Notes from the underground |
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Updated 2 December 2023 |
Philosopher biographies – From Socrates to Colin McGinn.
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No longer updated as of December 2022.
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163. 
The Women Are Up to Something (2021) 
by Benjamin Lipscomb
The remarkable story of Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch. books.google.com.my
The Women Are Up to Something (2021) 162. An Event, Perhaps: A Biography of Jacques Derrida (2020) 
by Peter Salmon
Accessible, provocative and beautifully written. books.google.com.my
An Event, Perhaps: A Biography of Jacques Derrida (2020) 161. Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers (2020) 
by Cheryl Misak
The full story of Ramsey’s extraordinary life and intellectual achievement. books.google.com.my
Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers (2020) 160. Catherine & Diderot: The Empress, the Philosopher, and the Fate of the Enlightenment (2019) 
by Robert Zaretsky
The famous encounter between the French philosopher and the Russian empress. books.google.com.my
Catherine & Diderot: The Empress, the Philosopher, and the Fate of the Enlightenment (2019) 159. Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely (2019) 
by Andrew S. Curran
A spirited biography of a prophetic philosopher who helped build the foundations of the modern world. www.amazon.com
Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely (2019) 158. Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard (2019) 
by Clare Carlisle
Lucid and riveting – rescues Kierkegaard from the scholars and shows why he is such an intriguing figure. books.google.com.my
Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard (2019) 157. Isaac Newton and Natural Philosophy (2018) 
by Niccolò Guicciardini
Sets Newton the natural philosopher in the troubled context of the religious and political debates that took place during his life. books.google.com.my
Isaac Newton and Natural Philosophy (2018) 156. Philo of Alexandria: An Intellectual Biography (2018) 
by Maren R. Niehoff
The first biography of a man who left behind one of the richest bodies of work from antiquity. books.google.com.my
Philo of Alexandria: An Intellectual Biography (2018) 155. The Young Descartes: Nobility, Rumor, and War (2018) 
by Harold J. Cook
Cook tells the story of a man who did not set out to become either an author or a philosopher. www.amazon.co.uk
The Young Descartes: Nobility, Rumor, and War (2018) 154. Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography (2018) 
by Robert Irwin
The definitive account of the life and thought of the medieval Arab genius who wrote the Muqaddima. books.google.com.my
Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography (2018) 153. The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke (2018) 
by Jeffrey C. Stewart
The definitive biography of the father of the Harlem Renaissance. books.google.com.my
The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke (2018) 152. I Am Dynamite!: A Life of Friedrich Nietzsche (2018) 
by Sue Prideaux
Brings readers into the world of a brilliant, eccentric and deeply troubled man. books.google.com.my
I Am Dynamite!: A Life of Friedrich Nietzsche (2018) 151. Hermann Cohen: An Intellectual Biography (2018) 
by Frederick C. Beiser
A complete intellectual biography of Hermann Cohen, covering all his major philosophical and Jewish writings. books.google.com.my
Hermann Cohen: An Intellectual Biography (2018) 150. Søren Kierkegaard (2018) 
by Alastair Hannay
The absorbing story of a man destined to become a thorn in the side of society. books.google.com.my
Søren Kierkegaard (2018) 149. The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought (2017) 
by Dennis C. Rasmussen
On the remarkable friendship of two towering thinkers. books.google.com.my
The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought (2017) 148. Leonardo da Vinci (2017) 
by Walter Isaacson
A powerful story of an exhilarating mind and life, based on da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work. books.google.com.my
Leonardo da Vinci (2017) 147. Portraits of Wittgenstein (1999, 2016) 
by F. A. Flowers III & Ian Ground (eds.)
Scores of recollections of one of the most elusive personalities in the history of modern philosophy. www.amazon.com
Portraits of Wittgenstein (1999, 2016) 146. Kierkegaard: A Single Life (2016) 
by Stephen Backhouse
A welcome new account of Kierkegaard’s thought and his life: a story filled with romance, betrayal, humor, and riots. www.amazon.com
Kierkegaard: A Single Life (2016) 145. The Discovery of Chance: The Life and Thought of Alexander Herzen (2016) 
by Aileen M. Kelly
A diligent study of the farsighted genius who was as famous in his day as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. books.google.com.my
The Discovery of Chance: The Life and Thought of Alexander Herzen (2016) 144. Hume: An Intellectual Biography (2015) 
by James Harris
The first extensive overview of the career of one of Britain’s greatest men of letters. books.google.com.my
Hume: An Intellectual Biography (2015) 143. Kepler and the Universe: How One Man Revolutionized Astronomy (2015) 
by David K. Love
A colorful, well-researched biography of a pivotal figure in the history of astronomy. books.google.com.my
Kepler and the Universe: How One Man Revolutionized Astronomy (2015) 142. The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler’s Fight for His Mother (2015) 
by Ulinka Rublack
The tale of an extraordinary episode in Kepler’s life. books.google.com.my
The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler’s Fight for His Mother (2015) 141. Machiavelli: A Portrait (2015) 
by Christopher S. Celenza
The man whose name became shorthand for all that is ugly in politics was more engaging and nuanced than his reputation suggests. books.google.com.my
Machiavelli: A Portrait (2015) 140. Hannah Arendt: A Life in Dark Times (2015) 
by Anne C. Heller
A fast-paced yet comprehensive biography of one of the most gifted and provocative voices of her era. books.google.com.my
Hannah Arendt: A Life in Dark Times (2015) 139. Seneca: A Life (2014) 
by Emily Wilson
A riveting and complete picture of Seneca’s complex and compromised life. books.google.com.my
Seneca: A Life (2014) 138. Habermas: A Biography (2014) 
by Stefan Müller-Doohm
Traces the intellectual development of one of the most important public intellectuals of our time. books.google.com.my
Habermas: A Biography (2014) 137. Sartre: A Philosophical Biography (2014) 
by Thomas R. Flynn
An extensive work and a major contribution to Sartre studies. www.amazon.com
Sartre: A Philosophical Biography (2014) 136. Walter Benjamin: A Critical Life (2014) 
by Howard Eiland & Michael W. Jennings
A major new biography from two of the world’s foremost Benjamin scholars. www.amazon.com
Walter Benjamin: A Critical Life (2014) 135. The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter: A Portrait of Descartes (2013) 
by Steven Nadler
A unique combination of philosophy, biography, and art history. books.google.com.my
The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter: A Portrait of Descartes (2013) 134. Niccolò Machiavelli: An Intellectual Biography (2013) 
by Corrado Vivanti
A colorful, comprehensive, and authoritative account of Machiavelli’s life and thought. www.amazon.com
Niccolò Machiavelli: An Intellectual Biography (2013) 133. A Life in the Academy (2013) 
by Robert Paul Wolff
A delightful self-portrait that includes an inside look at a variety of institutions of higher learning in the United States and South Africa. www.philosophyandculture.org
A Life in the Academy (2013) 132. A Mind and its Time: The Development of Isaiah Berlin’s Political Thought (2013) 
by Joshua L. Cherniss
A detailed account of Berlin’s philosophical views and historical understanding. books.google.com.my
A Mind and its Time: The Development of Isaiah Berlin’s Political Thought (2013) 131. Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life (2013) 
by Jonathan Sperber
A magisterial biography that promises to become the defining portrait of a towering figure. www.amazon.com
Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life (2013) 130. Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist (2012) 
by Christof Koch
Part scientific overview, part memoir: one man’s quest for an explanation for consciousness. books.google.com.my
Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist (2012) 129. Derrida: A Biography (2012) 
by Benoit Peeters
The story of a Jewish boy from Algiers who went on to become the most widely translated French philosopher in the world. www.amazon.com
Derrida: A Biography (2012) 128. Frank Ramsey (1903-1930): A Sister’s Memoir (2012) 
by Margaret Paul
Margaret Ramsey’s memoir of her prodigious brother and the era in which they lived. www.amazon.com
Frank Ramsey (1903-1930): A Sister’s Memoir (2012) 127. How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer (2011) 
by Sarah Bakewell
Montaigne’s life through the questions he posed and the answers he explored. books.google.com.my
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer (2011) 126. Machiavelli: A Biography (2011) 
by Miles J. Unger
Machiavelli was a deeply humane and perceptive writer whose theories were a response to the violence and corruption he saw around him. www.amazon.com
Machiavelli: A Biography (2011) 125. Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution (2011) 
by Mary Gabriel
The heartbreaking and dramatic story of Karl and Jenny Marx’s marriage. www.amazon.com
Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution (2011) 124. Schopenhauer: A Biography (2010) 
by David E. Cartwright
The first complete biography of Schopenhauer in English. books.google.com.my
Schopenhauer: A Biography (2010) 123. Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life (2010) 
by Nicholas Phillipson
The one book which anyone interested in the founder of economics must read. books.google.com.my
Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life (2010) 122. Voltaire: A Life (2010) 
by Ian Davidson
The definitive biography of Voltaire’s life― from his scandalous love affairs and political machinations to his brilliant philosophy. www.amazon.com
Voltaire: A Life (2010) 121. Galileo (2010) 
by John L. Heilbron
A masterpiece, far surpassing all previous biographies of Galileo. books.google.com.my
Galileo (2010) 120. The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life (2010) 
by Bettany Hughes
A brilliantly vivid portrait of Socrates and of Athens in its Golden Age. www.amazon.com
The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life (2010) 119. Ibn Khaldun: Life and Times (2010) 
by Allen James Fromherz
Tells the life story of Ibn Khaldun in an accessible way and introduces readers to the fourteenth-century Mediterranean world. books.google.com.my
Ibn Khaldun: Life and Times (2010) 118. Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari: Intersecting Lives (2007, 2010) 
by François Dosse
The prolific if improbable relationship between two men of distinct and differing sensibilities. books.google.com.my
Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari: Intersecting Lives (2007, 2010) 117. A Short History of My Philosophy (2010) 
by Agnes Heller
A philosopher traces the development of her ideas in the context of challenging life circumstances. books.google.com.my
A Short History of My Philosophy (2010) 116. Auguste Comte: An Intellectual Biography, Vols. 1-3 (1993-2009) 
by Mary Pickering
The most complete work on Comte’s life and thought available in any language. books.google.com.my
Auguste Comte: An Intellectual Biography, Vols. 1-3 (1993-2009) 115. Marcus Aurelius: A Life (2009) 
by Frank McLynn
One of the great figures of antiquity still speaks to us two thousand years after his death. books.google.com.my
Marcus Aurelius: A Life (2009) 114. Boyle: Between God and Science (2009) 
by Michael Hunter
The first biography of Robert Boyle in a generation and the culminating achievement of a world-renowned expert on the man. www.amazon.com
Boyle: Between God and Science (2009) 113. Leibniz: An Intellectual Biography (2008) 
by Maria Rosa Antognazza
A unified portrait of this unique thinker and the world from which he came. www.amazon.com
Leibniz: An Intellectual Biography (2008) 112. Giordano Bruno: Philosopher/Heretic (2008) 
by Ingrid D. Rowland
In a sixteenth-century Europe where everything was in question, a valiant man defends his ideas to the end. www.amazon.com
Giordano Bruno: Philosopher/Heretic (2008) 111. Alain L. Locke: The Biography of a Philosopher (2008) 
by Leonard Harris & Charles Molesworth
Reclaims Locke’s place in the pantheon of America’s most important minds. books.google.com.my
Alain L. Locke: The Biography of a Philosopher (2008) 110. Ernst Cassirer: The Last Philosopher of Culture (2008) 
by Edward Skidelsky
The first extensive intellectual biography of Cassirer in English in two decades. books.google.com.my
Ernst Cassirer: The Last Philosopher of Culture (2008) 109. Locke: A Biography (2007) 
by Roger Woolhouse
This will be the authoritative biography for years to come of this truly versatile man. books.google.com.my
Locke: A Biography (2007) 108. Leo Strauss: An Intellectual Biography (2007) 
by Daniel Tanguay
Indispensable for anyone seeking to understand Strauss’s philosophy and legacy. books.google.com.my
Leo Strauss: An Intellectual Biography (2007) 107. John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand (2007) 
by Richard Reeves
A riveting and authoritative biography of a man whose life was spent in the pursuit of truth and liberty for all. books.google.com.my
John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand (2007) 106. The Authentic Adam Smith: His Life and Ideas (2006) 
by James Buchan
Breathes new life into Adam Smith’s legacy and the beginnings of modern economics. www.amazon.com
The Authentic Adam Smith: His Life and Ideas (2006) 105. Rousseau’s Dog: Two Great Thinkers at War in the Age of Enlightenment (2006) 
by David Edmonds & John Eidinow
The bitter quarrel that made Hume and Rousseau mortal foes. books.google.com.my
Rousseau’s Dog: Two Great Thinkers at War in the Age of Enlightenment (2006) 104. The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World (2006) 
by Matthew Stewart
Rescues both men from a dusty academic shelf and brings them to life. www.amazon.com
The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World (2006) 103. Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity (2006) 
by Rebecca Goldstein
Rediscovers the flesh-and-blood man beneath the veneer of rigorous rationality. books.google.com.my
Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity (2006) 102. Descartes: A Biography (2006) 
by Desmond Clarke
Descartes’ unique contribution was to construct a philosophy sympathetic to the emerging new sciences of his time. books.google.com.my
Descartes: A Biography (2006) 101. William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism (2006) 
by Robert D. Richardson
Eldest sibling in an extraordinary family, the story of an immensely complex and curious man. books.google.com.my
William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism (2006) 100. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius (2005) 
by Leo Damrosch
An extraordinary life, traced with novelistic verve. books.google.com.my
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius (2005) 99. Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom (2005) 
by Roger Pearson
Roger Pearson’s brilliant biography brings Voltaire vividly to life. books.google.com.my
Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom (2005) 98. Descartes: The Life of René Decartes and Its Place in His Times (2005) 
by A.C. Grayling
A stunningly accessible and fascinating portrait of the man and the era in which he lived. books.google.com.my
Descartes: The Life of René Decartes and Its Place in His Times (2005) 97. The Owl of Minerva (2005) 
by Mary Midgley
An elegiac and moving memoir of friendships found and lost, bitter philosophical battles and of a profound love of teaching. www.amazon.com
The Owl of Minerva (2005) 96. Paul Grice, Philosopher and Linguist (2005) 
by Siobhan Chapman
Relates Grice’s work to the major events of his intellectual and professional life. www.amazon.com
Paul Grice, Philosopher and Linguist (2005) 95. Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel (2005) 
by Rebecca Goldstein
An unforgettable account of one of the great moments in the history of human thought. books.google.com.my
Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel (2005) 94. Adorno: A Biography (2005) 
by Stefan Müller-Doohm
This outstanding biography will be the standard work on Adorno for years to come. books.google.com.my
Adorno: A Biography (2005) 93. Anne Conway: A Woman Philosopher (2004) 
by Sarah Hutton
An insight into both the personal life of a very private woman and the richness of seventeenth-century intellectual culture. books.google.com.my
Anne Conway: A Woman Philosopher (2004) 92. Kepler’s Witch (2004) 
by James A. Connor
An astronomer’s discovery of cosmic order amid religious war, political intrigue, and the heresy trial of his mother. books.google.com.my
Kepler’s Witch (2004) 91. A Life of H. L. A. Hart: The Nightmare and the Noble Dream (2004) 
by Nicola Lacey
A chronicle of a life which made an impact far greater than many of us realize. www.amazon.com
A Life of H. L. A. Hart: The Nightmare and the Noble Dream (2004) 90. Alfred Tarski: Life and Logic (2004) 
by Anita Burdman Feferman & Solomon Feferman
The first full-length biography of one of the greatest logicians of all time. books.google.com.my
Alfred Tarski: Life and Logic (2004) 89. Henry Sidgwick: Eye of the Universe (2004) 
by Bart Schultz
A magisterial overview of this great Victorian sage. books.google.com.my
Henry Sidgwick: Eye of the Universe (2004) 88. John Stuart Mill: A Biography (2004) 
by Nicholas Capaldi
A special feature of this biography is the attention devoted to Mill’s relationship with Harriet Taylor. books.google.com.my
John Stuart Mill: A Biography (2004) 87. Nature From Within: Gustav Theodor Fechner And His Psychophysical Worldview (2004) 
by Michael Heidelberger
Reestablishes Fechner’s place in the history and philosophy of science. www.amazon.com
Nature From Within: Gustav Theodor Fechner And His Psychophysical Worldview (2004) 86. Iris Murdoch as I Knew Her (2003) 
by A. N. Wilson
A brilliant, controversial and insightful biography. books.google.com.my
Iris Murdoch as I Knew Her (2003) 85. Hans-Georg Gadamer: A Biography (2003) 
by Jean Grondin
Gadamer’s life and his ideas in the context of some of the century’s darkest and most complex historical events. www.amazon.com
Hans-Georg Gadamer: A Biography (2003) 84. Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography (2003) 
by James Burge
New revelations about one of the greatest romances in history. www.amazon.com
Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography (2003) 83. Cogito, Ergo Sum: The Life of René Descartes (2002) 
by Richard Watson
Impeccably researched, Watson brings Descartes and his milieu to life as never before. www.amazon.com
Cogito, Ergo Sum: The Life of René Descartes (2002) 82. The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy (2002) 
by Colin McGinn
The self–portrait of a penetrating mind over a life straddling the Atlantic. books.google.com.my
The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy (2002) 81. The Philosophical I: Personal Reflections on Life in Philosophy (2002) 
by George Yancy et al
Fascinating self-portraits by 16 philosophers in the United States and Canadian academy. www.amazon.com
The Philosophical I: Personal Reflections on Life in Philosophy (2002) 80. Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography (2002) 
by Rüdiger Safranski
No other modern philosopher has proved as influential as Nietzsche and none is as poorly understood. www.amazon.com
Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography (2002) 79. St. Augustine of Hippo: Life and Controversies (1963, 2002) 
by Gerald Bonner
The considered reflection of a lifetime’s study of one of the towering figures of church history. www.amazon.com
St. Augustine of Hippo: Life and Controversies (1963, 2002) 78. Kant: A Biography (2001) 
by Manfred Kuehn
The first full-length biography of Immanuel Kant in more than fifty years. books.google.com.my
Kant: A Biography (2001) 77. Philosopher: A Kind Of Life (2001) 
by Ted Honderich
The story of a perilous progress from boyhood in Canada to the Grote Professorship of Mind and Logic in London. books.google.com.my
Philosopher: A Kind Of Life (2001) 76. Jürgen Habermas: A Philosophical-Political Profile (2001) 
by Martin Joseph Matuštík
A lively and dramatic engagement with major themes of Habermas’ adult life in postwar Germany. books.google.com.my
Jürgen Habermas: A Philosophical-Political Profile (2001) 75. Iris Murdoch: A Life (2001) 
by Peter Conradi
A magisterial biography, fully authorized, of one of the twentieth century’s most perceptive and influential English writers. www.amazon.com
Iris Murdoch: A Life (2001) 74. Wittgenstein’s Poker (2001) 
by David Edmonds & John Eidinow
In a crowded Cambridge room, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face to face for the first and last time. books.google.com.my
Wittgenstein’s Poker (2001) 73. Bertrand Russell: The Ghost of Madness 1921-1970 (2001) 
by Ray Monk
Volume 2 of a penetrating portrait of one of the century’s most eminent intellectuals. www.amazon.com
Bertrand Russell: The Ghost of Madness 1921-1970 (2001) 72. Kierkegaard: A Biography (2001) 
by Alastair Hannay
The first biography to reveal the delicate imbrication of Kierkegard’s life and thought. books.google.com.my
Kierkegaard: A Biography (2001) 71. Hegel: A Biography (2000) 
by Terry Pinkard
The story of an ambitious, powerful thinker living in a period of great tumult dominated by the figure of Napoleon. books.google.com.my
Hegel: A Biography (2000) 70. Mary Warnock: A Memoir (2000) 
by Mary Warnock
Mary Warnock reflects on her life as a woman philosopher in Oxford and Cambridge. www.amazon.co.uk
Mary Warnock: A Memoir (2000) 69. Karl Popper: The Formative Years, 1902-1945 (2000) 
by Malachi Haim Hacohen
A compelling portrait of the young Popper as socialist reformer and revolutionary philosopher. books.google.com.my
Karl Popper: The Formative Years, 1902-1945 (2000) 68. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography (1967, 2000) 
by Peter Brown
An acclaimed portrait of the bishop of Hippo. www.amazon.com
Augustine of Hippo: A Biography (1967, 2000) 67. Spinoza: A Life (1999) 
by Steven Nadler
The first complete biography of Spinoza in any language, based on detailed archival research. books.google.com.my
Spinoza: A Life (1999) 66. Hobbes: A Biography (1999) 
by A. P. Martinich
The most complete and accessible biography of Hobbes now available. books.google.com.my
Hobbes: A Biography (1999) 65. A Philosopher’s Story (1999) 
by Morton White
Professional philosophers seldom write their memoirs and, when they do, they rarely produce books as engaging as this one. www.amazon.com
A Philosopher’s Story (1999) 64. A. J. Ayer: A Life (1999) 
by Ben Rogers
A powerful biography of a provocative and unforgettable man whose ideas changed the landscape of Western thought. books.google.com.my
A. J. Ayer: A Life (1999) 63. The Life and Thought of Josiah Royce (1985, 1999) 
by John Clendenning
A revealing portrait of this remarkable intellectual figure. books.google.com.my
The Life and Thought of Josiah Royce (1985, 1999) 62. Nietzsche: The Man and His Philosophy (1965, 1999) 
by R. J. Hollingdale
A classic biography of Nietzsche reissued with its text updated in the light of recent research. books.google.com.my
Nietzsche: The Man and His Philosophy (1965, 1999) 61. Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch (1998) 
by John Bayley
John Bayley’s account of his long and loving marriage to the great novelist Iris Murdoch. www.amazon.com
Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch (1998) 60. Isaiah Berlin: A Life (1998) 
by Michael Ignatieff
Berlin agreed to talk about himself, and so for ten years, he allowed Michael Ignatieff to interview him. books.google.com.my
Isaiah Berlin: A Life (1998) 59. Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil (1998) 
by Rüdiger Safranski
The best intellectual biography of Heidegger ever written: a best-seller in Germany. books.google.com.my
Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil (1998) 58. His Glassy Essence: An Autobiography of Charles Sanders Peirce (1998) 
by C. S. Peirce & Kenneth Laine Ketner
Entertaining and illuminating insights into Peirce’s life and world. books.google.com.my
His Glassy Essence: An Autobiography of Charles Sanders Peirce (1998) 57. The Solitary Self: Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Exile and Adversity (1997) 
by Maurice Cranston
Volume 3 of a monumental trilogy – the last tempestuous years. www.press.uchicago.edu
The Solitary Self: Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Exile and Adversity (1997) 56. Confessions of a Philosopher (1997) 
by Bryan Magee
In this infectiously exciting book, Bryan Magee tells the story of his own discovery of philosophy. www.amazon.com
Confessions of a Philosopher (1997) 55. Abelard: A Medieval Life (1997) 
by M. T. Clanchy
Introduces the reader to medieval life through the experience of Peter Abelard, the master of the Paris schools. www.amazon.com
Abelard: A Medieval Life (1997) 54. Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude 1872-1921 (1996) 
by Ray Monk
Volume 1 of a penetrating portrait of one of the century’s most eminent intellectuals. www.amazon.com
Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude 1872-1921 (1996) 53. Descartes: An Intellectual Biography (1995) 
by Stephen Gaukroger
The first intellectual biography of Descartes in English. books.google.com.my
Descartes: An Intellectual Biography (1995) 52. Descartes: His Life and Thought (1995) 
by Geneviève Rodis-Lewis
Illuminates many aspects of Descartes’s life from his early years to his death, his burial, and the fate of his remains. books.google.com.my
Descartes: His Life and Thought (1995) 51. Killing Time: The Autobiography of Paul Feyerabend (1995) 
by Paul Feyerabend
The self-portrait of one of the century’s most original and influential intellectuals. books.google.com.my
Killing Time: The Autobiography of Paul Feyerabend (1995) 50. George Berkeley: Idealism and the Man (1994) 
by David Berman
Examines the full range of Berkeley’s work and links it with his life, focusing in particular on his religious thought. books.google.com.my
George Berkeley: Idealism and the Man (1994) 49. The Passion of Michel Foucault (1993) 
by James Miller
A startling portrait of one of the twentieth century’s most influential philosophers. books.google.com.my
The Passion of Michel Foucault (1993) 48. The Lives of Michel Foucault (1993) 
by David Macey
The richest account to date of Michel Foucault’s life and work. www.amazon.com
The Lives of Michel Foucault (1993) 47. The Noble Savage: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1754-1762 (1991) 
by Maurice Cranston
Volume 2 of a monumental trilogy – eight key years of Rousseau’s life. www.press.uchicago.edu
The Noble Savage: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1754-1762 (1991) 46. The Life and Philosophy of J. McT. E. McTaggart (1991) 
by Gerald Rochelle
The life of a mystic philosopher and his search for the true nature of existence. books.google.com.my
The Life and Philosophy of J. McT. E. McTaggart (1991) 45. Schopenhauer and the Wild Years of Philosophy (1990) 
by Rüdiger Safranski
Brings to life an intriguing figure in philosophy and the intellectual battles of his time. books.google.com.my
Schopenhauer and the Wild Years of Philosophy (1990) 44. Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius (1990) 
by Ray Monk
Deeply intelligent and generous to the ordinary reader. A beautiful portrait of a beautiful life. books.google.com.my
Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius (1990) 43. Ludwig Wittgenstein - A Student’s Memoir (1990) 
by Theodore Redpath
The reminiscences of a student at the philosopher’s Cambridge seminars from 1934-1940. www.amazon.com
Ludwig Wittgenstein - A Student’s Memoir (1990) 42. Wittgenstein: A Life – Young Ludwig 1889-1921 (1988) 
by Brian McGuinness
Traces the life of Wittgenstein from his privileged childhood to the appearance of the Tractatus. books.google.com.my
Wittgenstein: A Life – Young Ludwig 1889-1921 (1988) 41. Sartre: A Life (1987) 
by Annie Cohen-Solal
An acclaimed biography that incorporates previously untold aspects of Sartre’s private, political, and literary life. www.amazon.co.uk
Sartre: A Life (1987) 40. The Time of My Life: An Autobiography (1985) 
by Willard Van Orman Quine
One of the world’s most famous philosophers as no one else has seen him before. books.google.com.my
The Time of My Life: An Autobiography (1985) 39. More of My Life (1984) 
by A. J. Ayer
A picture of a rich public and private life: the second of two autobiographies written by Ayer. deerubbinpress.com.au
More of My Life (1984) 38. Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir (1958, 1984) 
by Norman Malcolm
A classic memoir, updated with a biographical sketch by G. H. von Wright and Wittgenstein’s letters to Malcolm. books.google.com.my
Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir (1958, 1984) 37. Four Reasonable Men: Marcus Aurelius, John Stuart Mill, Ernest Renan, Henry Sidgwick (1984) 
by Brand Blanshard
A fascinating biographical study of what it means to be reasonable. www.amazon.com
Four Reasonable Men: Marcus Aurelius, John Stuart Mill, Ernest Renan, Henry Sidgwick (1984) 36. Alan Turing: The Enigma (1983) 
by Andrew Hodges
A bestselling biography: the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life. books.google.com.my
Alan Turing: The Enigma (1983) 35. Jean-Jacques: The Early Life and Work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1754 (1982) 
by Maurice Cranston
Volume 1 of a monumental trilogy – youthful wanderings. www.press.uchicago.edu
Jean-Jacques: The Early Life and Work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1754 (1982) 34. Hannah Arendt: For Love of the World (1982) 
by Elisabeth Young-Bruehl
Prize-winning biography of one of the foremost political philosophers of the twentieth century. www.amazon.com
Hannah Arendt: For Love of the World (1982) 33. Part of My Life (1977) 
by A. J. Ayer
A picture of a remarkably precocious boy: the first of two autobiographies written by Ayer. www.amazon.com
Part of My Life (1977) 32. Unended Quest: An Intellectual Autobiography (1976) 
by Karl Popper
At the age of 8, Popper was puzzling over infinity and by 15 taking a keen interest in his father’s lavish library. books.google.com.my
Unended Quest: An Intellectual Autobiography (1976) 31. The Life of Bertrand Russell (1975) 
by Ronald W. Clark
The eloquent and intimate biography of one of the most significant figures of the last century. books.google.com.my
The Life of Bertrand Russell (1975) 30. My Father, Bertrand Russell (1975) 
by Katharine Tait
A biography of the philosopher Bertrand Russell by his daughter Katharine Tait. www.amazon.com
My Father, Bertrand Russell (1975) 29. Moses Mendelssohn: A Biographical Study (1973) 
by Alexander Altmann
First published in 1973, its stature as the definitive biography of Mendelssohn remains unquestioned. www.amazon.com
Moses Mendelssohn: A Biographical Study (1973) 28. Wittgenstein (1973) 
by William Warren Bartley III
The portrait that emerges from this account is human, all too human, but the author’s respect for Wittgenstein is never in doubt. www.amazon.com
Wittgenstein (1973) 27. All Said and Done (1972) 
by Simone de Beauvoir
Chronicling the decade 1962-1972, an older and wiser philosopher looks back over her life and recognizes that it was all for the best. www.amazon.com
All Said and Done (1972) 26. Josiah Royce: An Intellectual Biography (1972) 
by Bruce Kuklick
A biography of Josiah Royce the philosopher known as the founder of the Harvard school of logic. www.amazon.com
Josiah Royce: An Intellectual Biography (1972) 25. Ernst Mach; His Life, Work, and Influence (1972) 
by John T. Blackmore
The first full-scale biography and a useful bird’s eye view of Mach’s achievements. books.google.com.my
Ernst Mach; His Life, Work, and Influence (1972) 24. Bertrand Russell: Autobiography (1967-9) 
by Bertrand Russell
A most compelling memoir by one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. books.google.com.my
Bertrand Russell: Autobiography (1967-9) 23. Words (1964) 
by Jean-Paul Sartre
Sartre’s brilliant recollection of growing up within the confines of French provincialism in the period before the First World War. www.amazon.com
Words (1964) 22. Hard Times (1963) 
by Simone de Beauvoir
A subdued and somewhat cynical de Beauvoir in the decade 1952-1962 comes to terms with fame, age, and French atrocities in Algeria. www.amazon.com
Hard Times (1963) 21. After the War (1963) 
by Simone de Beauvoir
Describes the intellectual blossoming of post-war Paris in the period 1944-1952, rich with anecdotes on writers, filmmakers and artists. www.amazon.com
After the War (1963) 20. Montesquieu: A Critical Biography (1961) 
by Robert Shackleton
Will hold a high place among scholars seeking a clear and authoritative account of Montesquieu’s life and thought. www.amazon.com
Montesquieu: A Critical Biography (1961) 19. The Prime of Life (1960) 
by Simone de Beauvoir
Tells of her life in Paris in the period 1929-44, her relationship with Sartre and of Parisian intellectual life of the 1930s and 1940s. books.google.com.my
The Prime of Life (1960) 18. Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (1958) 
by Simone de Beauvoir
An intimate picture of growing up in a bourgeois French family, rebelling as an adolescent, and striking out as a young woman in the 1920s. books.google.com.my
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (1958) 17. John Locke: A Biography (1957) 
by Maurice William Cranston
“Locke is an elusive subject for a biographer because he was an extremely secretive man.” www.amazon.com
John Locke: A Biography (1957) 16. The Life of David Hume (1954) 
by E. C. Mossner
The standard biography of this great thinker and writer. books.google.com.my
The Life of David Hume (1954) 15. The Life of John Stuart Mill (1954) 
by Michael St. John Packe
Will undoubtedly remain the standard life of Mill for a long time to come. books.google.com.my
The Life of John Stuart Mill (1954) 14. The Life of George Berkeley: Bishop of Cloyne (1949) 
by A. A. Luce
The standard biography of one of the great philosophers of the early modern period. www.amazon.com
The Life of George Berkeley: Bishop of Cloyne (1949) 13. Montaigne (1948) 
by Stefan Zweig
Written during the Second World War, Zweig’s biography of his hero is also a passionate argument for humanity in times of barbarity. books.google.com.my
Montaigne (1948) 12. Ibn Khaldūn: His Life and Work (1941) 
by Mohammad Abdullah Enan
Tells of the turbulent period of unrest in Ibn Khaldun’s life marked by political rivalries and the writing of the Muqadimmah. books.google.com.my
Ibn Khaldūn: His Life and Work (1941) 11. An Autobiography (1939) 
by R. G. Collingwood
The self-told life-story of an English academic, seen from Oxford just before the Second World War. www.amazon.com
An Autobiography (1939) 10. Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox (1933) 
by G. K. Chesterton
Chesterton’s brilliant sketch of Aquinas is as relevant today as when it was first published. www.amazon.com
Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox (1933) 9. Gandhi: Autobiography, or The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927) 
by M. K. Gandhi
Gandhi offers his life story as a reference for those who would follow in his footsteps. www.amazon.com
Gandhi: Autobiography, or The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927) 8. Erasmus and the Age of Reformation (1924) 
by Johan Huizinga
A very readable biography: a classic work on the sixteenth-century scholar/humanist. www.amazon.com
Erasmus and the Age of Reformation (1924) 7. Solomon Maimon: An Autobiography (1888) 
by Solomon Maimon
Indelibly portrays one man’s devotion to truth on his own terms regardless of the cost to himself or others. www.press.uillinois.edu
Solomon Maimon: An Autobiography (1888) 6. John Stuart Mill: Autobiography (1873) 
by John Stuart Mill
The life of one of the most influential English-speaking philosophers of the nineteenth century. archive.org
John Stuart Mill: Autobiography (1873) 5. The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1782) 
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The memoirs of one of the most influential and controversial of the Enlightenment thinkers. www.amazon.com
The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1782) 4. My Own Life (1777) 
by David Hume
One of the shortest but also one of the most celebrated autobiographies ever written. www.rse.org.uk
My Own Life (1777) 3. The Story of My Misfortunes (c. 1132) 
by Peter Abelard
A brilliant thinker paints an absorbing portrait of monastic and scholastic life in twelfth-century Paris. books.google.com.my
The Story of My Misfortunes (c. 1132) 2. The Confessions of Saint Augustine (c. 400) 
by Augustine of Hippo
A deeply personal yet timeless story of sin, regret, and redemption. www.amazon.com
The Confessions of Saint Augustine (c. 400) 1. Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (c. 200-250) 
by Diogenes Laërtius
A rich source of invaluable insights into the private lives of the Greek sages. archive.org
Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (c. 200-250)
163. The Women Are Up to Something (2021)
by Benjamin Lipscomb
The remarkable story of Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch.
books.google.com.my
The remarkable story of Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch.
books.google.com.my
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