This is philosophy bites with me David Edmonds and me Nigel War Burton.

Philosophy bites is available at W.

That's W. philosophy bites.com. Few philosophers have the range of Anthony Kenny.

The former master of Balliol College Oxford

has written three dozen books, including scholarly works on Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, and Wittgenstein.

Who better then to attempt a half a million word new history of Western philosophy, published by

Oxford University Press?

Kenny is following in the famous footsteps of the English philosopher Bert and Russell,

whose almost racy history of Western philosophy was a surprise bestseller in the mid 20th century.

Anthony Kenny, welcome to Philosophy Bites.

Thank you.

I'm glad to be asked to take part in this.

Now the topic we're talking about today is your history of Western philosophy, a new history of Western philosophy.

Approaching this is very much in the same areas what Bertrand Russell did, to write a history

from the beginning of philosophy almost of the present day.

Did you consciously relate what you were doing to what Bertrand Russell did?

Yes, certainly. I'm a great admirer of Bertrand Russell's history of Western philosophy.

I used to give it to pupils so that they would get some of the excitement

of philosophy. I think it's a wonderfully written book. It addresses important philosophical

problems and shows that they can be exciting and important.

The only problem is that it's wildly inaccurate and extremely unfair, especially to people

like Aristotle and Count.

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