Table of Contents

Contents

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

INTRODUCTION: ON THE USES OF PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER I

PLATO

I. The Context of Plato

II. Socrates

III. The Preparation of Plato

IV. The Ethical Problem

V. The Political Problem

VI. The Psychological Problem

VII. The Psychological Solution

VIII. The Political Solution

IX. The Ethical Solution

X. Criticism

CHAPTER II

ARISTOTLE AND GREEK SCIENCE

I. The Historical Background

II. The Work of Aristotle

III. The Foundation of Logic

IV. The Organization of Science

1. Greek Science before Aristotle

2. Aristotle as a Naturalist

3. The Foundation of Biology

V. Metaphysics and the Nature of God

VI. Psychology and the Nature of Art

VII. Ethics and the Nature of Happiness

VIII. Politics

1. Communism and Conservatism

2. Marriage and Education

3. Democracy and Aristocracy

IX. Criticism

X. Later Life and Death

CHAPTER III

FRANCIS BACON

I. From Aristotle to the Renaissance

II. The Political Career of Francis Bacon

III. The Essays

IV. The Great Reconstruction

1. The Advancement of Learning

2. The New Organon

3. The Utopia of Science

V. Criticism

VI. Epilogue

CHAPTER IV

SPINOZA

Historical and Biographical

1. The Odyssey of the Jews

2. The Education of Spinoza

3. Excommunication

4. Retirement and Death

II. The Treatise on Religion and the State

III. The Improvement of the Intellect

IV. The Ethics

1. Nature and God

2. Matter and Mind

3. Intelligence and Morals

4. Religion and Immortality

V. The Political Treatise

VI. The Influence of Spinoza

CHAPTER V

VOLTAIRE AND THE FRENCH ENLIGHTENMENT

I. Paris: Œdipe

II. London: Letters on the English

III. Cirey: The Romances

IV. Potsdam and Frederick

V. Les Délices: The Essay on Morals

VI. Ferney: Candide

VII. The Encyclopedia and the Philosophic Dictionary

VIII. Ecrasez l'Infame

IX. Voltaire and Rousseau

X. Dénouement

CHAPTER VI

IMMANUEL KANT AND GERMAN IDEALISM

Roads to Kant

1. From Voltaire to Kant

2. From Locke to Kant

3. From Rousseau to Kant

II. Kant Himself

III. The Critique of Pure Reason

1. Transcendental Esthetic

2. Transcendental Analytic

3. Transcendental Dialectic

IV. The Critique of Practical Reason

V. On Religion and Reason

VI. On Politics and Eternal Peace

VII. Criticism and Estimate

VIII. A Note on Hegel

CHAPTER VII

SCHOPENHAUER

I. The Age

II. The Man

III. The World as Idea

IV. The World as Will

1. The Will to Live

2. The Will to Reproduce

V. The World as Evil

VI. The Wisdom of Life

1. Philosophy

2. Genius

3. Art

4. Religion

VII. The Wisdom of Death

VIII. Criticism

CHAPTER VIII

HERBERT SPENCER

I. Comte and Darwin

II. The Development of Spencer

III. First Principles

1. The Unknowable

2. Evolution

IV. Biology: The Evolution of Life

V. Psychology: The Evolution of Mind

VI. Sociology: The Evolution of Society

VII. Ethics: The Evolution of Morals

VIII. Criticism

1. First Principles

2. Biology and Psychology

3. Sociology and Ethics

IX. Conclusion

CHAPTER IX

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

I. The Lineage of Nietzsche

II. Youth

III. Nietzsche and Wagner

IV. The Song of Zarathustra

V. Hero-morality

VI. The Superman

VII. Decadence

VIII. Aristocracy

IX. Criticism

X. Finale

CHAPTER X

CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHERS

Henri Bergson

1. The Revolt Against Materialism

2. Mind and Brain

3. Creative Evolution

4. Criticism

II. Benedetto Croce

1. The Man

2. The Philosophy of the Spirit

3. What Is Beauty?

4. Criticism

III. Bertrand Russell

1. The Logician

2. The Reformer

3. Epilogue

CHAPTER XI

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERS

Introduction

I. George Santayana

1. Biographical

2. Scepticism and Animal Faith

3. Reason in Science

4. Reason in Religion

5. Reason in Society

6. Comment

II. William James

1. Personal

2. Pragmatism

3. Pluralism

4. Comment

III. John Dewey

1. Education

2. Instrumentalism

3. Science and Politics

Conclusion

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Will Durant (1885–1981) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize (1968) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977). He spent more than fifty years writing his critically acclaimed eleven-volume series, The Story of Civilization (the later volumes written in conjunction with his wife, Ariel). A champion of human rights issues, such as the brotherhood of man and social reform, long before such issues were popular, Durant’s writing still educates and entertains readers around the world. 

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