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101 Great Philosophers: Makers of Modern Thought
101 Great Philosophers is a concise and accessible guide to 101 of the greatest minds that contributed to the legacy of western philosophy. From the ancient Greeks to present-day thinkers, Madsen Pirie employs concise entries, each on a single page, to give a snapshot of the contribution made by 100 key philosophers to the development of this fascinating subject. This book provides a sparkling insight into the lives and times of each philosopher covered - explaining just why what they had to say was so innovative and inspiring.
Essential reading for anyone coming to the subject for the first time, this book is an indispensible introduction to the most important ideas in the history of western thought.
Essential reading for anyone coming to the subject for the first time, this book is an indispensible introduction to the most important ideas in the history of western thought.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Madsen Pirie
60 books26 followersBorn in Hull, Pirie is the son of Douglas Pirie and Eva Madsen. As a child, he attended the Humberstone Foundation School in Old Clee, Lincolnshire.
He graduated with an MA (undergraduate) in History from the University of Edinburgh (1970), with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews (1974), and with an MPhil in Land Economy from Pembroke College, Cambridge (1997)
Before co-founding the Adam Smith Institute, Pirie worked for the United States House of Representatives. He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Logic and Philosophy at the private Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan, USA. Pirie was one of three Britons living in the United States who founded the Adam Smith Institute.
The Adam Smith Institute is a UK-based think tank that champions the ideas of free market policy. In January 2010 Foreign Policy and the University of Pennsylvania named the Adam Smith Institute among the top 10 think tanks in the world outside of the US. The Institute is "a pioneer of privatisation" in the UK and elsewhere. It has undertaken policy initiatives aimed at replacing state controls and monopolies with opportunities for competition choice in a broad area. The ASI proposed reforms in taxation, public services, transport and local government. It published Douglas Mason's original paper advocating a poll tax or community charge as it was later called.
His work in helping to develop the Citizen's Charter led to his appointment to the British Prime Minister John Major's Advisory Panel from 1991 to 1995.
Apart from his work with the Adam Smith Institute, Pirie is an author in several fields, including philosophy, economics, and science fiction.
He graduated with an MA (undergraduate) in History from the University of Edinburgh (1970), with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews (1974), and with an MPhil in Land Economy from Pembroke College, Cambridge (1997)
Before co-founding the Adam Smith Institute, Pirie worked for the United States House of Representatives. He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Logic and Philosophy at the private Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan, USA. Pirie was one of three Britons living in the United States who founded the Adam Smith Institute.
The Adam Smith Institute is a UK-based think tank that champions the ideas of free market policy. In January 2010 Foreign Policy and the University of Pennsylvania named the Adam Smith Institute among the top 10 think tanks in the world outside of the US. The Institute is "a pioneer of privatisation" in the UK and elsewhere. It has undertaken policy initiatives aimed at replacing state controls and monopolies with opportunities for competition choice in a broad area. The ASI proposed reforms in taxation, public services, transport and local government. It published Douglas Mason's original paper advocating a poll tax or community charge as it was later called.
His work in helping to develop the Citizen's Charter led to his appointment to the British Prime Minister John Major's Advisory Panel from 1991 to 1995.
Apart from his work with the Adam Smith Institute, Pirie is an author in several fields, including philosophy, economics, and science fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 13, 2021
This book was exactly what I had hoped it would be. A brief synopsis of some of the most prominent philosophers in history. I managed to get a glimpse of each and every one of them and target my favorites for further exploration. Great read and all in bite size chapters to read and re-read for years to come. Highly recommended!
February 4, 2024
...more or less covers all. Good read to get quick brief on philosophers 👍
March 1, 2025
Have you ever wondered what Epicurus, Aquinas, Marcuse, Derrida or Wittgenstein were on about? What about Hobbes, Burke, Kant or Satre? The book gives a snapshot of each of these and another 92 of them with just enough about their lives and philosophies that the reader can go on to explore more of those of interest. It would make an excellent reference book and I compiled my own notes on those of interest. The one issue I had with the book is that every chapter is almost exactly 420 words, whether the philosopher was someone from ancient Greece from whom only recollections of others survive or a modern era giant with a prodigious and wide-ranging output.
August 24, 2013
Does what it says, in 500 words or less. Unfortunately, that gives each philosopher about a page and a half; this would be more fair to the author's subjects if the book itself was full-sized (it's about six inches high). It's best for the curious and uninitiated in philosophy, and should be (and really, only can be) regarded as such.
January 25, 2010
The book was informative although overly condensed for the amount of material covered. My only complain is that the book is not one-thousand pages in length including personalized details of each individual. ^.^
September 26, 2014
Not enough information to really get into what they thought. Just a slight taste.
October 13, 2016
To brief overviews of western philosophers, best used to decide who you'd like to learn more about.
January 6, 2019
Quick read. Just the facts
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews