The Examined Life: Readings from Western Philosophers from Plato to Kant

by Stanley Rosen (Editor)

What did Plato contribute to the philosophy of art? What do Pascal's Pensees really say? Everyone knows the names of these philosophers, but few really understand the ideas at the core of western philosophy.

In this treasury of western thought, the primary sources speak for themselves. Over 35 excerpts from important philosophers -- including Aristotle and Hume, as well as contemporary thinkers -- offer a solid introduction to philosophy for the curious reader.

Leading scholars have carefully chosen the selections, which are arranged according to major discipline, including Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics, and Metaphysics. These experts have contributed a provocative introductions in their areas of expertise.

Unlike other philosophy collections, this book is not a history, a secondary source, or a quick reference. It stands out as an intelligent and accessible compilation of primary source material.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, History, Anthologies

656 pages, Hardcover

First published February 22, 2000

About the author

Stanley Rosen was Borden Parker Bowne Professor of Philosophy and Professor Emeritus at Boston University. His research and teaching focused on the fundamental questions of philosophy and on the most important figures of its history, from Plato to Heidegger.

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of works from various authors that demonstrate major themes in philosophy. The book is split into six main parts with each part concentrating on a main theme of philosophy. These parts are as follows;

Part One: Social and Political Philosophy
Part Two: Philosophy of Religion
Part Three: Philosophy of Art and Culture
Part Four: Metaphysics
Part Five: Epistemology
Part Six: Philosophy of Science.

Each part contains an introduction by a doctorate toting professor meant to increase your understanding and provide a framework to the general ideas. For instance, in Part Two, we are introduced by William Desmond, and the first work is a selection from the Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo.

With thirty-six selections of philosophers from Plato to Nietzsche to Kant to Kierkegaard, you are bound to find a pretty good introduction to Western Philosophy between these pages.

My only real complaint is that the book takes a great many works from Plato, which only shows how influential Plato was in the Western Canon. Of the thirty-six works, five of them are from Plato. Now that I am counting though, Aristotle has four of the thirty-six, so...

In any case, this was a good introduction. It also has a guide to overarching themes, so if you are into that then check this one out I guess.