Knowledge in a Nutshell: Classical Philosophy: The Complete Guide to the Founders of Western Philosophy, Including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Epicurus

by Michael Moore

From Socrates' fascinating discussions of morality and virtue to Pythagoras' attempts to understand the arrangement of the cosmos, the thinkers of the ancient world provided us with an astonishing array of ideas that has helped to shape the modern world.

Ranging across Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy from Anaximander to Plotinus, Knowledge in a Classical Philosophy explains important ideas such as Plato's Theory of Forms, Zeno's Paradox, and the Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius. This essential introduction brings the great ideas of antiquity to everyone.

ABOUT THE The critically-acclaimed Knowledge in a Nutshell series provides accessible and engaging introductions to wide-ranging topics, written by experts in their fields.

Genres: Philosophy

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads. This profile is for Michael^^^^^^^Moore, philosophy.

Michael Moore is completing a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Chicago. He specializes in the ideas of Plato and Aristotle and in the works of Epicurus, Plotinus, and Lucretius among others. While his primary concern is philosophy, he enjoys classical poetry, drama, and literature.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am what may be considered as a philosophy layperson- I have no background knowledge of philosophy. I was interested in learning more about it. That being said, I struggled with this book. I'm not sure if it was because I attempted to read it in a digital format (knowing full well that I do better with physical books) or if it was because my brain did not want to cooperate.
If I were in a different mindset, and perhaps had a physical copy of this book, I may be more interested.
I did appreciate the format of this book.

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for the beginning philosopher, or those who are interested the great classical philosophers themselves. From this introductory book, you will get a good idea of which philosophers believed what, what they were responsible for and the main ideas of their philosophy.


I liked this book because it didn't waste space talking about things that weren't integral, but rather got straight to the point and delivered the basics without a lot of terminology that is basically impossible for the beginner to understand. This would be a good choice for younger students who want to learn about ancient philosophers, because it puts things in term that are easier to understand than most books do.


There is a brief refresher at the end of every chapter that goes over the main points and helps you to remember what you just read, very useful for those who wish to take notes. Overall, I thought this was a really useful book, with enough information to make it worth the time to read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publishers, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Vojtěch E. Kilian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is hard to trust someone who thinks that Iulia Livilla was C. Iulius Ceasar’s wife. And that Seneca slept with her almost 80 years after Ceasar’s death...

[MJD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overview.