This long-awaited single volume companion to Frederick Copleston's historic 11-volume series is a must-have for any aspiring philosopher.

A history of philosophy from the origins of reason in Ancient Greece to the most influential philosophers working today, this long-awaited single volume companion to Frederick Copleston's historic 11-volume series is a must-have for any aspiring philosopher. Frederick Copleston’s 11-volume A History of Philosophy has been the go-to reference for philosophers and students for decades. It is universally recognized as a classic and sits on the shelf of countless leading thinkers today. This companion to Copleston’s landmark work contains clear and succinct analyses of the major events and texts in philosophy, exploring the foundational principles and ideals that drove the development of Western thought. It grapples with the sometimes complex views and teachings of the greatest minds in philosophy, explaining their work with clarity and elegance. An accessible journey through this epic and deeply human history, Carroll succinctly condenses Copleston’s thought while expanding on contemporary and world philosophy. From the early teachings of Socrates to the medieval philosophies of Christian Europe, the Enlightenment and the radical arguments of the Existentialists, Carroll adeptly explores the common threads and themes that have united all rational enquiries into the fundamental nature of reality.

"Anthony Carroll's reconstruction of the famous 11 volumes of A History of Philosophy is both a compelling introduction into Copleston's comprehensive studies of Philosophy in the West and the East as well as a convincing invitation into the search for truth through discursive reason in the humanist tradition of the Jesuit order. The strong systematic approach to the broad material allows Anthony Carroll to build an intellectual brigde from Copleston's work to modern philosophers like Jürgen Habermas, Alasdair MacIntrye and Charles Taylor. It is an extraordinary and excellent piece of philosophical work!" - Professor Dr Matthias Lutz-Bachmann, Professor for Philosophy at Goethe University, Frankfurt