Synopses & Reviews
Greek Philosophers contains essays on three of the most important figures in the history of Western philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Socrates wrote nothing himself, and our knowledge of his philosophical opinions and method is derived mainly from the engaging and infuriating figure who appears in Plato's dialogues. The philosophy of Socrates and Plato is therefore closely interconnected, and the most powerful elements of Plato's mature thought form the basis of an interpretation of knowledge, reality, and morality which is still held and debated by philosophers today. Aristotle's scientific explorations and systematic philosophical investigation have been instrumental in the development of Western philosophy.
Each of this book's three authors provides a thorough section on a single philosopher, and the confluence of these studies will help readers understand these great thinkers both individually and in the context of each other.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [311]-330) and index.
About the Author
About the Authors:
Jonathan Barnes is Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Geneva. R. M. Hare is Professor Emeritus of Moral Philosophy at Oxford University, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, and Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Florida. C. C. W. Taylor is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College and a Reader in Philosophy at Oxford University.
Table of Contents
Socrates (C. C. W. Taylor): 1. Introduction; 2. Life; 3. Socratic literature and the Socratic problem; 4. Plato's Socrates; 5. Socrates and later philosophy; 6. Conclusion.
Plato (R. M. Hare): 1. Life and Times; 2. Plato's forebears; 3. How Plato became a philospher; 4. Understanding Plato; 5. Knowing things; 6. Definition, dialectic, and the good; 7. Education and the good life; 8. The divided mind; 9. The authoritarian State; 10. Plato's achievement.
Aristotle (Jonathan Barnes): 1. The man and his work; 2. A public figure; 3. Zoological researches; 4. Collecting facts; 5. The philosophical background; 6. The structure of the science; 7. Logic; 8. Knowledge; 9. Ideal and achievement; 10. Reality; 11. Change; 12. Causes; 13. Empiricism; 14. Aristotle's world-picture; 15. Psychology; 16. Evidence and theory; 17. Teleology; 18. Practical philosophy; 19. The arts; 20. Afterlife.