Raskolnikov is a poor student living in St Petersburg. Desperate to escape his poverty, he kills two people, and flees with a few watches and some jewellery. Although at first nobody suspects him, his own conscience plagues him and it isn't long before an intelligent police detective by the name of Petrovich begins to have his doubts about Raskolnikov's innocence, and is determined to make him confess.
Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy serves as the perfect introduction to its subject; it remains unchallenged as the greatest account of the history of Western thought. Charting philosophy's course from the pre-Socratics up to the early twentieth century, Russell relates each philosopher and school to their respective historical and cultural contexts, providing erudite commentary throughout his...