The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers

“We shall seek [philosophy] not in its shriveled abstractness and formality, but clothed in the living form of genius; we shall study not merely philosophies, but philosophers; we shall spend our time with the saints and martyrs of thought, letting their radiant spirit play about us until perhaps we too, in some measure, will partake of what Leonardo called ‘the noblest pleasure, the joy of understanding.’”

Durant begins this work on a note of intense enthusiasm for his subject. Philosophy may have a reputation as a dry and obscure subject for only the most learned, but Durant insists that philosophy is a rich and worthwhile pursuit for anyone willing to take the time to engage with it. A major part of this is showing the philosophers as human beings, with relatable qualities and concerns, so that their writings can have a meaningful resonance with our own lives. Durant’s commitment to focusing on philosophers’ thoughts within the context of their lives introduces the theme of The Sociohistorical Context of Philosophy.

“Philosophy begins when one learns to doubt—particularly to doubt one’s cherished beliefs, one’s dogmas and one’s axioms. Who knows how these cherished beliefs become certainties with us, and whether some secret wish did not furtively beget them, clothing desire in the dress of thought? There is no real philosophy until the mind turns round and examines itself. Gnothe seauton, said Socrates: know thyself.”

Philosophy, or the pursuit of true wisdom, is often going to run against the so-called conventional wisdom, the ideas that flatter the prejudices of a ruling elite or the masses. Philosophy begins with the desire to see beyond what is immediately in front of one’s self, either in nature or society, and such inquiries are often going to put philosophers in trouble with the powerful. Durant presents philosophy as a fearless inquiry into The Nature of Human Beings and the World.