Just Finished Reading: Continental Philosophy since 1750 – The Rise and Fall of the Self by Robert C Solomon

After reading a previous Short Introduction on Continental Philosophy I couldn’t resist delving into the subject again. Solomon’s proved to be an excellent historical study of the field whetting my appetite for even more for further reading. Starting with Rousseau & Kant the author moved gradually through the European highlights devoting a chapter to each pivotal moment. Holding it all together was his interpretation of a major theme of Continental philosophy regarding the Self and its place in the theories of people as diverse as Hegal, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer – as well as more modern (particularly French) thinkers such as Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Foucault and Derrida.

A lot of ground was covered in just over 200 pages but the major ideas and themes were put across in such a way that I often felt swept along in the narrative. Solomon writes really well, for an academic, and though I did struggle with a few of the philosophers outlined in this work I now understand a great deal more about many of them. This is a fantastic book for putting some of the greatest minds on the planet in context and giving the reader a fair flavour of their ideas. You will be hearing more from some of the authors mentioned above in the coming months – particularly Rousseau & Nietzsche both of whom I’m studying next year. Also over the past few weeks I’ve picked up a few books either on or by Heidegger, Sartre & Schopenhauer. So many books…. So little time. If only I had ‘discovered’ philosophy in my youth – though I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it. Highly recommended.