The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers
The clearest standalone introduction to Durant's accessible history of philosophy.
Author guide
Will Durant Books in Order
Will Durant (1885–1981) was an American philosopher, historian, educator, and popular intellectual. His work ranged from philosophy, social criticism, and literary interpretation to global history. With Ariel Durant, he produced the eleven-volume The Story of Civilization, published from 1935 to 1975. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
philosophyhistorysocial criticismliterary criticismmemoireducation
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Our Oriental Heritage
The chronological starting point of The Story of Civilization.
The Lessons of History
A concise standalone synthesis of Durant's historical ideas, coauthored with Ariel Durant.
Read in order
Books by series
history-series · complete
The Story of Civilization
An eleven-volume history of human civilization by Will Durant, with Ariel Durant collaborating prominently on the later volumes.
- 1 Our Oriental HeritageAmazon ↗
Book 1 · history · 1935
- 2
The Life of GreeceAmazon ↗Book 2 · history · 1939
- 3
Caesar and ChristAmazon ↗Book 3 · history · 1944
- 4
The Age of FaithAmazon ↗Book 4 · history · 1950
- 5
The RenaissanceAmazon ↗Book 5 · history · 1953
- 6 The ReformationAmazon ↗
Book 6 · history · 1957
- 7
The Age of Reason BeginsAmazon ↗Book 7 · history · 1961
- 8
The Age of Louis XIVAmazon ↗Book 8 · history · 1963
- 9
The Age of VoltaireAmazon ↗Book 9 · history · 1965
- 10
Rousseau and RevolutionAmazon ↗Book 10 · history · 1967
- 11
The Age of NapoleonAmazon ↗Book 11 · history · 1975
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (1)
- Transition: A Sentimental Story of One Mind and One EraAmazon ↗
novel · 1927
Nonfiction (16)
- Anatole France: The Man and His WorkAmazon ↗
literary-criticism · 1925
- The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater PhilosophersAmazon ↗
philosophy · 1926
- The Mansions of Philosophy: A Survey of Human Life and DestinyAmazon ↗
philosophy · 1929
-
The Case for IndiaAmazon ↗political-history · 1930
- A Program for AmericaAmazon ↗
social-criticism · 1931
-
On the Meaning of LifeAmazon ↗philosophy · 1932
- The Tragedy of Russia: Impressions from a Brief VisitAmazon ↗
political-travel-writing · 1933
- The Lessons of HistoryAmazon ↗
history · 1968
- Interpretations of Life: A Survey of Contemporary LiteratureAmazon ↗
literary-criticism · 1970
- Will and Ariel Durant: A Dual AutobiographyAmazon ↗
memoir · 1977
-
Heroes of HistoryAmazon ↗history · 2001
-
The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All TimeAmazon ↗philosophy · 2002
- An Invitation to PhilosophyAmazon ↗
philosophy · 2003
- The Power of HistoryAmazon ↗
history · 2004
- Adventures in PhilosophyAmazon ↗
philosophy · 2008
Essays and speeches (14)
- A Guide to PlatoAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1922
- The Story of Aristotle's PhilosophyAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1922
- A Guide to Francis BaconAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1923
- A Guide to SchopenhauerAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1924
- A Guide to SpinozaAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1924
- The Philosophy of Immanuel KantAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1924
- The Story of Friedrich Nietzsche's PhilosophyAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1924
- Voltaire and the French EnlightenmentAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1924
- Contemporary American Philosophers: Santayana, James and DeweyAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1925
- Contemporary European Philosophers: Bergson, Croce and Bertrand RussellAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1925
- The Philosophy of Herbert SpencerAmazon ↗
philosophy-pamphlet · 1925
- Adventures in GeniusAmazon ↗
essay-collection · 1931
-
Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and GodAmazon ↗essay-collection · 2015