Philosophy in the Modern World: A New History of Western Philosophy, Volume 4: 04

I rate this book with 5 stars because: Kenny writes well; he is a master of what he is writing about; the book is remarkably comprehensive, with startlingly good reviews of Quine and others that are brief and insightful. I write as someone who has done "history of philosophy" for over 50 years, have read and enjoyed many such summary books, (beginning with B.A.G. Fuller more than 50 years ago) and seek "enlightenment" wherever it may be found. This is a well-written summary of philosophy in the 20th century, a book with some shortcomings, but with the authority of Anthony Kenny, who has read and written widely, and consistently comments perceptively. If you want a great, easy to read summary of philosophy in the 20th century, this would be a good choice!

Kenny is one of the best living English philosophers. This is the last in a four-volume series on his history of Western philosophy. It's his own idiosyncratic take on developments since the 19th century, effortlessly spanning the divide between analytic and continental philosophy since Bentham.

Kenny has completed a comprehensive final book in his series and should be applauded for his ability to illuminate some of the finest philosophers.I think he treated all the philosophers with respect without intellectual snobbery, Schopenhauer comes to mind.I appreciated the tone throughout - that is 'philosophy' is always unending and the spirit of enquiry continues .......,

I'm never a fan of analytic philosophy. This contains a pretty good account of that area of philosophy, as well as other modern comments.

A very valuable guide to modern philosophy. Some curious omissions: no Foucault, no Habermas, a dismissive review of Derrida, but otherwise a very constructive overview of modern philosophical developments and an excellent structure that allows tracking of development of different ideas and philosophical approaches.