ajm51987

Hello All!

In world history class, we are studying the world of Socrates. As part of this we did a reinactment of the trial of Scorates. We hardly scrached the surface of Socrates' and Plato's ideas and philosophy and now I am very curious to find out more of what they thought. So where do you suggest I start reading?

Thanks,

AJM

Monkeybot

Symposium is a nice, easy read. I got through it in about one (fairly busy) week.

I've never tried to read the entire Republic, but it's pretty much THE work to read if you want to be familiar with Plato. However, it's ridiculously long, I want to say divided up into several books, so you might want to see if you can get more bite-sized chunks. (At least if you're lazy like me)

[ November 03, 2002: Message edited by: Monkeybot ]</p>

d'naturalist

De Rerum Natura (On The Nature Of Things) by Lucretius (1st cent. BCE).

Bookman

Interesting topic, but not really an SL&S one.

Perhaps the deep thinkers in the Philosophy forum can provide some insights for you.

Bookman
Moderator

DigitalDruid

I would suggest before you dive into the hefty tomes of the Greek philosophers, it might be better to get familiar with the main ideas from an introductory philosophy book. The rhetoric and oratory flourish of the originals can easily try the patience of a modern reader unless you are a philosophy major. After learning the main ideas, you would have a map, and won't feel lost if you decide to read any original work.

I think the work of ancient Greek philosophers are important not because now we hold everything they said to be true, but because of the truely enormous influence they had on the theology of christianity, Islam and Judaism.

As some one said: you are either a Platonist or an Aristotelian!

Good luck with your philosophical explorations.

Psycho Economist

I don't think anyone holds anything anybody says as perfectly true, but I think that monotheists are by and large the last bastion (and it is a huge one) of Platonism.

You have (mind / body) dualism, authoritarianism, Platonic ideals and forms (humans being impure permutations of a perfect, abstract deity), de-emphasis of empiricism, for catholics a "philosopher" "king"... I could come up with them all day.

Seb_Maya

Originally posted by Digital Druid
"I would suggest before you dive into the hefty tomes of the Greek philosophers, it might be better to get familiar with the main ideas from an introductory philosophy book."
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"The Story of Philosophy" by Bryan Magee would be a good place to start.

ajm51987

Thanks,

I started reading The Republic, I am only about 4 or 5 pages in but it doesent seem to difficult, anyway thanks for the advice!

ajm

DigitalDruid

You put it very well.
De-emphasis of empiricism had great implications for progress of science.

Imbued with neo-Platonism, the venerable and influential St. Augustine pronounced: Close your doors. You don't need to go to the world outside to seek knowledge.

And thinking men and women of Europe embarked solely on navel-contemplation leading to mysticism and superstitions to the detriment of science (the Dark ages). The crumbling old order and chaos at that time also contributed to it. It's good that the Arabs took interest in science and astronomy preserving and developing it.