PHILOSOPHY

Witcraft: The Invention of Philosophy in English

by Jonathan Rée
Yale Univ. Aug. 2019. 768p. index. ISBN 9780300247367. $37.50. phil ;.
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Rée’s (I See a Voice ) history of philosophy in English is a unique approach to the subject. The author recognizes the importance of histories of philosophy because so many students use them as an introduction to the works of the philosophers. In fact, he uses his own introduction to philosophy through these types of works to explain how a history of certain areas or focuses of philosophy should be presented. Rée begins in the 17th century but jumps around throughout history, ending with Wittgenstein in the 1950s. While major philosophers are profiled, Rée takes care to include the stories and contributions of lesser-known figures and provides a glimpse of the character of each time period through politics and social events.
VERDICT Rather than a dry chronicle of philosophers with the same old stories we’ve read before, this work offers new insight and perspective into historically significant thinkers.
Reviewed by Scott Duimstra, Capital Area Dist. Lib., Lansing, MI , Jul 31, 2019
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