Modern Philosophy: An Introduction and Survey

Sir Roger is one of a kind: unbelievably talented Philosopher, Opera composer, Historian, Novelist,. Spiritual Teacher n- Just AMAZING!!!The present book is an outstanding contribution to the unsuspecting student fearing the worst and found herself (sic!) confronted by this little jewel! If your even THINKING about reading it BUY IT now!

Whether you agree or not with his politics, Scruton has done an indisputably great job in this book surveying, expressing, and relating all the various currents in modern philosophy. He is especially sensitive to the modern divide of the science-oriented, analytic, anglophone tradition from the humanities-oriented, phenomenological, continental tradition, appreciating and criticizing each in turn. And it's an absolute delight to read, which is saying a lot for modern philosophy!

This books leaves me with mixed emotions. On the positive side, it's the only book I know of its kind, covering almost every topic of modern philosophy. And, for the most part, it is highly accessible and remarkably clear (philosophy of language can be opaque, but that's inherent in the field). On the con side, not enough attention is paid to ethics and politics (Scruton himself is somewhat of a conservative/communitarian), and the topic of aesthetics could have been more informative. Another con is that Scruton tells the reader in advance that his own opinion will seep into the discussion, but that he'll designate it as such. Well, yes, his opinion does creep in, but it's rarely distinguished as his own. Yet, for all these quibbles, I cannot imagine a better introduction to the discipline of philosophy as it is practiced in Anglo-American circles - but without the arcane and often obtuse language. It is remarkably broad in scope, accurate in depiction, clearly mapped, and fairly thorough for an overview. If one wants an introduction into how Angophone philosophy is practiced, I cannot recommend a better book.

Great survey. Presupposes at least a basic familiarity with philosophy.

For readers who wish to "do philosophy" rather than merely study it as a subject, AND who are comfortable with text that is of a very high reading level, AND who are willing to tolerate the oft-stated biases of the author, this book may be a very good choice. For all others--and especially those who can't navigate graduate-level English prose and concepts--I would recommend that you look elsewhere for an "introduction and survey" to modern, Western, or rather ENGLISH, philosophy. This is a very difficult text, written by a very competent practicing philosopher, at a level that I would not recommend for any but the most eager undergraduate philosophy major or graduate student looking for a survey that is nearly as deep as it is broad. This is a difficult text, not 'dumbed-down' in any way, and it simply won't serve as an introductory volume for many people.The reading level is, I would say, at that of beginning graduate students, just as "prose text"--and includes as well nearly all of the technical philosophic terms and concepts that a reader must absorb to minimally comprehend the material. You'll need to have a good dictionary of philosophic terms, or Wikipedia, handy so you can quickly school yourself on essential/core terms, because Mr. Scruton's good-faith attempts at basic definitions don't always suffice.The book is organized not by historic period or philosophic school or individual philosopher, but by time-honored concepts that "real philosophers" have made their concerns for centuries. A quick glance at the list of contents lets you know that you'll be reading discussions of scepticism, private language, knowledge, mathematics, paradox, being, "necessity and the 'a priori,'" just as a few examples. And those discussions are full, mature, chewy treatments, too; not pre-masticated and reduced to a bland pablum that's easily swallowed.With regard to "doing philosophy": That's the entire point of getting involved with the great questions of human existence--to enter into a dialog with the subject and the practice itself. Scruton's organization of the material quite clearly shows that he is inviting his readers to do that, along the lines of traditional and contemporary philosophy, and that's all to the good.I would hesitate to be too judgmental and too personal in my reaction to Mr. Scruton's text, if he were not himself almost constantly judgmental, personal, and selective in his treatments. That is his right as a conveyor of what he sees as relevant (and less so) in contemporary philosophy. So long as the reader is aware that Mr. Scruton is philosophically and politically conservative, and offers his own opinions without apology, there is no defect in this. However, the book does have a detectable list to the right, in my own opinion, and in this respect it's "caveat emptor."The rating system being what it is, I have assigned only 3 stars, by way of cautioning the novice to consider whether a text of this difficulty will meet his/her needs (I think that it is unlikely to). Setting that aside, I would rate the book at 4 Stars for competence and thoroughness, but with this clear proviso: You had better, yourself, be a 4-Star reader, and you had better be prepared to invest considerable time to gain from this book what it can offer--and you're quite likely to need access to alternative definitional materials as well.

Good for the philosophy student both formal and informal.

excellent!

Just read of Sir Roger Scruton's passing (RIP).I've read many of his books and this, his survey of modern philosophy, is the best there is.It deserves to be ranked alongside Russell's History of Western Philosophy as a classic of lucid writing and erudition.This important thinker will be greatly missed.

O livro é ótimo, mas o material de que é feito parece folha de jornal e está se desmanchando após a primeira leitura. Tenho outros livros importados do mesmo tipo de material. Acho que a versão e-book valeria mais a pena pelo preço.

Trundling through this outstanding and profound introduction to so many ideas and thinkers. It beats me how anyone can be sufficiently smart to master all the different ideas and materials involved.I especially like the methodical way he tackles key questions in simple, readable and sometimes bracing/provocative/cheeky prose.Really good. And a bargain at this cheap Kindle price.

Roger Scruton appears to be one of the greatest living philosophers. Yet, his conservative view, mixed with environmental concerns, make him unfashionable amongst the mediocre. What more reason do you need to plunge deep into the world of philosophy as seen by a master?

Seguo e leggo con piacere i libri di Scruton, ma questo mi ha un pò deluso.Sicuramente interessante l'idea di una storia della filosofia moderna per nuclei tematici e non in ordine cronologico, il libro però si sofferma troppo sulla logica, la filosofia del linguaggio (Quine, Frege, Kripke, per capirci); troppe formule di logica formale e matematica rendono il libro pesante e poco scorrevole, almeno per quanto riguarda la prima metà del libro.Tra l'altro ritengo che Scruton dia il meglio quando scrive di estetica e filosofia politica.

Good read.