Classical philosophy - Velha Estante

346 pages

English language

Published July 29, 2014 by Oxford University Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-19-967453-4
OCLC Number:: 968507291

(1 review)

Peter Adamson aims ultimately to present a complete history of philosophy, more thoroughly but also more enjoyably than ever before. He offers an accessible, humorous, and detailed look at the emergence of philosophy with the Presocratics, the probing questions of Socrates, and the first full flowering of philosophy with the dialogues of Plato and the treatises of Aristotle. The story is told 'without any gaps', discussing not only such major figures but also less commonly discussed topics like the Hippocratic Corpus, the Platonic Academy, and the role of women in ancient philosophy. Within the thought of Plato and Aristotle, the reader will find in-depth introductions to major works, such as the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics, which are treated in detail that is unusual in an introduction to ancient philosophy. Adamson looks at fascinating but less frequently read Platonic dialogues like the Charmides and Cratylus, and Aristotle's ideas in zoology …

Peter Adamson aims ultimately to present a complete history of philosophy, more thoroughly but also more enjoyably than ever before. He offers an accessible, humorous, and detailed look at the emergence of philosophy with the Presocratics, the probing questions of Socrates, and the first full flowering of philosophy with the dialogues of Plato and the treatises of Aristotle. The story is told 'without any gaps', discussing not only such major figures but also less commonly discussed topics like the Hippocratic Corpus, the Platonic Academy, and the role of women in ancient philosophy. Within the thought of Plato and Aristotle, the reader will find in-depth introductions to major works, such as the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics, which are treated in detail that is unusual in an introduction to ancient philosophy. Adamson looks at fascinating but less frequently read Platonic dialogues like the Charmides and Cratylus, and Aristotle's ideas in zoology and poetics. This full coverage allows him to tackle ancient discussions in all areas of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, ethics and politics. Attention is also given to the historical and literary context of classical philosophy, with exploration of how early Greek cosmology responded to the poets Homer and Hesiod, how Socrates was presented by the comic playwright Aristophanes and the historian Xenophon, and0how events in Greek history may have influenced Plato's thought.

1 edition

UdeRecife reviewed Classical philosophy by Peter Adamson

Review of 'Classical philosophy' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

What makes this a great history of philosophy is precisely its “without any gaps approach”. This because, as Peter Adamson himself recognizes on the last section of this book, if you’re studying philosophy in, say, an undergraduate course, and you’re doing the usual flyover on the whole history of the great philosophers that are most of your classes, usually “you might reasonably expect to jump from Aristotle to, perhaps, Descartes, leaping over about 2,000 years of history in the process” (ADAMSON, 2014). Yes, time is short and there’s too much of the good stuff to cover without having to deal with what most histories deem the minor thinkers.

This is unfortunate, because with such huge gaps in the narrative, you get the impression that some of the thinkers, or their ideas, just come out of the blue, making them seem more extraordinary than they really were.

Well, not in …

What makes this a great history of philosophy is precisely its “without any gaps approach”. This because, as Peter Adamson himself recognizes on the last section of this book, if you’re studying philosophy in, say, an undergraduate course, and you’re doing the usual flyover on the whole history of the great philosophers that are most of your classes, usually “you might reasonably expect to jump from Aristotle to, perhaps, Descartes, leaping over about 2,000 years of history in the process” (ADAMSON, 2014). Yes, time is short and there’s too much of the good stuff to cover without having to deal with what most histories deem the minor thinkers.

This is unfortunate, because with such huge gaps in the narrative, you get the impression that some of the thinkers, or their ideas, just come out of the blue, making them seem more extraordinary than they really were.

Well, not in Adamson’s History. The key feature here is really his “without any gaps” approach. This is what makes this a must-be companion for all who truly want to know how ideas came to be in the first place.

So, if you’re a history of philosophy buff like me and you really want to know as much as possible about the minor things leading to the great ones, this is definitely a must-read for you too.

From almost every conceivable minor thinker to the big, big ones, where you also get to see not only all the great, but also the smaller things they thought, said and done; from the great men (for they are usually only men) to the great women; from the usual great biographical moments to the tiniest details that make up the perfect conversation starters at parties, nothing here is left out. For this is truly A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps.

Subjects

Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy
History