This week I’m recommending Nigel Warburton’s A Little History of Philosophy — published in 2011 and is still easy enough to find today. It’s one of his most popular books, and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s a great journey through Western Philosophy with an equal helping throughout of the classics through to modern times. Even the chapter headings have a sense of humour (“Is The Present King of France Bald?” for Bertrand Russell, for example).

There’s forty chapters, fifty-two philosophers and a variety of topics covered within those chapters. Kant gets two chapters, and it does include women philosophers, which has always been something that has irked me about many introductory texts (after all, it’s fine to have Sophie running around learning Philosophy, but she should have more women role models for her to engage with!).

In saying that, it must have been difficult for Warburton to select which ones to include or leave out, and I like the fact that there’s a few philosophers who are not as well known, especially post-1900s. I’d recommend this book on the basis of the examples and the range, but you may have noticed that I said ‘journey through Western Philosophy’, which is something that is a problem with pretty much all introductory texts on the subject.

Overall, this is a book I’ve recommended to students (and I’ve given away about four copies to people interested in the subject!) because it is accessible and thought-provoking — whether it’s Schopenhauer and the old lady or Phillipa Foot’s questioning of the trolley car problem, A Little History of Philosophy stretches the reader beyond a Wikipedia entry when learning dates and key concepts, and does so with a light heart and love for the subject.

What introductory philosophy books do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments, and consider supporting the series (and get bonus content) at www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess.