shouldiuse.io

Categories

VERDICT

Should I use History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps?

Podcast by Peter Adamson, Professor of Philosophy at LMU Munich and KCL London. Includes western, Islamic, Indian, and Africana philosophy. - historyofphilosophy.net

Worth it. Buy if you want a rigorous, free, chronological philosophy survey in audio form. Pass if you wanted a software product or quick summaries.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 15+ public sources; product is a free podcast, not software.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence for a podcast
  • Security postureNo security evidence reviewed

Pricing

Free

Podcast

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Companion books~$29/volume

Best for

  • Philosophy beginners
  • Students wanting a survey
  • Commute learning
  • Long-form audio fans

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for software — this is a podcast, not a tool
  • Listeners wanting quick primers or bite-sized summaries
  • People who only want contemporary philosophy
  • Budget readers wanting the whole series in print

Gotchas - check before you buy

low

No paywall, but the 'complete' experience means buying 7 book volumes, roughly $200 total

low

Chronological ordering tempts completists; jumping to a period you care about saves months

low

Bonus episodes sit outside the main numbered sequence

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free to stream on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Audible
  • Taught by an LMU Munich and KCL philosophy professor
  • Covers Western, Islamic, Indian, and Africana traditions
  • Assigned in university philosophy courses
  • Called a favorite podcast by reviewers

Cons

  • 415+ episode archive means years to finish from the start
  • Companion print volumes cost around $29 each
  • Modern and contemporary philosophy not yet covered chronologically

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/06/2026 - 12 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x7review x4news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free podcast; books optional extras
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Available on Apple, YouTube, Audible
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Covers four major philosophical traditions
  • Support quality. No support evidence for a podcast
  • Security posture. No security evidence reviewed
  • 415+ Episodes as of Feb 2023
  • 2010 On air since First episode Dec 2010
  • Free Podcast price Companion books sold separately
  • 7 volumes Book series ~$29 each in print

Pricing

Podcast

Free

  • 415+ episodes
  • Bonus episodes available
  • Western, Islamic, Indian, Africana coverage

Companion books

~$29/volume

  • 7-volume series
  • Oxford University Press
  • Optional deeper study

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Frequently recommended in philosophy communities and named a favorite by reviewers, with beginners often pointed to it.

“Hi. Great podcast.”
Reddit, r/history
“My favorite podcast: the History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps”
Catholic Culture commentary

Companies that use it

  • University of Notre Dame (ThinkND)12
  • Carleton University11
Full analysis

Based on 15+ public sources; product is a free podcast, not software.

Free 415+ episode philosophy history podcast; academic depth, zero cost, but a years-long commitment and books cost extra.

Methodology

Based on 15+ public sources; product is a free podcast, not software.

Sources

  1. History of Philosophy without any gaps: Homehistoryofphilosophy.net
    official
  2. History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
    official
  3. HoPWaG: the Bookshistoryofphilosophy.net
    official
  4. Bonus Episodeshistoryofphilosophy.net
    official
  5. My favorite podcast (Catholic Culture)catholicculture.org
    review
  6. Podcast Review – University of Waterlooiwarrior.uwaterloo.ca
    review
  7. Reddit r/askphilosophy discussionreddit.com
    review
  8. A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps series (Goodreads)goodreads.com
    review
  9. Volume 1 retail pricing (Walmart)walmart.com
    news
  10. Oxford University Press series pageglobal.oup.com
    official
  11. Carleton University course outlinecarleton.ca
    official
  12. ThinkND podcast featurethink.nd.edu
    official

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.