Readers are invited to read a book by the French philosopher J. Bourdeaux, written in order to acquaint readers with the main directions of philosophical thought of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The first part gives an overview of the life and work of prominent thinkers - Ernest Renan, Max Stirner, Friedrich Nietzsche, Leo Tolstoy, John Ruskin - each of whom "presents his gospel to the world, the covenants of his faith." The second part of the work is devoted to the analysis of the philosophical doctrine that came to Europe from America and is called by the author the "philosophy of action" - pragmatism. The book will be of interest both to philosophers and historians of science, and to all readers who want to get acquainted with the history of Western philosophy. Reprint reproduction from the 7th French edition.