He finds it to be absolutely pointless, indeed not philosophy at all, and he thinks it’s a bankrupt tradition practiced by brilliant but uncurious and unoriginal dunderheads. Personally I think his verdict on these paradigms is overly harsh, but that’s not the real problem. The issue is that Magee returns insistently and continually to attacking this tradition, from the beginning of the book all the way to the end, usually in such a vehement and venemous tone that I couldn’t help but be put off. Indeed, his attitude towards analytical philosophy reminded me most strongly of Richard Dawkins’s attitude towards religion. In both cases, the shrillness of tone is what bothers me, not the content of what is said. What’s more, the repeated intellectual attacks turn this book from a philosophical memoire to a polemic or a philippic, which really detracts from the overall impression, I think. There is also a remarkable vein of hypocrisy that runs through these pages, which I think is psychologically interesting and yet weakens his main points.

For instance, he denounces secondary literature in philosophy; and yet Magee has spent his life producing secondary literature. He criticizes G.E. Moore for wishing to find philosophical justifications for what he believed as a child; and yet over and over Magee points to his childhood experience as shaping the kinds of questions and answers he’s seeking in philosophy. Once again: Magee reproaches analytic philosophers for seeking to have their preexisting beliefs clarified and confirmed, instead of attempting to broaden their viewpoint; but Magee makes it clear that he has felt quasi-Kantian longings his whole life and appreciates Kant for clarifying and justifying this worldview. The list goes on.

(The reason I find this psychologically interesting is because it shows that being intelligent and well-educated does not make you self-aware.) This hypocrisy reinforces another notable quality: his sense of superiority. Whether in politics, philosophy, or life generally, Magee thinks most people just don’t get it. Other people are either intellectually uncurious or spineless, whereas Magee thinks for himself and harbors no illusions.

Other people are unreflective or dogmatic, whereas Magee is thoughtful and open-minded. Other people are partisan and short-sighted, whereas Magee is liberal, tolerant, and always takes the long view. At least, this is what he’d have you believe. Magee’s default attitude is that, through a combination of his temperament, personality, education, and life experience, he can see the truth when other people simply can’t or don’t want to.

The main emotional drive that Magee brings to this book comes from his midlife crisis. At around the age of thirty, Magee realized that he was inevitably going to die, and his next years were consumed with this overwhelming and, for him, intolerable realization. It soon becomes clear that this anguish over his own mortality was not a discrete event in his life, but characterizes his whole psychological makeup. Indeed, finding some way out of this anxiety is what motivates his interest in philosophy. Although I have trouble sympathizing with this existential terror, the pages detailing his state of mind are undeniably gripping. This brings me to the next tension running through this book. In addition to being both an intellectual autobiography and a polemic against contemporary philosophy (already a stretch), this book also has an educational aim.

As a result, the sections detailing his mental agony alternate with sections explaining the lives and ideas of the great philosophers. The juxtaposition is often jarring. Just when you are getting absorbed into his emotional state, he is suddenly giving an overview of Chomsky or Popper; and just when you become interested in Popper, it’s back to Magee’s torment. But for me the most frustrating aspect of this book was Magee’s insistence that living with crippling existential angst is the only rational, honest, and brave way to live.

I disagree with this view, for many reasons. First, the characteristics of this angst often struck me as being due to unfulfilled religious cravings. He is terrified of dying, and longs to know whether some kind of afterlife exists. The possibility that this life is all we have, and that it is the result of mere chance and not of cosmic significance, seems intolerable to Magee. Indeed, he says that if that were the case, all life would be ultimately meaningless and pointless, and everything we consider important just a pathetic attempt at self-delusion.

I have trouble even wrapping my mind around this view, because it seems to rest on an assumption like this: “Everything apparently meaningful must be eternal to be really meaningful.” No matter how much I think about it, I can’t see the logic behind this assumption. It seems to me that meaning can only exist in experience; and since experience can only take place in time, I don’t know what timeless, eternal meaningfulness could be. Besides, if something is meaningful to me now, in this moment, I don’t see how my inevitable death in the future can invalidate this experience of meaning in the present. It is telling no discussion of this kind takes place in the book. The longer and deeper that Magee delved into his existential crisis, the more frustrated I got.

In fact, “frustration” is the key word for this book, both for Magee’s outlook and my response. Magee is frustrated with his contemporaries, with himself, and with his inability to know the answers to certain metaphysical questions. And I was frustrated with his frustration. To me it seemed obvious that he was attempting to know the unknowable, and that this urge was motivated by an emotional response to an unwarranted assumption. What most frustrated me was that a lifetime of studying philosophy had not brought to him any humility or tranquility. Magee remains frustrated, arrogant, and anxious to the end—indeed, proudly so. Magee would have you believe that anxiety and frustration are the only truly rational responses to life.

He insists that philosophy isn’t about analysis or activism, but rather an attempt to answer pressing metaphysical questions. These questions he regards as so crucial that everything else is of trifling importance. For my part, I can’t see the logic or the wisdom in this view. Philosophy, if it is worth the name, should not only deal with certain traditional problems—problems of metaphysics, epistemology, morality, and the rest—but should lead to an acceptance of yourself, your limitations, and the world around you. In other words, the love of wisdom should make you more wise. If the study of philosophy leads to a crippling obsession with metaphysical mysteries, I don’t think it's worth much.

Thus by introducing philosophy through the prism of his own psychology, Magee risks giving a bleak impression of the subject. The reason I have been dwelling on the shortcomings of this book at such length is because I think it could have been really great if it were more focused, less polemical, and less driven by frustration and anxiety.

Even as it stands, however, it is an absorbing and rewarding read. Magee’s mind is rich and restless, and this book is brimming over with thoughts, observations, anxieties, opinions, and theories. Not only is he bright and supremely well-educated, but he has been personally involved with many of the most eminent philosophers of the twentieth century.

The chapters on his meetings with Popper and Russell alone would have been worth the value of the book. And despite my disagreements and exasperations, I think I gained a lot.

Often the most frustrating books can be the most rewarding. Murf the Surf wrote: 'Lots.you're far more knowledgeable than I in philosophy as it shows in your stellar review my friend!

I'd taken one semester of Murf the Surf wrote: 'Lots.you're far more knowledgeable than I in philosophy as it shows in your stellar review my friend! I'd taken one semester of it mixed with medical ethics at UF. I'd always loved the topic and a.' I'm glad you enjoyed my review! I think this book would definitely be a good place to start if you're interested in learning more about philosophy. Magee has another book called that is more traditional history and introduction to the subject.

I haven't read it, but I bet it's good. Great review! Especially interesting your comments about Magee not having found any humility or calm through philosophy. It seems to me like one can s Great review! Especially interesting your comments about Magee not having found any humility or calm through philosophy. It seems to me like one can spend an entire lifetime trying to rationalize reality through philosophy, without experiencing any change at all in his heart / psychology.

I think it’s only through daily disciplines and behaviors like prayer or meditation that one can patiently see deep roots grow from his thinking brain into his depths, and really change him, or, in other words, make him grow up and mature. 1 hour, 23 min ago. There's something brilliant and engaging about this book. It's very hard to put down and deserves a wide audience and a long print-run. In my edition, there's a short quote on the front cover from a review in The Times. It simply says 'Philosophy made thrilling.' That says a lot about this book, but says more about how many authors before have not been able to convey the excitement of philosophy and the absolute need for it in school curricula around the world.

Well, after reading this book There's something brilliant and engaging about this book. It's very hard to put down and deserves a wide audience and a long print-run. In my edition, there's a short quote on the front cover from a review in The Times. It simply says 'Philosophy made thrilling.' That says a lot about this book, but says more about how many authors before have not been able to convey the excitement of philosophy and the absolute need for it in school curricula around the world.

Well, after reading this book, I was in a state of shock and shame. My personal library of books, which I thought reflected a wide suite of interests and subjects was missing the most important section. So I must thank Magee for the 40-odd philosophy books on my shelf now and for introducing me to Schopenhauer and Kant and Hume and Popper and Wittgenstein. I was left floundering in my own ignorance for months, wondering how it was possible for any school child to be set loose into the world without being armed with the tools required to question and understand the nature and scope of their knowledge (epistemology) and existence (ontology). Thank you Bryan Magee, thank you. I have no difficulty understanding why I haven't read this in the 16-17 years this volume has graced my shelves. It's much harder to understand why I bought it in the first place.

I must have bought it on a whim, soon after having read 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder. I also had to study philosophy of sorts ('theory of knowledge') in highschool, so maybe I was inspired. This was no good, despite a fairly promising start. The book is about Bryang Magee's discovery of philosophy and his career I have no difficulty understanding why I haven't read this in the 16-17 years this volume has graced my shelves. It's much harder to understand why I bought it in the first place. I must have bought it on a whim, soon after having read 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder. I also had to study philosophy of sorts ('theory of knowledge') in highschool, so maybe I was inspired.

This was no good, despite a fairly promising start. The book is about Bryang Magee's discovery of philosophy and his career in the field. Most of the time it is mind numbingly boring, but occasionally it is informative. The biggest problem I had was with what how arrogant the author is as he describes himself in this book. No one is as intelligent or understands philosophy as well as he does.

*eyeroll* I bothered until about page 400, when he came with the remark that teaching didn't give him anything because none of his students could bring any new questions to the scene. Magee, too clever for this world by far. NOT RECOMMENDED. A pity about the silly title - it's one of the most resolutely and deliberately un-confessional books you can imagine - but this is a brilliant introduction to philosophy that far surpasses any of the thousands of books ever published by academic philosophers under the title 'An Introduction to Philosophy.' What a terrible shame that this book was (as I understand it) pulped in the US because of a few innocuous paragraphs about Russell's sidekick Ralph Shoenman. 'Confessions' deserved a wide aud A pity about the silly title - it's one of the most resolutely and deliberately un-confessional books you can imagine - but this is a brilliant introduction to philosophy that far surpasses any of the thousands of books ever published by academic philosophers under the title 'An Introduction to Philosophy.' What a terrible shame that this book was (as I understand it) pulped in the US because of a few innocuous paragraphs about Russell's sidekick Ralph Shoenman.

'Confessions' deserved a wide audience, and is the ideal book to give anyone really serious about getting into the subject. (If they think it's too long, hard, or detailed, well then they shouldn't be getting into the subject. Nobody is ever going to make taking Kant and Schopenhauer seriously easier than this!). Although he consistently rubbed me the wrong way with his unabashed love of the Canon and brushes with pretentiousness, his descriptions of his own psychological turmoil and struggle to find meaning in life saved my shit. Who knew I could count an Oxford/Yale-educated, 70-year-old British Wagner-fetishist among my brethren? This is a great book for anyone who knows nothing about Western philosophy but wants to and/or for anyone who 'has philosophical problems' (this sounds much more important th Although he consistently rubbed me the wrong way with his unabashed love of the Canon and brushes with pretentiousness, his descriptions of his own psychological turmoil and struggle to find meaning in life saved my shit. Who knew I could count an Oxford/Yale-educated, 70-year-old British Wagner-fetishist among my brethren?

This is a great book for anyone who knows nothing about Western philosophy but wants to and/or for anyone who 'has philosophical problems' (this sounds much more important than 'is mentally unstable,' doesn't it?). This guy is obsessed with clarity and obviously has a true mastery of his subject. He did some BBC series on philosophy in the '70s which I am dying to get my hands on! His actually made me want to read Plato and Schopenhauer! This book was my literary bread and butter during. Certain years and carried me over that.

I lost count of how many times I went through it, I bookmarked the crap out of it, it's all in marks, bookmarks and bookmarks of bookmarks. It's highlighted, underscored, checkmarked, frames are drawn, and comments - my momentary petit mals, that seemed like blissful insights, relevant at the time - put in. I revel in the memory of smell of shitty paper it was printed on. It's the most passi This book was my literary bread and butter during. Certain years and carried me over that.

I lost count of how many times I went through it, I bookmarked the crap out of it, it's all in marks, bookmarks and bookmarks of bookmarks. It's highlighted, underscored, checkmarked, frames are drawn, and comments - my momentary petit mals, that seemed like blissful insights, relevant at the time - put in. I revel in the memory of smell of shitty paper it was printed on.

It's the most passionate account of philosophy I've come across to this day. And in a sense, it's the passionate account of author's life. Thank you mr. As an informal introduction to philosophy, this was a revelation. Magee provides detail discussion of major philosophical problems through the medium of autobiography, and how each personally affected his life. Thankfully, he uses this primarily as a framework, devoting most of the words to the philosophy itself, breathing life into a subject that is often thought of as stuffy and academic. This style works wonders, but unfortunately Magee becomes more and more undisciplined as the book goes on, As an informal introduction to philosophy, this was a revelation.

Magee provides detail discussion of major philosophical problems through the medium of autobiography, and how each personally affected his life. Thankfully, he uses this primarily as a framework, devoting most of the words to the philosophy itself, breathing life into a subject that is often thought of as stuffy and academic. This style works wonders, but unfortunately Magee becomes more and more undisciplined as the book goes on, shifting the focus towards himself. I guess, this being an autobiography, he is entitled to do that, but it really takes away from the impact of the ideas. I would say that a good 100+ pages (1/6 of my edition) could be cut entirely, in which Magee talks about his mid-life crisis, love of music, novel writing, television programs, and so on without so much of the direct reference to philosophical ideas. Nevertheless, this book has succeeded in reviving my dormant interest in the subject, and comes highly recommended for anyone even slightly curious about the mysteries of life. Originally published on my blog in January 2002.

Brian Magee has spent much of his adult life presenting 'highbrow' TV programmes, mainly attempting to popularise philosophy. This book is partly autobiography, and partly short accounts of the ideas of some of the philosophers who have been important in his life. Having been disturbed by philosophical problems (such as whether the world we see is real) to an unusual extent as a child, Magee studied philosophy. However, he was disillusioned by Originally published on my blog in January 2002.

Brian Magee has spent much of his adult life presenting 'highbrow' TV programmes, mainly attempting to popularise philosophy. This book is partly autobiography, and partly short accounts of the ideas of some of the philosophers who have been important in his life.

Having been disturbed by philosophical problems (such as whether the world we see is real) to an unusual extent as a child, Magee studied philosophy. However, he was disillusioned by postgraduate study at Oxford, then in the grip of linguistic analysis, which he felt was both sterile and, because not concerned with what he considered the real problems, not really philosophy. Eventually moving into TV, he used the fact that it paid well to work only half the time, spending the rest of his life studying philosophy, attending concerts and seeing plays. In the course of time, he came to know two of the outstanding philosophers of the twentieth century, Bertrand Russell and Karl Popper. The major portion of the book consists of explanations of the main philosophical problems as Magee sees them (those raised by Kant, basically), and descriptions of the ideas of several philosophers, both those who have attacked these problems (particularly Schopenhauer, for whom he has a great admiration) and those who turned important schools of twentieth century philosophy away from them into the dead ends of logical positivism and linguistic analysis. These explanations, generally well integrated with the biographical material, are clear and easy to read, and have the real virtue of pointing the reader to the original sources (while warning of some of the most difficult to read - Hegel, Fichte in particular).

Confessions of a Philosopher has certainly made me want to go away and read more philosophy and think about these problems; and that is something that I think would make Magee feel he has succeeded. Magee is a popularizer of philosophy, mostly on television, but with some books also. He describes his personal journey in philosophy and gives us some opinions. He likes Bertrand Russell, Karl Popper, Immanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer, considering Karl Popper as perhaps the most significant philosopher of the 20th century. He considers art and music to be more intellectual than philosophy; logical positivism and linguistic analysis to be empty (not addressing the primary philosophical issues Magee is a popularizer of philosophy, mostly on television, but with some books also. He describes his personal journey in philosophy and gives us some opinions.

He likes Bertrand Russell, Karl Popper, Immanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer, considering Karl Popper as perhaps the most significant philosopher of the 20th century. He considers art and music to be more intellectual than philosophy; logical positivism and linguistic analysis to be empty (not addressing the primary philosophical issues); Continental philosophy to be lacking rigor, following pop fashions and non-productive. Husserl and Heidegger are significant and productive leaders of the Continental. Magee considers Plato and Kant to be the greatest philosophers in history. Schopenhauer's philosophy was most attractive to Magee since it considers art to be highest and promotes transcendental idealism. All this is written in a very engaging style without academic pretensions.

It will help those who are trying to plow through modern philosophy. This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone interested in philosophy, ideas, or basically intellectual history in the 20th century.

In is an intellectual biography of Bryan Magee--an thinker, writer, and television producer. Magee was in the middle of the philosophical community, without being an actual philosopher (in the standard sense of being a professor at the university being paid to teach, research, and write about philosophy). He worked with and among many of the great philosophers This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone interested in philosophy, ideas, or basically intellectual history in the 20th century. Flexmail Keygen For Mac. In is an intellectual biography of Bryan Magee--an thinker, writer, and television producer. Magee was in the middle of the philosophical community, without being an actual philosopher (in the standard sense of being a professor at the university being paid to teach, research, and write about philosophy).

He worked with and among many of the great philosophers of the 20th century as he interviewed them on television, wrote about them, befriended many of them, and generally immersed himself in philosophy. Magee summarizes the rise and fall of logical positivism, the linguistic turn, and the ultimate divide between analytic and continental approaches to philosophy.

He rejects both analytic and continental approaches. He rejects the linguistic turn. And he rejects logical positivism (which surprisingly is making a comeback). He rejects all these mainly because he sees philosophy as being about ideas that are deep (specifically metaphysical ideas. E.g., space, time, etc.). He adores Kant, but think that Kant fails. Where Kant fails he believes that Schopenhauer rescues the Kantian project.

He basically thinks that Schopenhauer understood all of the great problems of philosophy and was visionary in his addressing them (although he concedes it's not clear whether he succeeds or not--although I think Magee largely believes that he did). He believes that Karl Popper was the greatest philosophy of the 20th century--because he believes that he is one of the few that actually does 'real' philosophy in original ways without resorting simply to the analysis of language. Mainly the thing I liked about the book is how thought provoking it was. Every page caused me to consider or reconsider the way I look at various philosophical problems. It made me much more aware of method--a definite theme of the book. He helped me to challenge some of the assumptions I have about philosophy. And finally, he articulated many of my own frustrations with analytic philosophy in ways I hadn't been able to express myself until now.

I recommend the book highly. This book was incredibly easy to read, engaging, and thought provoking. It is not systematic or rigorous.

Thus, if you are new to philosophy this might be a great sort of first read. If you are an old hat to philosophy, this should be easy reading with a fresh take on some things--but it surely is not a philosophical treatise by any stretch of the imagination. It is about philosophy rather than being philosophy per se.

I bought this since someone told me it was a great introduction to philosophy. While Magee does provide a great insight into the progress of philosophy over the centuries I did feel this book could have used some trimming in places; he repeats god-knows-how-many-times his criticisms of Oxford philosophy in the 1950's, as well as perhaps over-deifying Kant's heir Schopenhauer to the neglect of some of the later philosophers like Sartre (I haven't read Schopenhauer though; perhaps the praise is wa I bought this since someone told me it was a great introduction to philosophy. While Magee does provide a great insight into the progress of philosophy over the centuries I did feel this book could have used some trimming in places; he repeats god-knows-how-many-times his criticisms of Oxford philosophy in the 1950's, as well as perhaps over-deifying Kant's heir Schopenhauer to the neglect of some of the later philosophers like Sartre (I haven't read Schopenhauer though; perhaps the praise is warranted). Still, I'll give Magee credit; he does write about philosophy with precisely the sort of passion that it deserves, instead of the sheer indifference that sadly most people give it these days. Buku tentang perjalanan seorang filosof Inggris, yang bersentuhan langsung dengan hiruk-pikuk pemikiran, persoalan dan perkembangan filsafat barat.

Tidak hanya menyelami pemikiran filosof-filosof barat, tapi juga menyinggung kehidupan pribadi mereka baik yang ia temui secara langsung maupun dari isu-isu hangat yang beredar ketika itu sehingga membuat buku ini lebih berbobot dibanding buku-buku serupa yang mungkin ditulis oleh penulis yang 'out of context' yang tidak merasakan 'zeitgeist' ketika Buku tentang perjalanan seorang filosof Inggris, yang bersentuhan langsung dengan hiruk-pikuk pemikiran, persoalan dan perkembangan filsafat barat. Tidak hanya menyelami pemikiran filosof-filosof barat, tapi juga menyinggung kehidupan pribadi mereka baik yang ia temui secara langsung maupun dari isu-isu hangat yang beredar ketika itu sehingga membuat buku ini lebih berbobot dibanding buku-buku serupa yang mungkin ditulis oleh penulis yang 'out of context' yang tidak merasakan 'zeitgeist' ketika itu.

Dimulai dengan 'kegalauan-kegalauan' yang ia rasakan ketika masih kecil, pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang tidak bisa ia definisikan dan tidak bisa ia cari jawabannya, karena lingkungan di mana ia tinggal ketika itu (orang-orang yang ia temui), adalah orang-orang 'skeptis', yang sama sekali tidak tertarik untuk menanggapi pertanyaan-pertanyaan dari Magee kecil, yang akhirnya ia pendam karena ia akan dianggap aneh kalau ia mengutarakan apa yang menjadi kerisauannya. Ketika usianya menginjak dewasa, ia baru menyadari bahwa pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang ia rasakan ketika masih kecil adalah pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang bersifat filosofis yang bahkan pertanyaan itu telah dibahas selama ribuan tahun oleh filosof-filosof besar. Dari situ, ia memulai pengembaraan dan petualangannya mencari referensi dan jawaban atas segala kerisauan dan kegundahan hatinya. I regret giving this book only three stars, because I think any layperson interested in modern philosophy would benefit from this book.

I marked it down for two reasons. First, this edition suffers from horrible production. Lines of text are missing. I doubt it subtracts materially from the content, but it is nevertheless very annoying. Second, while on the whole the framework of Magee's biography as an exposition of his philosophical explorations works, when he digresses too much into details o I regret giving this book only three stars, because I think any layperson interested in modern philosophy would benefit from this book. I marked it down for two reasons. First, this edition suffers from horrible production.

Lines of text are missing. I doubt it subtracts materially from the content, but it is nevertheless very annoying. Second, while on the whole the framework of Magee's biography as an exposition of his philosophical explorations works, when he digresses too much into details on his television productions or novel writing I got very, very bored. (On the other hand, I would have loved to hear more about his tenure in Parliament.) Those two drawbacks, however, in no way take away from the better passages of his book, especially the last chapter, which moved me greatly, despite the fact that he and I do not share the same concerns.

And since he managed to move me despite our different concerns, I would say that his book is very good. This is a substantial book, but is a pleasure to read. I found it inspiring. As a personal quest to illuminate on life's real problems, Magee has critically highlighted his favourite philosophers. He has also been successful in dispelling the belief that philosophers busy themselves with the obscure, rhetorical and/or the esoteric, in their negative senses.

Perhaps this is fallout from Magee's greatest gripe, namely the concerns of the 20th Century Oxford analytics. I suspect that writing the bo This is a substantial book, but is a pleasure to read. I found it inspiring. As a personal quest to illuminate on life's real problems, Magee has critically highlighted his favourite philosophers. He has also been successful in dispelling the belief that philosophers busy themselves with the obscure, rhetorical and/or the esoteric, in their negative senses. Perhaps this is fallout from Magee's greatest gripe, namely the concerns of the 20th Century Oxford analytics.

I suspect that writing the book was cathartic in dealing with the trauma inflicted by them. I recommend this book for the intelligent adult seeking more meaning or insight in life and who does not know where to start or have the years to invest. I shall treasure Magee's wisdom and look forward to reading more. Of all the introductions to philosophy or Western thought that I have read, this one (as an introduction, mind you) is the best (but not thorough -- it excels especially in engendering excitement for the subject). But it IS also a great autobiography and is very well written, allowing for easy and pleasurable reading. Magee is honest and self-effacing, but shows you his cards; that is, he is forthright about his opinions and his approach to all sorts of big, eternal, and important problems/quest Of all the introductions to philosophy or Western thought that I have read, this one (as an introduction, mind you) is the best (but not thorough -- it excels especially in engendering excitement for the subject). But it IS also a great autobiography and is very well written, allowing for easy and pleasurable reading.

Magee is honest and self-effacing, but shows you his cards; that is, he is forthright about his opinions and his approach to all sorts of big, eternal, and important problems/questions. And although I think his reasoning on political matters is flawed and conformist, his insights on Kant, Schopenhauer, Modern British thought, and idealist philosophy in particular are wonderful. I realise after reading this book that I never really studied, enjoyed or loved philosophy the way I should have when I took the subject in school. More's the pity. But Magee has written a wonderful, complex book, filled with complicated, provocative thoughts and great examinations of philosophers like Schopenhauer and Karl Popper.

What one really takes away from this book? How philosophy isn't irrelevant to life, as so many people these days dismiss it, but is the very stuff of life itself - ex I realise after reading this book that I never really studied, enjoyed or loved philosophy the way I should have when I took the subject in school. More's the pity. But Magee has written a wonderful, complex book, filled with complicated, provocative thoughts and great examinations of philosophers like Schopenhauer and Karl Popper.

What one really takes away from this book? How philosophy isn't irrelevant to life, as so many people these days dismiss it, but is the very stuff of life itself - extending through science, myth, imagination and metaphysics and everywhere besides. If only I could go back to school with this book under my belt. Buku ini dalam beberapa hal, mempengaruhi saya dalam membaca buku lain, berpikir, dan menulis.

Barangkali buku ini tak dapat menyaingi Confessions karya St Agustinus, tapi keluasan dan pengalaman yang dimiliki Magee, membawa memoar ini ke level yang mengagumkan. Saya sendiri berulang kali membacanya, membawanya ke tempat tidur, mengajaknya nongkrong selama beberapa waktu. Beberapa bagian dari buku ini yang membahas filsuf tertentu bahkan nyaris hafalkan. Intinya, sebuah pengantar untuk tidak saja Buku ini dalam beberapa hal, mempengaruhi saya dalam membaca buku lain, berpikir, dan menulis. Barangkali buku ini tak dapat menyaingi Confessions karya St Agustinus, tapi keluasan dan pengalaman yang dimiliki Magee, membawa memoar ini ke level yang mengagumkan. Saya sendiri berulang kali membacanya, membawanya ke tempat tidur, mengajaknya nongkrong selama beberapa waktu. Beberapa bagian dari buku ini yang membahas filsuf tertentu bahkan nyaris hafalkan.

Intinya, sebuah pengantar untuk tidak saja memahami sebuah pemikiran/aliran filsafat, tapi juga membuat saya secara pribadi, tetap senang membaca teks-teks filsafat. Sebuah wisata pemikiran yang menyenangkan, dan menenangkan. Bryan Edgar Magee is a noted British broadcasting personality, politician, poet, and author, best known as a popularizer of philosophy. Magee's most important influence on society remains his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman.

Transcripts of his television series 'Men of Ideas' are available in published form in the book Talking Philosophy. This book provides a readable and wide-r Bryan Edgar Magee is a noted British broadcasting personality, politician, poet, and author, best known as a popularizer of philosophy. Magee's most important influence on society remains his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman. Transcripts of his television series 'Men of Ideas' are available in published form in the book Talking Philosophy. This book provides a readable and wide-ranging introduction to modern Anglo-American philosophy. “Like the character Moliere who discovered to his astonishment that he had been speaking prose all his life, I discovered to my astonishment that I had been immersed in philosophical problems all my life.

And I had been drawn into the same problems as great philosophers by the same felt need to make sense of the world.The chief difference between me and them, of course, was that whereas they had something to offer by way of solutions to the problems, I had failed even to formulate very rich or sophistocated versions of the problems, let alone work my way through to defensible solutions for them. In consequence I fell on their work like a starving man on food, and it has done a geat deal to nourish and sustain me ever since.” —. “Human knowledge as it actually is and can only ever be is not a revelation of something objectively and timelessly true, an assured grasp of something existing 'out there' independently of ourselves. It is what we have the best grounds at any given time for believing. Because this is what it is, it does indeed provide the best possible basis for our suppositions and actions.

But it always remains our belief, our, conjecture, our hypothesis, our theory; and as such, fallible - and also, as such, a creation of the human mind.” —.