A History of Western Philosophy

A History of Western Philosophy has been both popular and controversial since its publication. It remains in print today as one of the most widely-read and respected surveys of philosophical history for lay readers, noted for its ability to encapsulate difficult ideas in a witty style. However, Russell’s book received very mixed reviews from both scholarly and popular journals when first published.

The History was reviewed in well-known journals of the era, such as the Journal of the History of Ideas, The Journal of Philosophy, American Historical Review, Commonweal, and New Republic. Influential commentators, such as the historian Isaiah Berlin and the philosopher Karl Popper, were among the book’s first reviewers. Popper’s review, given over the radio, was the most positive, praising Russell for presenting his opinions and biases honestly. However, the question of bias was the focal point of criticism in many of the other reviews.

In his lengthy review, Berlin faulted Russell for overgeneralizing events and ideas and for having an overall bias toward “liberal rationalism,” particularly in the section on the Middle Ages. Berlin pointed out that Russell’s promise to provide cultural and social background to the philosophers was fulfilled only in the first part of the book, and that the philosophers toward the end received little or no such background.