First published in 1946, History of Western Philosophy went on to become the bes
t-selling philosophy book of the twentieth century. A dazzlingly ambitious proje
ct, it remains unchallenged to this day as the ultimate introduction to Western
philosophy. Providing a sophisticated overview of the ideas that have perplexed
people from time immemorial, it is 'long on wit, intelligence and curmudgeonly s
cepticism', as the New York Times noted, and it is this, coupled with the sheer
brilliance of its scholarship, that has made Russell's History of Western Philos
ophy one of the most important philosophical works of all time.
