Legendary Philosophers

*Discusses the mysteries and controversies surrounding Socrates' life and death. *Examines Socrates' philosophy as portrayed by Plato and Xenophon. *Analyzes the debate over whether Plato portrayed Socrates accurately. *Includes busts and other art depicting Socrates and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing, for when I don't know what justice is, I'll hardly know whether it is a kind of virtue or not, or whether a person who has it is happy or unhappy." - attributed to Socrates in Plato's The Republic In 427 B.C., the Ancient Greek city-state of Athens was flourishing. Approximately 80 years earlier, the Athenians had formed the first self-representative democracy in history, the Peloponnesian War against Sparta had only just started, and Socrates was only beginning to lay the foundation of what would become Western philosophy. None of Socrates' works survived antiquity, so most of what is known about him came from the writings of his followers, most notably Plato. What is known about Socrates is that he seemed to make a career out of philosophy, and Plato was intent on following in his footsteps. Yet for all of the influence of Socrates' life on his followers, it was Socrates' death around 399 B.C. that truly shaped them. Plato was so embittered by Socrates' trial in Athens that he completely soured on Athenian democracy, and Aristotle would later criticize politicians who relied on rhetoric; when Aristotle's own life was threatened, he fled Greece and allegedly remarked, "I will not allow the Athenians to sin twice against philosophy." Since Socrates wrote nothing down, or at least nothing that survived antiquity, there has been a wealth of scholarship ever since attempting to determine the person to whom the philosophical positions of the various (and genuine) Socratic dialogues of Plato's should be attributed. Even though Aristotle insisted that Socrates only cared about ethics and held no metaphysical theory of the kind that Plato propounded, the attempt to read the ugly but wise Socrates via the Platonic dialogues continued up to the 20th century. The change of tone, style and philosophical topics seemed to be a big argument that Socratic views are to be found in the early Platonic works, whereas later works bear the stamp of Plato's personal views. The Platonic scholar Gregory Vlastos introduced a developmentalist position which has almost become an orthodoxy in Platonic studies, by moving the discussion from the historical Socrates to Plato as a philosopher. According to developmentalism, if the views in the dialogue are not spelled out only to be refuted afterward, then the person they should be attributed to is Plato and not Socrates. These philosophical views developed over a period of time, which also justifies the various inconsistencies and outright rejection of Plato's own metaphysical statements in subsequent dialogues. Legendary Philosophers: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates chronicles the life, death, and mysteries surrounding Ancient Greece's first great philosopher. Along with pictures of historic art depicting important people, you will learn about Socrates like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Discusses Aristotle's philosophy and ideas about knowledge, reason, logic, politics, rhetoric, science, metaphysics, and more. *Includes busts and other art depicting Aristotle and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "All men by nature desire to know. An indication of this is the delight we take in our senses; for even apart from their usefulness they are loved for themselves; and above all others the sense of sight. For not only with a view to action, but even when we are not going to do anything, we prefer sight to almost everything else. The reason is that this, most of all the senses, makes us know and brings to light many differences between things." - Aristotle, Metaphysics Among all the knowledge and pursuits handed down by our ancestors, few were as important as philosophy, which literally taught people how to think and became directly responsible for ideas like reason and empiricism. Men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle formed the backbone of Western philosophy, and subsequent philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Thomas Aquinas expounded on previous philosophy. In Charles River Editors' Legendary Philosophers series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important philosophers in history in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Alongside Plato, Aristotle is, without question, one of the most influential ancient Greek philosophers and arguably the greatest icon of ancient thought. His life and work expanded rapidly and extensively across the ancient world, helped in part by the fact he tutored Alexander the Great, he was a recognized and celebrated intellectual force during all of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Furthermore, after Aristotle, Greek thought and political influence began a rapid decline, and the cultivation of knowledge, so important during the classic period, slowly but surely began to fade, making Aristotle the last of ancient Greece's great philosophers. Aristotle's influence on Western philosophical thought is marked by an extensive list of crucial issues that both signaled the way forward but at the same time boggled philosophers' minds throughout the centuries. Aristotle's reflections on Being, as well as his rigorous Logic, were his most important philosophical legacy, but he was also an intellectual in the broadest sense of the word. His interests went beyond metaphysical questions and into practical life and practical knowledge, from ethics to politics, rhetoric and the sciences, all of which left a profound impact on Western political thought and ethics. Naturally, this has also made him one of the foundations of knowledge and philosophical thought that subsequent philosophers relied on when forming and refining their own philosophies. Legendary Philosophers: The Life and Philosophy of Aristotle chronicles Aristotle's life, but it also discusses his canon of work, examines his philosophy in depth, and analyzes his enduring legacy. Along with pictures of historic art depicting important people, you will learn about Aristotle like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Discusses the mysteries and controversies surrounding Socrates' life and death. *Examines Socrates' philosophy as portrayed by Plato and Xenophon. *Analyzes the debate over whether Plato portrayed Socrates accurately. *Includes busts and other art depicting Socrates and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing, for when I don't know what justice is, I'll hardly know whether it is a kind of virtue or not, or whether a person who has it is happy or unhappy." - attributed to Socrates in Plato's The Republic In 427 B.C., the Ancient Greek city-state of Athens was flourishing. Approximately 80 years earlier, the Athenians had formed the first self-representative democracy in history, the Peloponnesian War against Sparta had only just started, and Socrates was only beginning to lay the foundation of what would become Western philosophy. None of Socrates' works survived antiquity, so most of what is known about him came from the writings of his followers, most notably Plato. What is known about Socrates is that he seemed to make a career out of philosophy, and Plato was intent on following in his footsteps. Yet for all of the influence of Socrates' life on his followers, it was Socrates' death around 399 B.C. that truly shaped them. Plato was so embittered by Socrates' trial in Athens that he completely soured on Athenian democracy, and Aristotle would later criticize politicians who relied on rhetoric; when Aristotle's own life was threatened, he fled Greece and allegedly remarked, "I will not allow the Athenians to sin twice against philosophy." Since Socrates wrote nothing down, or at least nothing that survived antiquity, there has been a wealth of scholarship ever since attempting to determine the person to whom the philosophical positions of the various (and genuine) Socratic dialogues of Plato's should be attributed. Even though Aristotle insisted that Socrates only cared about ethics and held no metaphysical theory of the kind that Plato propounded, the attempt to read the ugly but wise Socrates via the Platonic dialogues continued up to the 20th century. The change of tone, style and philosophical topics seemed to be a big argument that Socratic views are to be found in the early Platonic works, whereas later works bear the stamp of Plato's personal views. The Platonic scholar Gregory Vlastos introduced a developmentalist position which has almost become an orthodoxy in Platonic studies, by moving the discussion from the historical Socrates to Plato as a philosopher. According to developmentalism, if the views in the dialogue are not spelled out only to be refuted afterward, then the person they should be attributed to is Plato and not Socrates. These philosophical views developed over a period of time, which also justifies the various inconsistencies and outright rejection of Plato's own metaphysical statements in subsequent dialogues. Legendary Philosophers: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates chronicles the life, death, and mysteries surrounding Ancient Greece's first great philosopher. Along with pictures of historic art depicting important people, you will learn about Socrates like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Discusses Aristotle's philosophy and ideas about knowledge, reason, logic, politics, rhetoric, science, metaphysics, and more. *Includes busts and other art depicting Aristotle and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "All men by nature desire to know. An indication of this is the delight we take in our senses; for even apart from their usefulness they are loved for themselves; and above all others the sense of sight. For not only with a view to action, but even when we are not going to do anything, we prefer sight to almost everything else. The reason is that this, most of all the senses, makes us know and brings to light many differences between things." - Aristotle, Metaphysics Among all the knowledge and pursuits handed down by our ancestors, few were as important as philosophy, which literally taught people how to think and became directly responsible for ideas like reason and empiricism. Men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle formed the backbone of Western philosophy, and subsequent philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Thomas Aquinas expounded on previous philosophy. In Charles River Editors' Legendary Philosophers series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important philosophers in history in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Alongside Plato, Aristotle is, without question, one of the most influential ancient Greek philosophers and arguably the greatest icon of ancient thought. His life and work expanded rapidly and extensively across the ancient world, helped in part by the fact he tutored Alexander the Great, he was a recognized and celebrated intellectual force during all of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Furthermore, after Aristotle, Greek thought and political influence began a rapid decline, and the cultivation of knowledge, so important during the classic period, slowly but surely began to fade, making Aristotle the last of ancient Greece's great philosophers. Aristotle's influence on Western philosophical thought is marked by an extensive list of crucial issues that both signaled the way forward but at the same time boggled philosophers' minds throughout the centuries. Aristotle's reflections on Being, as well as his rigorous Logic, were his most important philosophical legacy, but he was also an intellectual in the broadest sense of the word. His interests went beyond metaphysical questions and into practical life and practical knowledge, from ethics to politics, rhetoric and the sciences, all of which left a profound impact on Western political thought and ethics. Naturally, this has also made him one of the foundations of knowledge and philosophical thought that subsequent philosophers relied on when forming and refining their own philosophies. Legendary Philosophers: The Life and Philosophy of Aristotle chronicles Aristotle's life, but it also discusses his canon of work, examines his philosophy in depth, and analyzes his enduring legacy. Along with pictures of historic art depicting important people, you will learn about Aristotle like you never have before, in no time at all.

Explore the beliefs, ideas, and philosophical musings of some of the greatest thinkers of ancient Greece with this insightful and engaging volume. Compiled by the legendary philosopher Diogenes, this work offers detailed biographical information as well as in-depth analyses of the key tenets of various schools of thought. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of philosophy or the roots of contemporary thought. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

*Discusses Plato's philosophy and ideas about knowledge, reason, Forms, political science, rhetoric and more. *Includes busts and other art depicting Plato and important people and events. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside, cities will never have rest from their evils - no, nor the human race, as I believe - and then only will this our State have a possibility of life and behold the light of day." - Plato, The Republic A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? Among all the knowledge and pursuits handed down by our ancestors, few were as important as philosophy, which literally taught people how to think and became directly responsible for ideas like reason and empiricism. Men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle formed the backbone of Western philosophy, and subsequent philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Thomas Aquinas expounded on previous philosophy. In Charles River Editors' Legendary Philosophers series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important philosophers in history in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. In 427 B.C., the Ancient Greek city-state of Athens was flourishing. Approximately 80 years earlier, the Athenians had formed the first self-representative democracy in history, the Peloponnesian War against Sparta had only just started, and Socrates was only beginning to lay the foundation of what would become Western philosophy. That year Plato was born to a wealthy family, and with an uncle who was close friends with Socrates, Plato was seemingly destined to become a philosopher. By the end of his life, Plato had indeed become the foremost philosopher of his time, and perhaps the most famous philosopher in Western history. None of Socrates' works survived antiquity, so most of what is known about him came from the writings of his followers, most notably Plato. What is known about Socrates is that he seemed to make a career out of philosophy, and Plato was intent on following in his footsteps. Yet for all of the influence of Socrates' life on Plato, it was Socrates' death around 399 B.C. that truly shaped him. Plato was so embittered by Socrates' trial in Athens that he completely soured on Athenian democracy, and he began to travel around the Mediterranean, studying topics like mathematics, honing his approach to philosophical thinking, and continuing to refine his philosophical beliefs. About a decade later, Plato returned to Athens and founded his famous Platonic Academy around 387 B.C., which he oversaw for 40 years until his death. One of Plato's philosophical beliefs was that writing down teachings was less valuable than passing them down orally, and several of Plato's writings are responses to previous writings of his, so Plato's personally held beliefs are hard to discern. However, Plato educated several subsequent philosophers, chief among them Aristotle, and his writings eventually formed the backbone of Western philosophy. Legendary Philosophers: The Life and Philosophy of Plato chronicles Plato's life, but it also discusses his canon of work, examines his philosophy in depth, and analyzes his enduring legacy. Along with pictures of important people in his life, you will learn about Plato like you never have before, in no time at all.

At the forefront of the medieval wisdom tradition was The Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers, a long prose text that purports to be a compendium of lore collected from biblical, classical, and legendary philosophers and sages. Dicts and Sayings was a well-known work that traveled across many lands and was translated into many languages. It became popular in England in the fifteenth century, and cemented its place in English literary history on 18 November 1477, when William Caxton printed an edition of Dicts and Sayings that was perhaps the first book ever printed in England. Dicts and Sayings is presented as a series of truisms handed down from a wise speaker to a receptive audience. The text introduces its audience to a long series of eminent wise men, with each philosopher's words of wisdom being preceded by a biographical story that ranges from a few words to several manuscript pages.

This book studies largely unresearched ideas of ancient women philosophers and recovers their contributions to the history of philosophy.