Cottingham, John - A History of Western Philosophy: 4: The Rationalists

Confronted with the bewildering complexity and variety of philosophical theories, the student turns with relief to labels and pigeonholes. By classifying philosophers into 'movements' and 'schools of thought', we seem to have hope of discerning some pattern in the tumultuous flow of ideas. But later, on closer acquaintance with the texts, doubts creep in. Do the authors fit the stereotypes? Have we achieved order only at the cost of oversimplification or caricature?