| Socrates in 90 Minutes Contributor(s): Strathern, Paul (Author) |
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ISBN: 1566631483 ISBN-13: 9781566631488 Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher OUR PRICE: $8.96 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 1997 Annotation: Just a century after it had begun, philosophy entered its greatest age with the appearance of Socrates, who spent so much of his time talking about philosophy on the streets of Athens that he never got around to writing anything down. His method of aggressive questioning, called dialectic, was the forerunner of logic; he used it to cut through the twaddle of his adversaries and arrive at the truth. Rather than questioning the world, he believed, we would be better off questioning ourselves. Socrates placed philosophy on the sound basis of reason. He saw the world as not accessible to our senses, only to thought. Finally charged with impiety and the corruption of youth, he was tried and sentenced to death - and ended his life by drinking the judicial hemlock. In Socrates in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Socrates' life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Socrates' observations; a brief list of suggested reading for those who wish to push further; and chronologies that place Socrates within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Philosophy | History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical - Philosophy | Logic |
| Dewey: 183.2 |
| LCCN: 96040322 |
| Series: Philosophers in 90 Minutes |
| Physical Information: 0.32" H x 5.04" W x 8.03" (0.20 lbs) 89 pages |
| Themes: - Theometrics - Secular |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: "Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character....I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization."--Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe. "Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them....I find them hard to stop reading."--Richard Bernstein, New York Times. "Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise."--Jim Holt, Wall Street Journal. These brief and enlightening explorations of our greatest thinkers bring their ideas to life in entertaining and accessible fashion. Philosophical thought is deciphered and made comprehensive and interesting to almost everyone. Far from being a novelty, each book is a highly refined appraisal of the philosopher and his work, authoritative and clearly presented. |