This is the first full-length biography of Plato in the English language. It's a wonderful account of his life and the times in which he lived. The context provided can help us to appreciate Plato's writings and the significance of his thought for subsequent generations.
The first ever biography of the founder of Western philosophy
Considered by many to be the most important philosopher ever, Plato was born into a well-to-do family in wartime Athens at the end of the fifth century BCE. In his teens, he honed his intellect by attending lectures from the many thinkers who passed through Athens and toyed with the idea of writing poetry. He finally decided to go into politics, but became disillusioned, especially after the Athenians condemned his teacher, Socrates, to death. Instead, Plato turned to writing and teaching. He began teaching in his twenties and later founded…
An innovative and insightful exploration of the passionate early life of Socrates and the influences that led him to become the first and greatest of philosophers
Socrates: the philosopher whose questioning gave birth to the ideas of Western thought, and whose execution marked the end of the Athenian Golden Age. Yet despite his pre-eminence among the great thinkers of history, little of his life story is known. What we know tends to begin in his middle age and end with his trial and death. Our conception of Socrates has relied upon Plato and Xenophon - men who met him when…
A thinking person's guide to a better life. Ward Farnsworth explains what the Socratic method is, how it works, and why it matters more than ever in our time. Easy to grasp yet challenging to master, the method will change the way you think about life's big questions. "A wonderful book."-Rebecca Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex.
About 2,500 years ago, Plato wrote a set of dialogues that depict Socrates in conversation. The way Socrates asks questions, and the reasons why, amount to a whole way of thinking. This is the Socratic method-one of humanity's great achievements. More than…
This book follows the multi-disciplinary approach of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, presenting the life story of Socrates interwoven with the development of his philosophical ideas and method, the modern relevance of which is explained by comparisons with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).
