Product Description
In the modern philosophical tradition, Plato's Socrates has been viewed as an alienating influence on Western thought and life. In this book, Mary Nichols addresses Kierkegaard's and Nietzsche's criticism of Socrates and recovers the place of friendship and community in Socratic philosophizing. Her rich analysis of both dramatic details and philosophic themes in Plato's Symposium, Phaedras, and Lysis shows how love finds its fulfillment in the reciprocal relation of friends. Nichols shows how friends experience another as their own and themselves as belonging to another. Their experience, she argues, both sheds light on the nature of philosophy and serves as a standard for a political life that does justice to human freedom and community. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers a controversial new interpretation of Plato's Apology of Socrates. By paying unusually close attention to what Socrates indicates about the meaning and extent of his irony, David Leibowitz arrives at unconventional conclusions about Socrates' teaching on virtue, politics, and the gods; the significance of his famous turn from natural philosophy to political philosophy; and the purpose of his insolent "defense speech." Leibowitz shows that Socrates is not just a colorful and quirky figure from the distant past but an unrivaled guide to the good life - the thoughtful life - who is as relevant today as in ancient Athens. On the basis of his unconventional understanding of the dialogue as a whole, and of the Delphic oracle story in particular, Leibowitz also attempts to show that the Apology is the key to the Platonic corpus, indicating how many of the disparate themes and apparently contradictory conclusions of the other dialogues fit together. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gentlemen of the Jury . . .
The squibs above only capture a part of the energy of this book.Professor Leibowitz reads the Apology and weighs the evidence judiciously for and against Socrates:the Platonic corpus.Because of his familiarity with these dialogues, Professor Leibowitz shows the art of Socrates' defense, where he both shades and trims the truth as he presents himself before the jury.Professor Leibowitz convincingly argues that Socrates also sought to be convicted by the Jury.It is Professor Leibowitz's contention that these two contrary positions have but one goal: the preservation and continuance of Socratic philosophy.I invite you to see why. ... Read more

Product Description
This long-awaited study of the most enigmatic figure of Greek philosophy reclaims Socrates' ground-breaking originality. Written by a leading historian of Greek thought, it argues for a Socrates who, though long overshadowed by his successors Plato and Aristotle, marked the true turning point in Greek philosophy, religion and ethics. The quest for the historical figure focuses on the Socrates of Plato's earlier dialogues, setting him in sharp contrast to that other Socrates of later dialogues, where he is used as a mouthpiece for Plato's often anti-Socratic doctrine. At the heart of the book is the paradoxical nature of Socratic thought. But the paradoxes are explained, not explained away. The book highlights the tensions in the Socratic search for the answer to the question 'How should we live?' Conceived as a divine mandate, the search is carried out through elenctic argument, and dominated by an uncompromising rationalism. The magnetic quality of Socrates' personality is allowed to emerge throughout the book. Clearly and forcefully written, philosophically sophisticated but entirely accessible to non-specialists, this book will be of major importance and interest to all those studying ancient philosophy and the history of Western thought. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Abosolutely lousy
More references to other writings than the authors own thoughts. Difficult to follow very bad choice.

Illuminating
As a beginning student of philosophy, I had to take my time with this book and read it carefully.Prof. Vlastos writes very clearly and makes his arguments step by step so that there is no mistaking his point, which you are then able to judge for yourself.He is persuasive, not dogmatic, but you have to be able to follow his train of reasoning.

In my opinion, it is unfair to accuse Prof. Vlastos of "special pleading", that is, presenting only evidence that supports his own arguments.Vlastos spent his life studying Socrates, and no doubt developed strong feelings for the object of his study, but it seems to me that he goes to great lengths to acknowledge evidence contradicting his own conclusions.But Vlastos makes his points very thoroughly, so if you want to quibble with him you have to have your own ducks in a row.

Vlastos covers the following topics:

-Socratic Irony.
-The "Socratic problem" - what we can know about Socrates as an actual historical figure, as opposed to the various impressions handed down to us by Aristophanes, Plato, Xenophon, and others.
-The shift from the Socratic method ("elenchus") to mathematics in Plato's middle dialogues.
-Does Socrates cheat?(Yes, but only in jest.)
-Socrates' religious beliefs.(He believed in his "daimonion", but was not a mystic.)
-Socrates' rejection of the "lex talionis".(I found this to be by far the most interesting chapter, Socrates articulating the "Golden Rule" 400 years before Christ.)
-An explication of Socrates' theory that Happiness and Virtue are identical.

Vlastos concludes that Socrates, believing what he believed, died a happy man.

Anyone interested in philosophy will benefit from spending a few hours with Professor Gregory Vlastos and his friend, Socrates.

Best study of Socrates available at present
Gregory Vlastos was the most celebrated scholar of classical Greek philosophy in the last third of the twentieth century, if not the most important of the past hundred years. Virtually every major project in Platonic studies since 1960 has been in some way informed by him.For the reason of the maginitude of his scholarship alone, one really cannot go wrong with this book, in my opinion, one of his best.
What made Vlastos such a seminal figure is demonstrated abundantly in this study: 1) his ability to identify, elucidate, and interpret, in the light of the relevant contexts, the defining issues; 2) his closely reasoned justification for those interpretations.
The book is really a collection of papers and lectures extending from the late 1950's through the 1980's which illumine Vlastos' position that Socrates was "... the first to establish the eudaemonist foundation of ethical theory which becomes common ground for all the schools that sprung up around him, and more; he is the founder of the non-instrumentalist form of eudaemonism held in common by the Platonists, Aristotelians, Cynics, and Stoics, i.e. of all Greek moral pholosophers except the Epicureans."
As noted, Vlastos gives detailed insights into the elements of Socrates' moral theory and method of argument.The famous paper, "Socratic Irony", which opens the book (23 pages) is by far the most informative I have read on the subject, and, as Vlastos shows us, indispensible for understanding both Socratic moral theory and method of argument.A perfect source for undergraduate papers on these subjects, as well.
Chapter 7, "Socrates' Rejection of Retaliation" is very likely the most important work on this crucial subject at the heart of Socratic moral theory and sine qua non for any deeper understanding of Socrates and his "mission" (he articulated the "Golden Rule" 400 + years before Christ). In it (page 198), Vlastos claims: "In saying that it is never good to do a wrong, and making this the foundational reason for breaking with the accepted morality, Socrates must be using the word in its most inclusive sense. He must be saying: 'If an act of yours will wrong another, then it is bad for you, the agent, so bad that no good it offers could compensate you for its evil for you.'"
The final chapter "Happiness and Virtue in Socrates' Moral Theory", is the cumulation of nearly half a century of research, and again, a benchmark in Socratic studies.The same is felt universally by those professionally involved in such work: here is seminal, accessible scholarship on a subject which nearly 2,500 years since its original articulation still imperatively commands our attention.

vlastos rides again
This is a superb book on the philosophy of Socrates. You may not agree with Vlastos point by point; but if you disagree, you will have to work out your objections very carefully. One minor quibble: Vlastos seems to determined to defend whatever Socrates does and however he argues. This sometimes leads to (what looks very much like) special pleading. But the book is a masterpiece of readable, analytic philosophy.

A classic whether you agree with Vlastos' views or not
A deeply profound scholarly work that is both well-written and a pleasure to read is hard to find, but Vlastos achieves this in this wonderful book. Although i do not agree with some of Vlastos' points concerning Plato, i must acknowledge the fact that most, if not all, of my ideas on Plato were either improved or disproved by either agreeing or disagreeing with Vlastos' interpretation of Plato. This book is one of the best ways for any reader of the Plato to be initiated into the various interpretations of his thought.The various theses raised by most scholarly works on Plato today can be traced to have developed either in agreement or in disagreement to this book. Some ideas that you will find in this work are: -a theory on how to chronologically arrange the Platonic corpus -an influential approach to understanding the reasons behind and the limits of the Socratic method -a theory on how to separate Plato's thought from Socrates' thought ... Read more

Product Description
In this section-by-section commentary, Benardete argues that Plato's Republic is a holistic analysis of the beautiful, the good, and the just.This book provides a fresh interpretation of the Republic and a new understanding of philosophy as practiced by Plato and Socrates.

"Cryptic allusions, startling paradoxes, new questions . . . all work to give brilliant new insights into the Platonic text."--Arlene W. Saxonhouse, Political Theory ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not clear but worthwhile
As the other reviewer indicated, this is not a simple commentary.On the other hand, however, Plato's dialogue is not as simple as he suggests, either: The Republic is subtle, engaging, and requiring of careful attention and reading.Benardete's book is difficult to work through, but it is worth the effort.Though much of it will be unclear to you, every once in a while you will catch something of great import in the text.It is helpful to read this after you read the relevant sections of the dialogue, but with the dialogue alongside.Benardete's textual references are sometimes unclear, and having Plato's text in front of you is immensely helpful.This is not the most helpful commentary on the text-Bloom's interpretative essay probably is--but it is one that helps you get to the next level of Platonic philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
In Symposium, a group of Athenian aristocrats attend a party and talk about love, until the drunken Alcibiades bursts in and decides to discuss Socrates instead. Symposium gives an unsurpassed picture of the sparkling society that was Athens at the height of her empire. The setting of the other dialogues is more sombre. Socrates is put on trial for impiety, and sentenced to death. Euthyphro discusses the nature of piety, Apology is Socrates' speech in his own defence, Crito explains his refusal to escape punishment, and Phaedo gives an account of Socrates' last day. These dialogues have never been offered in one volume before. Tom Griffith's Symposium has been described as 'possibly the finest translation of any Platonic dialogue'. All the other translations are new. ... Read more

Product Description
Immanuel Kant is one of the greatest philosophers in history. But, as Peter Kreeft notes in this book, Kant is really two philosophers - a philosopher about how we know things (epistemology) and a philosopher of right and wrong (ethics). If he had written only on either topic, he would still be the most important and influential of the modern philosophers. The combination of the two, though, makes for a formidable thinker, one it would take a figure such as the Father of Philosophy, the relentless Socrates, to confront.

Confront he does, in Peter Kreeft's next installment of the popular Socrates Meets series. Set in the afterlife, the conversation between the two great minds lays out the key issues. Kreeft's Socrates reflects what the historical philosopher would likely have made of Kant's ideas, while also recognizing the greatness, genius, and insightfulness of Kant. The result of their dialogues is a helpful, highly readable, even amusing book, useful for beginner as well as master.

Kant's philosophy of knowing truly is a ''Copernican revolution in philosophy'' as he dubbed it. His ethics was intended to set out the rational grounds for morality. Did he achieve his goals? What would Socrates say about the matter? Dr. Kreeft has written a book no student of modern thought should be without. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Humerous introduction to Kant
Peter Kreeft always informs in his well written books on philosophy and theology.This book, like the others in this series, has Socrates in heaven using the Socratic method on a famous philosopher with both insight and humor. In this book, he questions one of the three most influential Western philosophers, Immanuel Kant.Since Kant is famous both for his metaphysics in "Critique of Pure Reason" and his Categorical Imperative, Socrates asks him questions about both topics, making this book about twice as long as others in the series.I recommend this book for anyone interested in philosophy and for bewildered philosophy students like myself who are intimidated by Kant's heavy prose. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is a study of the relationship between philosophy and faith in Søren Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments.It is also the first book to examine the role of Socrates in this body of writings and it illuminates the significance of Socrates for Kierkegaard's thought in general.Jacob Howland argues that in the Fragments, philosophy and faith are closely related passions.A careful examination of the role of Socrates in Fragments demonstrates that Socratic, philosophical eros opens up a path to faith.At the same time, the work of faith-- which holds the self together with that which transcends it, the finite with the infinite, and one's life in time with eternity-is essentially erotic in the Socratic sense of the term. Chapters on Kierkegaard's Johannes Climacus and on Plato's Apology and related dialogues shed light on the Socratic character of the pseudonymous author of the Fragments and the role of "the god" in Socrates' pursuit of wisdom.Howland also analyzes the Concluding Unscientific Postscript and Kierkegaard's reflections on Socrates and Christ in his unpublished papers. ... Read more

Product Description
This text explores the logic of not-knowing, dramatically presented in the middle-period dialogues of Plato. It contends that Plato first perceived such a logic of not-knowing in the person and behaviour of the man Socrates. It argues that Plato developed the same logic in the literary character Socrates in his dialogues and presented it to his contemporaries as a model of human excellence, designed to supplant precedent and then contemporary contenders to model status. This book challenges the traditional interpretation of Plato, and offers an interpretation of Plato as the elaborator of the hypothetical method, termed "erotic-hypothesizing" which speaks of human possibility and human limitation. ... Read more

Product Description
Socrates presents a compelling case for some life-changing conclusions that follow from a close reading of Socrates' arguments.

• Offers a highly original study of Socrates and his thought, accessible to contemporary readers
• Argues that through studying Socrates we can learn practical wisdom to apply to our lives
• Lovingly crafted with humour, thought-experiments and literary references (from the Iliad to Harry Potter), and with close reading sof key Socratic arguments
• Aids readers with diagrams to make clear complex arguments

Product Description
This guidebook introduces and examines Plato's three dialogues that deal with the death of Socrates: Euthphryo, Apology and Crito. These dialogues are widely regarded as the closest exposition of Socrates' ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
From the Latin, this translation was first published atLondon in 1822. The Gods and the Dmons of the Ancient World broughtinto the philosophical experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Middle-Platonic Daemonolgy
This eloquent, terse, and illuminating treatise represents the culmination of the classical and theosophic ideas on the correlation between Deity, Daemons, and Humanitas, with a pointed emphasis upon the distinctions of daemons [good and bad ones] and their interactions with men.But Socrates and his personal daemon are the centre-piece of the work.For Apuleius, the Platonic ideal of civic virtue and contemplative gnosis are exemplified in Socrates, simply through his recognition and co-operation with his Genius, or Daemon, which cultivates virtue in the soul, making it god-like.Therefore, it is this species of daemon--the benign intermediary type attending Socrates--that lifts the soul up to the empyrean realm where it translates and unites it to transcendent, singular Diety.Now this tract has a rhetorical flair, a substance, and an impetus that caught the attention of the super-intellect, St Augustine, who censured it and baptized those elements he found to be compatible with the Christian system [see Civ. Dei-8.14-18].And overall this treatise is the product of a second century platonist/pontiff/hierophant, who was without a doubt following his own convictions in the writing of this treatise.And while he was better known for his famed Metamorphoses, the God of Socrates has nonetheless left an indelible mark on demonology in the western tradition of religion and thought.It must be noted that this is only a pamphlet; but it is the classic Thomas Taylor translation containing his elucidating annontations.

Beautiful translation, but slightly dated
Taylor's translation of Apuleius' "On the God of Socrates" is a beautiful translation, but his prose is slightly dated. It seems most apt for an academic setting, and I recommend it to classicists or those with a knowledge of the classical world. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

intense
The convo b/w Socrates and Aristotle picks up most intensely toward the end of the book - I'd say around the pleasure chapter. Anyway, I liked her development of the Hesiod line, which she refers to throughout the work.I'd say the best part of this book is her analysis of the ethical virtues.I thought her analyses of shame were superb; although Aristotle doesn't really delve so much into this emotion, Burger cleverly interweaves it into her discussion of the virutes of character, such as courage, and she carries shame, or so it seemed to me, throughout the entire book! Besides shame, a non-virtue - as she understands it, Burger carries the greatness of soul virtue throughout the work - most interestingly is when she links it to phronesis, and thus to the beautiful and to the just. She also heavily writes on praise and blame, on which ethical virtues rest, throughout.Her Benardete-like diagrams for Book 5 are very helpful.Her discussion of intellectual virtue offers insight into how desire plays a role in phronesis.She has a lot on phronesis - how it relates to sophia, nous (esp p126), the legislative art, etc.; this should prove useful for those who (will) study A's Politics. ... Read more

Product Description
Socrates (469 399 B.C.) is one of history's most enigmatic and intriguing figures. He is often considered the father of Western philosophy, yet the four most famous accounts we have of him present a contradictory, confusing picture.

Just who was Socrates? Was he Plato's brilliant philosopher, at times confounding and infuriating, morally serious and yet ironic; the ever-worldly man, sometime mystic, and uncommon martyr? Or did Plato conflate Socrates' views with his own startling genius, as Aristotle suggests? Was Socrates instead the less impressive, more mundane man whose commonsense impressed the laconic Xenophon? Or could Socrates have been the charlatan, the long-winded phony of Aristophanes' Clouds?

The Socratic works included in this volume add intriguing dimensions to the portrait of Socrates. Diogenes Laertius' Life of Socrates emphasizes the philosopher's deep ethical nature and his extraordinary personality; Libanius' Apology of Socrates is based on sources now lost to us; Maximus of Tyre 's Whether Socrates Did the Right Thing When He Did Not Defend Himself makes the startling claim (against Plato and Xenophon) that Socrates never actually spoke at his own trial; from Apuleius' On the God of Socrates we hear at length of Socrates' infamous daimonion: the 'divine sign' only mentioned elsewhere. In short, these four texts add new wrinkles to the already enigmatic historical figure of Socrates.

Special Features

The Unknown Socrates will appeal to philosophers and historians alike, as well as to those interested in the history of ideas. This edition includes

-A general introduction
-An introduction to each of the four ancient authors and their works -An English translation of each of the texts, with selective notes -The original Latin or Greek text of each work -A selected bibliography for each work

Also available:

Smell of Sweat: Greek Athletics, Olympics, and Culture - ISBN 086516553X
The Meaning of Helen: In Search of an Ancient Icon - ISBN 0865165106

For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology, Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar. We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books.

Some of the areas we publish in include:

Selections From The Aeneid
Latin Grammar & Pronunciation
Greek Grammar & Pronunciation
Texts Supporting Wheelock's Latin
Classical author workbooks: Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero
Vocabulary Cards For AP Selections: Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, Horace
Greek Mythology
Greek Lexicon
Slovak Culture And History ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Recommended for Greek and Latin Studies reference shelves
The collaborative effort of William M. Calder III, Bernhard Huss, Marc Mastrangelo, R. Scott Smith, & Stephen M. Trzaskoma, The Unknown Socrates is an impressive evaluation of just who Socrates really was, as its contributors strive to separate the man from the myths and legends that have grown up around him throughout history. Four ancient text translations are offered: Diogenes Laaertius (Life of Socrates), Libanius (Apology of Socrates), Maximus of Tyre (Whether Socrates Did The Right Thing When He Did Not Defend Himself), and Apuleius (On the God of Socrates). Offering introductions to four authors of antiquity and their works, translated texts with notes, the original Latin or Greek text of each work, and select bibliographies, The Unknown Socrates is a first-rate combination of primary sources and helpful interpretations. The Unknown Socrates is very highly recommended for Greek and Latin Studies reference shelves, as well as supplemental Socratic Philosophy reading lists. ... Read more

Product Description
1998 winner of theMEDAL OF BYZANTINE HUMANISM AND

PAIDEIA!

What would happen if one of the most renowned figures of history,Socrates, came to New York and held a dialogue with threeintriguingNew Yorkers: a scientist, a professor of philosophy and a theologian?

In this book, Socrates In New York, Socrates debates with three modernscholars concerning the timeless and universal philosophical questionssuch as the nature of Justice, Love, Freedom, Knowledge, and inparticular, God.

Socrates reminds us that these enduring issues are as relevant,desirable, and applicable today in our modern scientific andtechnological environment, as they were in the philosophical days ofancient Greece.

This book reveals the many similarities between Greek philosophy,based on the thinking of Socrates and Plato, and the One God-OldTestament theology of Hebrew thought. It connects the correspondingmessage of both Greek and Hebrew thinking to the New Testament life ofChrist.

Although Socrates lived 2400 years ago, his ideas continue to permeatehuman thought even today. The historical account of his trial andexecution is the most widely read, following that of Jesus Christ.

His words have stimulated the minds of many of the world's greatestfigures, from Plato to Nietzsche, Augustine to C.S. Lewis, Freud toMartin Luther King.

Socrates' ideas were millenia ahead of his time, on issues such as theintellectual equality of the sexes, which places him as an honoredhero by women's rights advocates of today, or on his belief that theearth soins on its axis.

The personalities of the characters Spock, McCoy and Captain Kirk, ofthe world renowned TV series Star Trek, are embodiments of his ideas,displaying Socratic philosophy not only to the intellectuals, but tothe public in general.

Today, in SOCRATES IN NEW YORK, we will encounter something whichintellectuals for thousands of years have known with the help ofSocrates: The nature and reality of God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The only book who that has made me rethink my beliefs!
The Basic plot of this story is Socrates the ancient philosopher and Philo the famous Jew come to the future and spend an afternoon in a museum. Three men discover who they are and have a conversation with them. These three men are Ron a simple man with not many belifs, Professor an intellectual man who never thinks he is wrong, and Dr. Lattison a doctor who is an athiest going through a ruff time in his life and is willing to listen to anything. These five men converse back and fourth their views on Justice, Freedom, Illusion, Love, Divine Love and Divine Justice. Socrates quickly dumbfounds Ron and is slowly getting the professor to listen but he is stubborn so he will not listen. In the end Ron becomes a man with many questions and he finally has a cause in life, it is finding the truth. Professor quits his job and goes back to school to study greek philosophy, and Dr. Lattison is converted to the Jewish faith by Philo and he eventually becomes a Rabbi years later. This book is influential to me because what Mr. Kotselas says through Socrates changed my belifs back when I believed in Anarchy. Beofre I thought this would be a boring read but I have the privallege of knowing Mr. Kotselas personally because he is my friends dad, and he convinced me to read it and i spent one and two days without sleeping reading the book five times to fully grasp it. This book taught me about myself and that I was to stubborn before and not open. Since I have reaD This book I have started going to church I became an alterserver and last year I became the lead alterserver at my parish.

IVE HEARD OF HERCULES IN NEW YORK WITH ARNOLD SWARZENEGGAR!
IVE HEARD OF HERCULES IN NEW YORK WITH ARNOLD SWARZENEGGAR!
THAT WAS A GOOD FILM.WHEN DOES SOCRATES IN NEW YORK COME OUT?
SOCRATES IN NEW YORK?WHATS THIS?

READ THIS BOOK AT MY LOCAL COFFEESHOP. IT WAS GOOD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

HARRY,

Socratese in New York
I just have to say this is a must read for everyone in the world.It is a such a logical way of looking at God that if you are looking for something real and powerful to make you believe this is it.If you are a doubter then this is the book for you!It is for everyone!

Just wonderful!
This book is so fun to read that you don't realize that your brain is being twisted into proper shape. It's like going to a mental chiropractor.

Other books of interest may include: "Between Heaven and Hell" by Peter Kreeft. All of Kreeft's books are engaging in style and hearty in substance.To see the interaction between Christianity and classical culture, see "Christianity and Classical Culture" by Jaraslov Pelikan.Mortimer Adler's books are also helpful in discussing how to think about God, Life, Truth, etc. A short little book "Does God Exist?" by Moody is written in the trialogue style and is great at rejecting the silly, yet popular, arguments against God and gives the reader much to think about.In a more Christian line, the works of C.S. Lewis are great, and the classic by Bishop Kallistos Ware, "The Orthodox Way" is a great place to start if your interested in historic Christianity. "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" by Vladimir Lossky will certainly reshape the old brain, too!Please check some of these out. Enjoy!

Totally Enlightening and Non-threatening
Socrates in New York was a breath of fresh air.It enables a reader of any religious or non-religious background to grasp the message contained.Modern man is no closer to the truth than the ancient philosophers, evenwith all the advanced technology; science still cannot prove or disprovethe answers to the mysteries of the universe.

The reader will find thetruth as it is written and provides some strong arguements in favor offaith, hope, and love... A clever piece of work indeed!

A must read foranyone in search of God or "Higher Power". ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive, historically organized introduction to philosophy communicates the richness of the discipline and provides the student with a working knowledge of the development of Western philosophy. With a lively and approachable style it covers the principal contributions of Western civilization's most influential philosophers. It provides ample detail without complicating minutiae.The text covers all periods of philosophy, lists philosophers alphabetically and chronologically on the end-papers, and features an exceptional glossary of key concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Socrates to Sartre and beyond
Thank you for the book.For the first time ever my college text books came before the semester started.Many thanks.

great book, but as usual
This IS a great book, but as usual, the big publishers overprice.My copy from the 1990s cost $34.60.Fifteen years later it is three times that much in price.McGraw Hill, why the increase? ... Read more

Product Description
Contributed three new ideas to the development of philosophy: that goodness consists not in helping friends and harming enemies, but in not harming anybody at all; that goodness and knowledge are one and the same thing; and that for progress to be made in argument, there must be step-by-step agreement between those arguing. ... Read more

Product Description
Socrates is one of the most important yet enigmatic philosophers of all time; his fame has endured for centuries despite the fact that he never actually wrote anything. In 399 B.C.E., he was tried on the charge of impiety by the citizens of Athens, convicted by a jury, and sentenced to death (ordered to drink poison derived from hemlock). About these facts there is no disagreement. However, as the sources collected in this book and the scholarly essays that follow them show, several of even the most basic facts about these events were controversial in antiquity, and the questions persist today: How and why was Socrates brought to trial? Why did the jurors, members of the world's first democracy, find him guilty? When he was given an opportunity to escape execution, why did he refuse to do so and instead accept the punishment that he and his friends agreed was unjustly assigned to him? How exactly did Socrates die? Differences of opinion on these and other issues continue to arouse our curiosity and to challenge new generations of students and scholars.
The Trial and Execution of Socrates: Sources and Controversies is the first work to collect in one place all of the major ancient sources on Socrates' death--those of both his critics and his defenders--as well as recent scholarly views. Part I includes new translations of Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and the death scene from Phaedo, as well as other ancient sources that shed light on Socrates' trial and execution. Part II features some of the most influential recent scholarship on this historically momentous event with work by M. F. Burnyeat, Robert Parker, Mark L. McPherran, Thomas C. Brickhouse and Nicholas D. Smith, Richard Kraut, Christopher Gill, and Enid Bloch (whose essay is published here for the first time). Ideal for undergraduate surveys of ancient Greek philosophy and upper-level courses on Socrates and Socratic philosophy, this unique collection provides an unprecedented look into the many perplexing questions surrounding the trial and execution of this remarkable man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
This is a great book. Required for my class. You can probably find this book a few bucks cheaper. I rather pay the extra dough and save on time and hassle wasted like waiting in line during the beginning days of school or waiting for the auction to end or hoping the seller ships your book to get it beforethe beginning weeks of class. Just save time and sanity and purchase from amazon. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more