The Dream of Reason Book Summary

In 'The Dream of Reason', Anthony Gottlieb takes readers on a captivating journey through the origins of modern philosophy. He explores the radical ideas of ancient thinkers, from Socrates to Spinoza, unraveling how their insights shaped our understanding of reason and knowledge. With a narrative rich in historical anecdotes and philosophical debates, Gottlieb makes complex concepts accessible and engaging. This book invites you to ponder life's biggest questions and the quest for truth that has spanned centuries. Are you ready to discover the roots of the rational mind and the thinkers who dared to revolutionize it?

By Anthony Gottlieb

Published: 2016

"The quest for understanding the nature of reason is not merely an academic endeavor; it is a journey into the very essence of what it means to think and to exist."

Book Review of The Dream of Reason

"His book...supplant[s] all others, even the immensely successful History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell."—A. C. Grayling Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. This landmark study of Western thought takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell's monumental History of Western Philosophy, "but Gottlieb's book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship" (Colin McGinn, Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Best Book, and a Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2001.

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The quest for understanding the nature of reason is not merely an academic endeavor; it is a journey into the very essence of what it means to think and to exist.

The Dream of Reason

By Anthony Gottlieb