The Enlightenment

Reviews / Votes

The author not only has a remarkable grasp of the broad sweep of philosophical ideas, but is also an authority in his own right. The fluency and elegance of the writing, and the sensitivity to cultural and historical context, together with the eminence of the author, will ensure a wide international readership. * John Cottingham, University of Reading * The book's great merit is its lucidity and approachability, and it probably does convey some of the excitement which Kenny claims belongs to the subject." * David Hamlyn, Times Literary Supplement * This is simply a jolly good read, with pithy historical and biographical scene-setters, authoritative accounts of how successive philosophers have contributed to the development of Western thought, and often brilliant single-sentence summaries. * Church Times * A Brief History of Western Philosophy is a stimulating, impressive work by one of Britain's leading philosophers. It is valuable both as an introduction to the history of ideas as well as a record of a distinguished philosopher's mature reflections...It is a richly detailed, critical look at philosophy, displaying both Kenny's love for philosophical engagement and for good history...Kenny's style is unpretentious, effective, and at times wonderfully informal and amiable. * Charles Talifierro, the Review of Metaphysics * As a very short introduction to a vast topic, The Enlightenment works a treat, thanks to the author's flair for marshalling all he knows into succinct, lucid, eloquent prose. -- Michael Duggan * The Catholic Herald *