Σοφιστής

By Plato

Book Overview

None of Socrates' works survived antiquity, so most of what is known about him came from the writings of his followers, most notably Plato. What is known about Socrates is that he seemed to make a career out of philosophy, and Plato was intent on following in his footsteps. Yet for all of the influence of Socrates' life on Plato, it was Socrates' death around 399 B.C. that truly shaped him. Plato was so embittered by Socrates' trial in Athens that he completely soured on Athenian democracy, and he began to travel around the Mediterranean, studying topics like mathematics, honing his approach to philosophical thinking, and continuing to refine his philosophical beliefs. About a decade later, Plato returned to Athens and founded his famous Platonic Academy around 387 B.C., which he oversaw for 40 years until his death. One of Plato's philosophical beliefs was that writing down teachings was less valuable than passing them down orally, and several of Plato's writings are responses to previous writings of his, so Plato's personally held beliefs are hard to discern. However, Plato educated several subsequent philosophers, chief among them Aristotle, and his writings eventually formed the backbone of Western philosophy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1502324784
• ISBN13: 9781502324788
• Release Date: September 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 114 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Calling All Straussians ,

Benardete has either absorbed so much of the Platonic rhetorical structure that he has truly seduced Socrattic irony into an intelligible light , or is lost amongst the labyrinthine ways of post straussian scholars. Nobody, undergrad, or grad, knows for sure.

I disagree

I think the previous reviewer owes me a 'treat'-I have read this a few times, having spent the past few months working on the Sophist, as well as the Theaetetus. I quite agree that it is not the most accessible of Plato's dialogues, but I disagree with the view that it is not worth our trouble. Plato's work on logos in the closing sections of the dialogue, as well as his work on the probems of not-being are amongst the greatest pieces of analysis in the history of philosophy, in my opinion. Perhaps, though, if we are to gain a full appreciation of what Plato is doing here, a look at the problems as raised by Parmenides is necessary first.

Sophists broken down without the sophistry

This translation is excellent. Bernadette's insightful commentary is a real help to those just starting the plunge into Platonic thought, as well as providing a new and fresh analysis for those veterans of the dialogue. The word choice of the translator really complements an in-depth reading of arguably the most solidifying distinction between Platonic thought and the supposed errors of the Sophists.