Plato

Gebundenes Buch

Apology, Crito, Critias and ION Dialogues of Plato

Beschreibung

Apology Possibly one of Plato's first works, the Apology presents Socrates' own defense and in the process helps define his philosophy. He wished to change the way in which his contemporaries viewed the world and believed "the unexamined life is not worth living." Crito Socrates is sentenced to death, but his friend Crito bribes the guards to enable is escape. Crito feeling that the sentence is unjust sees no wrong in avoiding it with another injustice, while Socrates disagrees. In their conversation the probe the foundations of civil and moral law as well as the social contract theory of government. Critias One of the late and unfinished dialogues, Critias is the original account of the rise and fall of Atlantis, an ancient, mighty empire ruled by the descendants of Poseidon. It is thought that the account is not historical, but rather an illustration of Plato's vision an ideal society. Ion In this short work Socrates discusses with Ion, a successful actor, his ability to interpret Homer. Thus arise two questions: First is there an art of "poetry as a whole" and consequently: Does philosophy only exist in the use of words? The dialogue thus delves into the puzzling nature of human creativity.

Autor

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. In Athens, Plato founded the Academy, a philosophical school where he taught the philosophical doctrines that would later become known as Platonism. Plato (or Platon) was a pen name derived, apparently, from the nickname given to him by his wrestling coach - allegedly a reference to his physical broadness. According to Alexander of Miletus quoted by Diogenes of Sinope his actual name was Aristocles, son of Ariston, of the deme Collytus (Collytus being a district of Athens).[2]Plato was an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy. He raised problems for what later became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy. His most famous contribution is the Theory of forms, which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He is also the namesake of Platonic love and the Platonic solids.His own most decisive philosophical influences are usually thought to have been, along with Socrates, the pre-Socratics Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although few of his predecessors' works remain extant and much of what we know about these figures today derives from Plato himself.Along with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy.[b] Unlike the work of nearly all of his contemporaries, Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years. Although their popularity has fluctuated, Plato's works have consistently been read and studied. Through Neoplatonism Plato also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy (through e.g. Al-Farabi). In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Akasha Publishing, LLC
• Seitenzahl: 122
• Erscheinungstermin: 12. November 2009
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 222mm x 145mm x 10mm
• Gewicht: 307g
• ISBN-13: 9781605125213
• ISBN-10: 1605125210
• Artikelnr.: 28008815