Socrates in 90 Minutes

Paul Strathern

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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.

Book Details

Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
Publish Date: Apr 1st, 1997
Pages: 89
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.03in - 5.04in - 0.32in - 0.20lb
EAN: 9781566631488
Categories: • History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical• Logic

About the Author

Strathern, Paul: -

Paul Strathern was born in London in 1940. He studied physics, chemistry, and math at Trinity College, Dublin, before switching to philosophy. He is the author of several novels, including A Season in Abyssinia, which won a Somerset Maugham prize, and two highly successful series of short introductory books, Philosophers in 90 Minutes and The Big Idea: Scientists Who Changed the World. Paul Strathern lectures in philosophy and science at Kingston University.

Praise for this book

Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them...I find them hard to stop reading.--Richard Bernstein "The New York Times"

Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise.--Jim Holt "The Wall Street Journal"

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 "The Boston Globe"

A godsend in this era of the short attention span.--Daryl Royster Alexander "The New York Times"