Product Description
A substantial and complete essay on Ancient greek Philosophy. Useful guide for the teacher, the student and any educated person. The original fragments have been carefully selected and thoroughly analysed so as to initiate the reader into the main principles of the Greek philosophers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Brilliant interpretation
I find most of the reviews really enlightening on the qualities of the book; so to say ` an excellent guide and interpretation of Greek philosophy and not a mere collection of translated texts of the Greek thinkers'. However, I would not agree with such a discriminating proposal as `to rewrite the book in native speaking English', unless we mean to suggest that Leibniz and Beckett's excellent writings in French and Wittgenstein's works in English should be rewritten by a native language speaking person.

The author, by developing progressively the concepts and due to his brilliant interpretation of the different philosophical schools of thought, leads the reader to gradual comprehension of the Greek philosophical conceptions. The `Doric' style of the language (poor), following the Greek philosophical tradition, does not interfere with the reader's understanding, but on the contrary develops a feeling of immediacy and prompts the student to go on and to search through the original writings of the philosophers by himself. All that makes the book valuable as a guide and introduction to Greek philosophy, because it increases the reader's awareness of philosophical questions and consequently it is getting more people interested in philosophy.

Illuminating and useful tool for the student of classical philosophy
Although a philosophical work, I found this book immensely stimulating and made me want to read more and more. Its gradual development of the concepts, its clear and essential interpretation of the Greek philosophers' sayings, along with its references to their works helps the reader to achieve a great deal of understanding. To sum up, the references to the Greek philosophical terms, which are very well interpreted, make the book an illuminating and useful guide for any student of philosophy.

Excellent introduction to Ancient Greek philosophy
I am a student of philosophy and I have had many difficulties in understanding the Greek philosophical terms and concepts. This book with its countless citations enabled me to understand all these terms like logos, phronesis, doxa, episteme, nous, eudaimoniaetc. Due to its essential reference to the most of the Presocratics I could finally grasp the metaphysical and epistemological concepts of Plato and Aristotle. The author does not only show the way to discover the Greek wisdom through the innumerable fragments, but he also helps the student to do a further research into the enormous work of Plato and Aristotle, since he quotes the references of their work related to certain topics.
Really amazing and helpful work!!

Excellent book of ancient Greek philosophy
Finally I found the right book, which helped me to understand the main concepts of ancient Greek philosophy.

back to the origins in Greek philosophy
This little 'Handbook of Greek Philosophy' introduces the reader to all those authors who have become a staple of any history of European philosophy: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus, the Sophists, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Stoics.

The author had the good idea to devote nearly half of the pages to the Pre-Socratics from Thales to Democritus. As a result of this, much of what we know from Plato becomes better understandable, and besides this reader's awareness of the wealth of thoughts debated before the rise of Socrates is much heightened.

The term 'handbook' is a bit misleading, since this is not a magisterial work bringing several pounds of heavy scholarship onto your desk. It is more aptly called 'a first guide to the origins of European philosophy for the uninitiated.' However, this should not devalue the book. The book radiates the charm of old diaries and notebooks. There are many valuable nuggets strewn throughout the text, so one gets hooked and reads on.

There are some minor technical weaknesses. Readers looking for a synoptic vision which puts all things in their proper context and builds a grandiose web of cross references will be disappointed. But the bottom-line is: Read this book and you will have not wasted your time but on the contrary gained a strong feeling of what philosophy is all about and how the Greeks did it.

From the countless citations an intense feeling of immediacy develops, of being near to the sources from where philosophy once sprang like from a well of fresh water. What looks like a weakness turns out to be a strength: The author is not standing in the way of getting at the sources of original insight but makes you go there yourself.

I have to admit that I am no specialist on Greek philosophy, while the author seems to be. Thus I cannot evaluate the quality of the selections. But this does not change my evaluation as a reader that the book deserves close reading and will repay study.

Because there remains much to be improved in technicalities as is cross-referencing and index etc. I gave only 4 stars this time. ... Read more

Book Description
"What is Italy's role in the post-Cold War world?" This volume, the first in a series to be published by CSIS in collaboration with liMes, Rivista Italiana di Geopolitica, touches on the central issues of Italy's international presence, from the Atlantic Alliance to the European Union, and from the Mediterranean to the new policy toward eastern Europe, with an eye also to domestic problems, foremost among them the independentist movements in the Italian North. The goal: to give English-speaking readers an authoritative and original picture of the Italian geopolitical scene. This goal will be pursued without departing from the distinct style of the Italian version of liMes: an open mind toward any viewpoint and a focus on specific issues rather than on theories purporting to explain the world with a single formula. In this way CSIS and liMes hope to contribute to the creation of a transatlantic geopolitical forum and to a better understanding, both in the United States and in the international community, of "what Italy stands for." ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

a splendid and wonderful book
What a magnificient analysis full of profound and original insights.This book was done with such exemplary clarity that one need not be a student of philosophy in order to comprehend the ideas that are discussed.I wouldhighly recommend this book to anyone interested in discovering theimportant pathway into the lives and thoughts of the great minds. ... Read more

Book Description
Offers the first complete reinterpretation of Empedocles - one of the founding figures of Western philosophy - since the publication of the Strasbourg papyrus in 1999 brought new fragments of his lost work to light. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the metaphysicians and the creative orders. Published Post-humously ... Read more