Product Description

Socrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy. It is no exaggeration to say that had it not been for his influence on Plato, the whole development of Western philosophy might have bee unimaginably different. Yet Socrates wrote nothing himself, and our knowledge of him is derived primarily from the engaging and infuriating figure who appears in Plato's dialogues. In this book, Christopher Taylor explores the relationship between the historical Socrates and the Platonic character, and examines the enduring image of Socrates as the ideal exemplar of the philosophic life - a thinker whose moral and intellectual integrity permeated every detail of his life, even in the face of betrayal and execution by his fellow Athenians.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63425 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 136 pages

About the Author
Christopher Taylor is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, where he is a Reader in Philosophy. His publications include Plato: Protagoras (Oxford, 1991), and (with J. C. B. Gosling) The Greeks on Pleasure (Oxford, 1982).

Customer Reviews

Great book
Most educated people would have heard of Socrates and how he used to debate intricate points of philosophy by constantly questioning the definitions of terms and how he was put on trial on trumped up charges. Most of what we know about Socrates comes from other works by Plato and Xenophon although Aristophanes seems to have depicted him in an unflattering light in one of his comedies.

A good solid introduction.