Summary of Luc Ferry's A Brief History of Thought

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The question What is philosophy. is one of the most controversial and debated in the field of philosophy. It is a simple but fundamental proposition that the human being is a finite being who is aware of his limits. He cannot prevent himself from thinking about this state of affairs, which is disturbing and absurd. #2 The word salvation is defined first and foremost as the condition of being saved, of escaping a great danger or misfortune. But from what great danger or misfortune do religions deliver us. They deliver us from the peril of death. #3 We must first and foremost conquer our fear of the irreversible. We must live well, free of fear, joy, and generosity. #4 Religions are doctrines of salvation, while philosophical doctrines are doctrines of salvation without the help of a God. The great philosophies are defined as doctrines of salvation because they claim to save us from death and the anxiety it causes by the exercise of our own resources and our innate faculty of reason.