Plato Plato

The Phaedo is acknowledged to be one of Plato's masterpieces, showing him both as a philosopher and as a dramatist at the height of his powers. For its moving account of the execution of Socrates, the Phaedo ranks among the supreme literary achievements of antiquity. It is also a document crucial to the understanding of many ideas deeply ingrained in western culture, and provides one of the best introductions to Plato's thought.

Plato is among the most influential philosophers of all time. Along with his teacher Socrates and his pupil Aristotle, he can be said to have laid the foundations for Western philosophy, science and ethics, as well as establishing the first academy for higher learning in the Western world. Socrates is one of the great figures of Western history and the founding father of its philosophical tradition. In the Dialogues, by his pupil and fellow philosopher Plato, a fascinating portrait emerges of a man who spurned material wealth and believed above all in learning and inquiry. Apology, Crito, and Phaedo recount Socrates’ trial on charges of corrupting the youth of Athens, his defiance of the court, and his last days in jail passed in discussion with friends. They form an excellent introduction to a courageous and captivating figure who paid with his life for the right to free thought.

The Apology of Socrates is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself in 399BCE against the charges of "corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel" (24b). "Apology" here has its earlier meaning (now usually expressed by the word "apologia") of speaking in defense of a cause or of one's beliefs or actions. The revised edition of this popular textbook features revised vocabulary and grammatical notes that now appear on the same page as the text, sentence diagrams, principal parts of verbs listed both by Stephanus page and alphabetically, word frequency list for words occurring more than twice, and complete vocabulary.

Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, this classic text is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation, other questions are raised: what is goodness?; what is reality?; and what is knowledge? The Republic also addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as guardians of the people. With remarkable lucidity and deft use of allegory, Plato arrives at a depiction of a state bound by harmony and ruled by philosopher kings.

A fascinating discussion on sex, gender, and human instincts, as relevant today as ever. In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. From their conversation emerges a series of subtle reflections on gender roles, sex in society and the sublimation of basic human instincts. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by Plato's mentor, Socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. The Symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love--as a response to beauty, a cosmic force, a motive for social action and as a means of ethical education. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Once upon a time there were just the gods; mortal beings did not yet exist. We are used to thinking of myths as stories, and modern myths as made up and fictitious. For the ancient Greeks, however, a myth was a story that unveiled reality, and for Plato, myth-maker as well as myth-teller, a myth could tell us something important about ourselves and our world. The ultimate purpose of Plato's myths is to help us live a better life, and to teach philosophical truths in a form we can most easily understand. This volume brings together ten of the most celebrated Platonic myths, from eight of Plato's dialogues ranging from the early Protagoras and Gorgias to the late Timaeus and Critias. They include the famous myth of the cave from Republic as well as The Judgement of Souls and The Birth of Love. Each myth is a self-contained story, prefaced by a short explanatory note, while the introduction considers Plato's use of myth and imagery. These myths are thought-provoking and profound, and together they provide an ideal introduction to Plato's philosophy.

Le philosophe et le sophiste revendiquent la sagesse (sophia). Ils se ressemblent donc de la même manière - dit Platon - que le chien ressemble au loup. La philosophie n'a rien à gagner avec cette assimilation. Voilà pourquoi, après avoir écrit plusieurs dialogues polémiques à l'égard de la sophistique, Platon décide d'être plus radical : seule une analyse en profondeur de l'être et du non-être permettra de tracer la frontière qui sépare de manière définitive le philosophe, « l'homme libre » qui évolue dans la lumière de la vérité, du sophiste, le faussaire qui « s'enfuit dans l'obscurité du non-être ». L'analyse platonicienne aura cependant des conséquences inattendues : l'opposition classique entre l'être et le non-être, systématisée par Parménide, sera réfutée, et le jugement faux trouvera une explication en dehors de l'impossible revendication du non-être. Aristote, fidèle lecteur du Sophiste, trouvera ainsi ouverte la voie qui le conduira vers sa théorie de la prédication multiple de l'être.

Qu'est-ce que la science ? Ou encore : au nom de quels critères un énoncé peut-il être présenté comme science ? A cette question, le Théétète apporte trois tentatives de réponse qui sont autant d'impasses : la science n'est ni sensation, ni opinion vraie, ni opinion vraie accompagnée d'une définition. Echec d'une discussion stérile, attente déçue de qui se croyait convié au spectacle d'un accouchement de la vérité ? Non, si l'on sait lire dans le Théétète la leçon du socratisme : la science, c'est de savoir que la science nous échappe. Le Théétète, en pratiquant l'impasse, s'érige en carrefour. S'y rencontrent, quand y est tentée une solution de l'énigme des irrationnelles, l'histoire des mathématiques ; celle, très platonicienne bien qu'encore la nôtre, de la philosophie ; les pouvoirs de la rhétorique , car c'est en elle, à bien entende le sophiste, qu'il nous faut apprendre à reconnaître la science ; la question, enfin, que Platon n'a cessé de poser : comment rétablir la dialectique dans ses droits ?

Republic," by Plato, is part of the "Barnes & Noble Classics"""series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of "Barnes & Noble Classics" New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. "Barnes & Noble Classics "pulls together a constellation of influencesbiographical, historical, and literaryto enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.One of the greatest works of philosophy, political theory, and literature ever produced, Plato s "Republic" has shaped Western thought for thousands of years, and remains as relevant today as when it was written during the fourth century B.C. "Republic" begins by posing a central "What is justice, and why should we be just, especially when the wicked often seem happier and more successful?" For Plato, the answer lies with the ways people, groups, and institutions organize and behave. A brilliant inquiry into the problems of constructing the perfect state, and the roles education, the arts, family, and religion should play in our lives, "Republic" employs picturesque settings, sharply outlined characters, and conversational dialogue to drive home the philosopher s often provocative arguments.It has been said that the entire history of Western philosophy consists of nothing more than "a series of footnotes to Plato." Vastly entertaining, occasionally shocking, and always stimulating, "Republic" continues to enrich and expand the outlook of all who read it.Elizabeth Watson Scharffenberger holds degrees from the University of Chicago and Columbia University. A specialist in the culture and literature of Athens during the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., she teaches at Columbia University and New York University s Gallatin School.

All the writings of Plato generally considered to be authentic are here presented in the only complete one-volume Plato available in English. The editors set out to choose the contents of this collected edition from the work of the best British and American translators of the last 100 years, ranging from Jowett (1871) to scholars of the present day. The volume contains prefatory notes to each dialogue, by Edith Hamilton; an introductory essay on Plato's philosophy and writings, by Huntington Cairns; and a comprehensive index which seeks, by means of cross references, to assist the reader with the philosophical vocabulary of the different translators.

The Laws, Plato's longest dialogue, has for centuries been recognized as the most comprehensive exposition of the practical consequences of his philosophy, a necessary corrective to the more visionary and utopian Republic. In this animated encounter between a foreign philosopher and a powerful statesman, not only do we see reflected, in Plato's own thought, eternal questions of the relation between political theory and practice, but we also witness the working out of a detailed plan for a new political order that embodies the results of Plato's mature reflection on the family, the status of women, property rights, criminal law, and the role of religion and the fine arts in a healthy republic.

Plato's Socrates, in prison and being urged to flee execution, raises in acute form, and for the first time in European thought, a central question: is it right to disobey the state? Socrates' controversial answer in "Crito" has generated much contemporary literature, but no English commentary of the Greek text for seventy-five years. This new edition aims to provide an up-to-date literary and philosophical analysis suitable for a wide range of readers, including those with post-beginners Greek. It represents an ideal introduction, not only to the social and philosophical world of Classical Greece, but also to the personality of one of its greatest thinkers.

"Preface: This edition, which is intended for those who have only lately begun the study of Greek, is based on the edition by my husband in the Pitt Press series. Where no simplification or abridgement seemed necessary, I haven't hesitated to use the original wording, but the notes have been for the most part, & the introduction entirely, rewritten. A vocabulary has also been added. I've made considerable use of H. Williamson's edition, published since my husband's lifetime. I am very glad that Prof. Burnet's most interesting work, Greek Philosophy, Thales to Plato;, appeared just in time to enable me to consult it."--A.M.A., Cambridge, 8/3/1914

The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube's distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works (Hacket, 1997). Cooper has also contributed a number of new or expanded footnotes and updated Suggestions for Further Reading.

"A model of the kind of text one needs for lecture courses: the translation is extremely readable and made even more accessible by intelligent printing decisions (on dividing the text, spacing for clarification, etc.); the notes are kept to a minimum but appear when they are really needed for comprehension and are truly informative. And the introduction admirably presents both basic information and a sense of current scholarly opinion." -- S G Nugent, Princeton University One of the most famous works of literature in the Western world, Plato's Symposium is also one of the most entertaining. The scene is a dinner party in Athens in 416 B.C. at which the guests - including the comic poet Aristophanes and Plato's mentor, Socrates - playfully discuss the nature of eros, or love. By turns earthly and sublime, the dialogue culminates with Socrates's famous account of the "ladder of love," an extended analysis of the many forms of eros. The evening ends with a speech by the drunken Alcibiades, the most popular and powerful Athenian of the day, who insists on praising Socrates rather than love, offering up a brilliant character sketch of the enigmatic philosopher.

Timaeus and Critias is a Socratic dialogue in two parts. A response to an account of an ideal state told by Socrates, it begins with Timaeus’s theoretical exposition of the cosmos and his story describing the creation of the universe, from its very beginning to the coming of man. Timaeus introduces the idea of a creator God and speculates on the structure and composition of the physical world. Critias, the second part of Plato’s dialogue, comprises an account of the rise and fall of Atlantis, an ancient, mighty and prosperous empire ruled by the descendents of Poseidon, which ultimately sank into the sea. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

¿Qué es el bien? ¿Y la justicia? ¿Cómo se puede vivir de manera digna? ¿Cuál es la mejor manera de enfrentarse a la muerte? Hombres y mujeres de todas las épocas y lugares se han hecho las mismas preguntas. Las respuestas, en contra de lo que pudiera suponerse, no varían demasiado. La filosofía, pese a su fama de centrarse en especulaciones abstrusas, también se ocupa de aquellos asuntos que atañen a nuestras experiencias más directas. Los diálogos de Platón, lejos de estar pensados para un público académico o especializado, se dirigen al ciudadano de a pie, a la persona que desea afrontar su vida y sus responsabilidades co- tidianas de una manera más consciente y reflexiva. El pensamiento deviene un quehacer, una tarea práctica en la que el lector, de la mano de Sócrates se ve obligado a revisar sus creencias para darse cuenta de que conceptos como la verdad, la libertad, la felicidad, la belleza o el amor son mucho más complejos de lo que cabría esperar y atañen a lo más profundo de nuestra existencia.