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Arguing With Socrates: An Introduction to Plato's Shorter Dialogues
Ranging from the Symposium to the Apology , this is a concise but authoritative guide to the most important and widely studied of Plato's Socratic dialogues.
Taking each of the major dialogues in turn, Arguing with Socrates encourages students to engage directly with the questions that Socrates raises and with their relevance to 21st century life. Along the way, the book draws on Socrates' thought to explore such questions as:
• What is virtue and can it be taught?
• Should we obey the law if we don't agree with it?
• Do brave people feel fear?
• Can we find truth in poetry?
Arguing with Socrates also includes an extensive introduction, providing an overview of the key themes of the dialogues, their political and cultural context and Socrates' philosophical method. Guides to further reading are also provided to help students take their studies further, making this an essential one-volume reference for anyone studying these foundational philosophical works.
Taking each of the major dialogues in turn, Arguing with Socrates encourages students to engage directly with the questions that Socrates raises and with their relevance to 21st century life. Along the way, the book draws on Socrates' thought to explore such questions as:
• What is virtue and can it be taught?
• Should we obey the law if we don't agree with it?
• Do brave people feel fear?
• Can we find truth in poetry?
Arguing with Socrates also includes an extensive introduction, providing an overview of the key themes of the dialogues, their political and cultural context and Socrates' philosophical method. Guides to further reading are also provided to help students take their studies further, making this an essential one-volume reference for anyone studying these foundational philosophical works.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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October 23, 2013
Arguing with Socrates by Christopher Warne is a brief introduction to and overview of several of Plato's short dialogues. The book is divided into two parts. In Part One, Warne introduces the people in the dialogues and discusses the roles they play (both dramatic and philosophical). He also surveys the Socratic methods and means used in the dialogues to arrive at Socrates' (or Plato's) philosophical position. Part Two is a survey of nine short dialogues: The Apology, Crito, Euthyphro, Hippias Major, Ion, Laches, Meno, Protagoras, and Symposium.
Overall, this book is a brief, well-written, and thoughtful overview of some of Plato's best known short works. Warne writes clearly and well, blending smoothly Plato's ancient ideas with examples and anecdotes drawn from contemporary society. He clearly has a grasp of both Plato and modern scholarship, as well as an understanding of the practical application of otherwise abstract ideas and problems.
And yet, I would hesitate to recommend this book to the intended audience.
Read the whole thing here:
http://coyleneal.blogspot.com/2013/10...
Overall, this book is a brief, well-written, and thoughtful overview of some of Plato's best known short works. Warne writes clearly and well, blending smoothly Plato's ancient ideas with examples and anecdotes drawn from contemporary society. He clearly has a grasp of both Plato and modern scholarship, as well as an understanding of the practical application of otherwise abstract ideas and problems.
And yet, I would hesitate to recommend this book to the intended audience.
Read the whole thing here:
http://coyleneal.blogspot.com/2013/10...
Displaying 1 of 1 review