'Dr Scruton writes with an unusual clarity and fluency, and is always a pleasure to read . . . this is certainly a book which you could give to anyone who was curious about philosophy and expect them to learn a lot from it.' - Alan Ryan, author of Bertrand Russell: A Political Life 'Anyone seeking a short and intelligible introduction to the ideas and intentions of Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Hegel and Marx, among others, need look no further.' - Good Book Guide 'Anyone seeking a short and intelligible introduction to the ideas and intentions of Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Hegel and Marx, among others, need look no further.' - Good Book Guide 'In his work as a philosopher and aesthetician he's an exhaustive reducer to first principles, while in his books for the interested non-specialist he's as first-rate a popularizer as David Attenborough and John Keegan.' - Salon 'Dr Scruton writes with an unusual clarity and fluency, and is always a pleasure to read . . . this is certainly a book which you could give to anyone who was curious about philosophy and expect them to learn a lot from it.' - Alan Ryan, author of Bertrand Russell: A Political Life ' - A Short History of Modern Philosophy could hardly be done much better than Dr Scruton has done it.' - Gordon Graham, author of The Internet: A Philosophical Enquiry