The History of Continental Philosophy

This eight-volume set considers continental philosophy as a tradition of philosophical thought developing from Kant's work and more specifically a tradition that took shape at the beginning of the 20th century with the phenomenology of Husserl and proceeded through critical theory, structuralism, and poststructuralism to today. Schrift (philosophy, Grinnell Coll.) aims for a "coherent and comprehensive account of the continental philosophical tradition that offers a unique resource for understanding this tradition's complex and interconnected history." Each volume is thematic, with 98 separate articles throughout the series, so the coherence is somewhat strained, but the set as a whole gives a comprehensive account of the continental tradition, and its broad scope makes it a unique contribution to the history of continental philosophy. BOTTOM LINE Recommended. Though priced for libraries, this work should appeal to anyone interested in continental philosophy. Readers familiar with continental philosophy up to the heyday of Foucault and Derrida—and who seek a coherent view of what has gone on since—will find the final two volumes covering post-­poststructuralism and emerging trends especially interesting.—Wayne Bivens-Tatum, Princeton Univ. Lib., NJ