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Nigel Warburton
Nigel Warburton is a writer known for his clear explanations of complex ideas. He wrote Philosophy: The Basics, a popular introduction to the field.
A little history of philosophy
Synopsis
Nigel Warburton's A Little History of Philosophy (2011) is a single-volume introduction to Western thought, published by Yale University Press as part of its 'Little Histories' series. In forty concise chapters it moves chronologically from the ancient Greeks to contemporary thinkers, giving each philosopher a compact, story-driven treatment that foregrounds both their arguments and their lives.
Warburton, a well-known populariser of philosophy and host of the Philosophy Bites podcast, organises the book around the discipline's enduring themes: the gap between appearance and reality, the nature of personal identity, the existence of God, the foundations of morality, and the question of how best to live. Figures covered range from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle through Descartes, Hume, and Kant to Marx, Wittgenstein, and Peter Singer.
Written for general readers and students alike, the book is prized for its clarity and momentum. It functions both as a standalone history and as a springboard toward the primary texts, encouraging readers to reason and argue for themselves rather than simply absorb conclusions.
Genres
Frequently asked questions
Is this book part of a larger series?
This title is part of the Little Histories series published by Yale University Press, which was inspired by E.H. Gombrich's classic work, A Little History of the World.
How does this book differ from the author's other philosophy books?
Unlike the author's more academic or textbook-style works such as Philosophy: The Basics, this book adopts a story-driven, chronological narrative format specifically designed to be accessible to a general audience, including younger readers.