The Collected Dialogues of Plato: Including the Letters (Bollingen Series LXXI)

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"Discovering things that might also be remembered". Good Book

This is the wrong collection to buy.

it's better than...

I Hate Plato

The Collected Dialogues of Plato

The Collected Dialogues of Plato: Including the Letters (Bollingen Series LXXI)
Plato
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691097186

Book Description

All the writings of Plato generally considered to be authentic are here presented in the only complete one-volume Plato available in English. The editors set out to choose the contents of this collected edition from the work of the best British and American translators of the last 100 years, ranging from Jowett (1871) to scholars of the present day. The volume contains prefatory notes to each dialogue, by Edith Hamilton; an introductory essay on Plato's philosophy and writings, by Huntington Cairns; and a comprehensive index which seeks, by means of cross references, to assist the reader with the philosophical vocabulary of the different translators.

Customer Reviews:

"Discovering things that might also be remembered". Good Book.......2007-05-13

Plato and Socrates Dialogues stand on their own and in a short review attempt to say that they are "good or not worth it" seems a little shallow.

The chapter Gorgias it reaches out and offers some direction. It says "This is the truth of the matter, as you will acknowledge if you abandon philosophy and move on to more important things is perhaps that philosophy is no doubt a delightful thing, Socrates, as long as one is exposed to it in moderation at the appropriate time in life. But if one spends more time with it than he should, it's his undoing.

So maybe it is just a delightful book if you like Plato and Socrates. It is nice to have this all in one book. I recommend it.

Reading all of the dialogues develops thoughts on specific themes best. It helps to have them in this format. I especially like the to follow the question of whether knowledge is discovered or remembered, whether justice is absolute or relative, whether virtue can be taught, and of course a great deal more in these chapters.

It brings together enough to find out what Plato's epistemology is and how his ethics relates to his metaphysical theory. Lots more.

I found the chapter overviews useful. It pointed the way that the chapters would take and suggested some core issues but didn't pretend to have been answers than the chapters themselves did.

A book like this is a better way to own and read "The Collected Dialogues"

This is the wrong collection to buy........2006-05-22

You could do worse than to buy this collection -- after all, there are translations of the complete works of Plato into English that date to the 18th century. But you could sure do a whole lot better.

By and large -- and with the exception, perhaps, of what is now the standard translation of Laws -- modern translations of Plato are more evenhanded, better researched, and more frank than old ones. And this edition, unfortunately, has some very old ones indeed, like those of Jowett. Moreover, it includes -- according to no particular logic -- a few works many consider spurious, while omitting others whose status is in debate, and it places the dialogues in an order that is not easy to justify.

The edition to buy, if you want a complete Plato without the benefit of the Greek text (if you want the Greek, buy the Loeb, and know that the facing-pages English translations aren't much worse than the ones offered here!), is the one edited by Cooper and published by Hackett. This one will suffice -- but that one is excellent. Few instructors will insist that you buy some edition in particular, and fewer still will insist that you buy this edition -- so don't, buy that one.

it's better than..........2004-09-03

As if after reading Plotinus, Augustine and all those Arabian philosophers with those names one can never recall, we needed another commentary on the works of Plato. Cela va de soi (it goes without saying), Plato has been remembered for a reason. Although, there are some philosophers who would consider Plato a mistake (Quine for example, if I remember rightly, refused to teach a class on Plato), I think it would be absurd not to consider Plato at all. There are some dialogues in this book (such as the Timaeus) that will make you yawn, others, like Gorgias, the Symposium and the Laws will make you wide-awake in wonder. But most importantly, these dialogues will introduce you to Socrates. Although, there is no way to ascertain whether it was Plato or Socrates speaking in these dialogues, most assume that in The Apology, The Crito and a few of Plato's other early dialouges, one gets a glimpse of the real Socrates. Socrates, in Plato's (and also Xenophanes) dialouges is a good man, one who will inspire you. He'll teach you the advantages of being open-minded, of realizing human ignorance, and above all, self-knowledge ('know thyself', 'the unexamined life is a life not worth living'). Which, in my opinion, makes Plato worth reading. I would encourage you to read these dialogues and take what you can, and then go on to Aristotle.

Also recommended: Toilet: The Novel, by Michael Szymczyk. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. The Complete Works of Aristotle. Early Greek Philosophy by Jonathan Barnes. Lives of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius.

I Hate Plato.......2002-08-14

Yes, I think Plato's philosophy is one of the most despicable things unleashed on this Earth. His idea that this world we live in is only semi-real has lead to most of the bad philosphy in recorded history. Only a few philosphers have escaped from under his glare. It's most ironic that one of those is his most famous student: Aristotle.
However, as a lover of knowledge and a student of philosophy, I realize the tremendous debt owed to Plato. First, he understood how imprtant it was to record his ideas. Socrates did not and for this the world is almost assuredly the worst for it. Secondly, he was and absolutely amazing writer. His ability to put his ideas forth in a lucid manner that anyone can uderstand is amazing. Thirdly, he was the first philosopher who devised a full system of knowledge. He wrote on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics.
It is further unfortunate that this text has become the standard by which philosphy students must study Plato. The text is rigid, and as an earlier reviewer noted, Hamilton's intros suck. It is ridiculous to think of her as a serious Platonic scholar. But the Cooper text is much harder to come by, and the Hamilton is required in most courses on Plato. If you have the means, secure yourself a copy of both.

The Collected Dialogues of Plato.......2002-03-02

I have read several of the translations of Plato's dialogues by different scholars... this is the best one that I have come across. Granted Ms. Hamilton's introductions are a little sparce, but that leaves the reader to form a better opinion... not one jaded. This edition is one of the most complete volumes available... where Letters, Menexenus, Lesser Hippias and Ion are found with a rather extensive index and the standard numbering lines from the Greek text.

We have meaningful translations, translations of what Plato was trying to say in todays English language... I know that over time languages grow and evolve but here we read the dialogues like a short story full of life and viable.

The translations in this volume are from: Lane Cooper, F.M. Cornford, W.K.C. Guthrie, R. Hackforth, Michael Joyce, Benjamin Jowett, L.A. Post, W.H.D. Rouse, Paul Shorey, J.B.Skemp, A.E. Taylor Hugh Tredennick, W.D. Woodhead, and J. Wright.

Book Description

Among the most important and influential philosophical works in Western thought: Euthyphro, exploring the concepts and aims of piety and religion; Apology, a defense of the integrity of Socrates' teachings; Crito, exploring Socrates' refusal to flee his death sentence; and Phaedo, in which Socrates embraces death and discusses the immortality of the soul.

Customer Reviews:

" The unexamined life is not worth living".......2007-05-07

The four dialogues collected in this volume tell the story of the trial and death of Socrates. The "Euthrypo" is a philosophical dialogue on the subject of piety and holiness, set against the background of Socrates' having been accused of impiety towards the gods. The 'Apology' contains Socrates largely monologic defense of his own actions. In this he defends his own devotion to truth, to seeking out the way of true Wisdom. His well- known claim is not that he is wise, but rather that whatever wisdom he has comes in knowing he and others are not wise. Socrates role as gadfly, as one who questions conventional truths is here highlighted. In the 'Crito' Socrates refuses the pleas of his friends, and shows himself to be a dutiful citizen of the state by refusing to illegally escape, run away from the death- sentence. In the 'Phaedo' Socrates nobly choses to accept the verdict of Death , and indicates that his concern is more with his own immortal soul than with the evanescent life in this world.
The Four Dialogues together are central to Plato's thought, and constitute one of the central stories of Western Philosophy.
'Philosophy' as Socrates practices it is an unending searching for the truth, an unending process of questioning and dialoguing , undermining one's own assumptions in the process. It is an exposing of the folly and error which is at the heart of most conventional opinion.
In these 'Dialogues' Plato creates the figure of Socrates as first great hero of Western Philosophy. And this though Plato's own thought will have a dimension of certainty and discovery of the Absolute Ideal which aims to be go beyond Socratic activity and dialogue.
These 'Dialogues' are not simply a central work of Western thought, but also a powerful work of Literature. They portray a remarkably , courageous figure, one who stands for the 'truth' and for his own moral integrity despite the entreaties and pressures of the mass of his countrymen. Socrates ia also the great martyr of truth, and as this sets the pattern for a whole series of 'heroes' of thought who defy Authority to present the Truth as they understand it.
With all this there are questions to be raised about Socrates value- system, wisdom and general morality. He has often been faulted for neglecting not only the shrewish wife Xantippe, but his three sons, for in short holding responsibility to family as secondary value. His 'questioning - of- everything' attitude is of course one which comes most naturally to adolescence and the young people he taught, but is problematic for those adult Athenians who truly had to be responsible for running Athenian democracy under difficult times.
This neat, small Dover Edition presents a classic piece of philosophical Literature in an attractive and inexpensive popular non- scholarly edition.

A Great Translation.......2007-03-11

This translation by Benjamin Jowett, a great translator of Plato's works, is the one you want to get. There are other translations that are simpler and more colloquial, but none more elegant and beautiful than Jowett. This translation was finished in the 19th century; it is the most famous of all Plato translations, although there are numerous other translations available today. (You will be able to find critics that love and hate each translator, so it is up to you to get the one that you think is most true and, if you are like me, most beautiful.) Here is a translation comparison of the same lines of a few different translations so you can see the difference:

(From the "Apology")

Tredennick:

"Well, now it is time to be off, I to die and you to live; but which is the happier prospect is unknown to anyone but God."

Jowett:

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways--I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows."

Rouse:

"And now it is time to go, I to die, and you to live; but which of us goes to a better thing is unknown to all but God."

To my ear, the Jowett sounds the sweetest. Just so you know, the Jowett translation is a public domain text (finished in the late 19th century) that you can find on the internet if you don't want to buy it; but it only costs pennies, so go ahead and buy the book so you can make your notes in the margins...and also so you don't have to stare at a computer screen for hours.

Some links to other versions that feature the Jowett translation:
Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo (Great Books in Philosophy)

Six Great Dialogues: Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus, Symposium, The Republic (Thrift Edition)

Plato and Socrates and the Immortality of the Soul........2004-09-13

This edition of _The Trial and Death of Socrates_ contains Plato's four famous dialogues between Socrates and his friends and detractors before the noteworthy philosopher was condemned to death by the Athenian tribunal in ancient Greece. I find this topic of interest because of the close relationship between Platonic thought and early Christian philosophy during the period of roughly 250-750 A.D. when the fundamentals of Christian doctrine were formed. It is clear from a reading of this series of texts why Plato, although a pagan preceding Christ for several hundred years, was very popular among Christian prelates, monks, polemicists, theologians and philosophers. The texts make somewhat awkward reading because they are presented in the forms of dialogue between Socrates and his friends and detractors and thus Plato does not have to express unequivocally what his own opinions are regarding the debates. The first text discussed in this volume is entitled "Euthyphro" and discusses the nature of piety. Here Plato has Socrates question many of the concepts associated with the polytheistic worship and piety of ancient Athens. Socrates' famous "Apology" is a treatise against the accusations of the courts of Athens. Socrates argues for the fact that only God is ultimately the source of wisdom and in all his interactions with fellow poets, artists, philosophers, statesmen, etc., he has not found true wisdom, at least not any wisdom that he himself does not already possess. In "Crito" Socrates debates with those among his followers who entreat him to flee Athens and take up refuge in a safer city. "Phaedo" contains the account of Socrates' last dialogue and concludes with Socrates' death by consuming hemlock poison as ordered by the Athenian court. Socrates explains that he does not fear death because the physical things of this world are impermanent and only the soul is ultimately immortal. Death is in fact an improvement in man's condition and he advocates a type of otherworldly asceticism (disdaining external appearances, food, clothing and human love) as the true path for the philosopher who wants to understand and contemplate the nature of reality in a pure fashion. The body dies and the soul is immortal and therefore the most important thing is to attend to the metaphysical realities while in this life. Socrates argues, among other things, that the soul is pre-existent of the body, a concept which was taken up later by the Christian philosopher Origen and later condemned as heresy. He also believes in a concept of the afterlife where the soul is either punished for wrongdoing or rewarded for good. Some souls go through a process of purification before they can advance, similar to the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. _The Trial and Death of Socrates_ is an excellent read about an important figure in the history of religion and philosophy, especially as it shows the mindset of one who was willing to die for his beliefs (martyrdom). Not all of Plato and Socrates ideas were adopted by the Church but despite certain discrepancies they were nonetheless influential.

The death of a man of honour.......2004-01-08

The Greek philosopher Socrates is the the acknowledged Founding Father of Philosophy. Born in Athens circa 470 BC, in the time of its apogee, Socrates lived a poor life, not paying any tribute to the so-called frivolities and luxuries of life, thus irritating his many foes, which took monetary advantage of their philosophical practice. The great Socrates had Plato as his most dedicated disciple, among others, who set himself to write down all Socratic discourses, thus preserving to posterity the very special way of thinking Socrates had, known as "maieuthics". Socrates did not leave to posterity any written document of his handwriting, and that is why that the dedication Plato had to him was important to us. It is something like the work of a match who kindles a very beautiful candle.

Socrates was the son of a midwife and a sculptor and his very particular philosophical method was performed by means of very well-formulated questions, that showed that the answers to the questions asked were already there at the very first time, and only had to be delivered out of the inner self by means of philosophical questioning, something akin to the help a mid-wife does to a pregnant woman in her labours prior before the baby is born.

In my opinion, the most important part of this small booklet is the Apology of Socrates, where the wisest of all men shows to the tribunal that the only superiority he had over his accusers was that he did not pretend to know anything at all, while his accusers boasted a knowledge they did not have. The ideals formulated or used by Socrates ("Know thyself") were later adopted by the Christian religion and evidenced a man in a inner struggle with his internal "daemon", a word which originally had quite another meaning than the modern one, and showed a man with a great coherence in life and, as Nietzche said, most important, a coherence in the face of death, cause to death he was sentenced by his accusers, who were, as predicted by Socrates, to be ruined after his death.

Plato is the apparent heir of the socratic tradition and in this small opus pays his tributes to the master of his youth.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

The Search For Truth.......2003-11-26

This book was more than just a reading assignment for AP English class. In the end it turned out to be something I enjoyed reading. I liked how Socrates questioned people until he found the answer he was looking for, or the truth. He was willing to die for something he strongly believed in and I admire that in a person. The book would have been a lot better had Socrates been able to write some of the information down himself, but thanks to Plato, we get to learn about the life of a great man.

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Comprehensible Philosophy
The trial, imprisonment, and death of Socrates
The Core of Greek Philosophy Contained 156 Pages
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The death of Socrates and the basics of Platonic philosophy

Five Dialogues
Plato
Manufacturer: Hackett Publishing Company
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0872206335

Book Description

The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube's distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with an updated bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensible Philosophy.......2007-04-23

I had to buy this book for a freshmen philosophy course, five years later I decided to read it cover to cover and see what all the real fuss was about.

First off, between the back-and-forth of Socrates and the excellent translation by Grube, this book is much easier to read then many other philosophy texts (most notably, Descartes). I am not going to argue the logic of the book here, but since most of it is repetitive questions, use of analogies, and point-counterpoint, I found this very easy to follow and understand. I would reread sections mainly to see the the delicacy of the argument, not because certain concepts were too philosophical and hard to grasp.

All the same, it's five books on philosophy, though the bulk of the text is Phaedo, so you have to be in the mindset to read that material.

The trial, imprisonment, and death of Socrates.......2006-06-14

These Five Dialogues cover the most famous (or infamous) portion of Socrates life--his trial and subsequent execution. In this they are historically invaluable.

Plato lays out each dialogue with great artistic prowess (and the translators, for their part, keep everything smooth and pleasant). Society has fully internalized this art and anyone unfamiliar with it is at a disadvantage when considering anything subsequent found in the Western tradition. In this they are culturally invaluable.

One finds also in these dialogues the very basics of Platonic thought--most notably the theory of Forms. There are, of course, many other concepts introduced, from politics to metaphysics. In this the dialogues are philosophically invaluable.

If I haven't yet convinced you to pick up a copy of Five Dialogues I don't know what will, but perhaps you would be interested to know that the book contains good (but short) introductions to each dialogue, informative (although rare) footnotes, and an extensive (if outdated) suggested reading list? I hope that did the trick, because this set of dialogues is, well, invaluable.

The Core of Greek Philosophy Contained 156 Pages.......2006-02-01

I am not going to give you a synopsis of each dialogue. What I will say is that this is easily one of the most important reads of modern times. Most people would say that if you are interested in the art of philosophy then this is a must. I am willing to go a step further. If you are interested in life and the social aspects of life then this is a must read. Therefore almost everyone capable should read this. If you read these dialogues, and I mean really read them, it will have a profound effect on how you view life and interaction. I am by no means a philosopher, but a political scientist. The only problem is that you really have to want to read it to get. When you are ready to commit, buy this book, read it, and watch your outlook on how you view life change before your very eyes. What makes this very book so great, is that you get all 5 dialogues for such a small price.

SUPER FAST.......2005-10-01

I recieved the book faster than promised, in the exact condition listed. Thank you!

The death of Socrates and the basics of Platonic philosophy.......2005-09-29

Many are the college students who have read the Platonic discourses collected in this volume. Along with The Republic, these dialogues form the most basic core of Platonic philosophy and are required reading for anyone interested in the art of philosophy.

In the Euthyphro dialogue, Socrates is on his way to court to answer the charges of Meletus that he creates his own gods and does not believe in the gods of society. On his way, he meets Euthyphro, a lawyer-priest of some sort who tells Socrates that he is prosecuting his own father for the murder of a slave (a slave who had himself committed murder). Socrates compels the learned Euthyphro to explain to him the truth about what is pious and what impious; if he can tell the court what he has learned from the knowledgeable Euthyphro, he will have no trouble countering Meletus' charges. Euthyphro tries to define what is pious as that which is pleasing to the gods, but Socrates shows him that his definition is really just an effect of piety, and Euthyphro bows out of the circular conversation without ever giving Socrates a satisfactory definition of true piety.

In The Apology, Socrates defends himself from both the recent charges of Meletus for impiety as well as the host of charges long leveled at him as being a corrupter of the youth. He cites a pronouncement of the Delphic oracle that he is the wisest of all men and explains how he has spent his life trying to vindicate the god's pronouncement by seeking out the wisest men in society and testing them. The wisest men, he says, turn out to be not wise at all. He himself knows he is not wise, while the supposedly wise think they are wise when they are not, and he has concluded that the gods believe that the wisest man is the man who knows how much he does not know. The fact that he shows men that they are not in fact wise has admittedly made Socrates unpopular and turned the minds of many citizens against him. He bravely says he will continue philosophizing if he is acquitted because the god himself compels him to do so. In fact, he says society benefits from what he is doing (namely, trying to make men more virtuous), and he defends himself by saying that society itself will be harmed by his execution. Of course, claiming that he is actually a gift of the god for Athens is a hard way to win over a jury already biased against him. Upon his conviction, he willingly accepts the death sentence imposed upon him, but he, somewhat oddly, warns his fellow citizens that there are younger men ready to come out and question individuals in the same manner as he has done.

In the Crito, Socrates convinces his friend Crito that it is just and right for him to accede to the punishment of death returned by the Athenian jury. He feels that he has been wronged by men but not the laws or society, and to escape from prison and run away would make of him the very type of man the jury wrongly concluded him to be. It is an exceedingly elegant and brave discourse.

Meno is one of Plato's early and, to my mind, least successful, Socratic dialogues. The conversation centers, naturally enough, on virtue and whether or not it is teachable. Meno's definitions of virtue are woefully inadequate, by and large, and deserving of Socrates' typical arrogance. At one point, Meno says that one cannot learn about what one does not know. To counter this argument, Socrates, arguing that the soul is eternal and that learning is in fact recollection, sets about showing how a slave "remembers" the answers to geometrical questions Socrates puts to him. Later, when Meno agrees with the notion that virtue is knowledge and can be taught, Socrates counters the point by saying he has yet to find anyone who truly practices virtue and is thus qualified to teach it. In the end, Socrates concludes that virtue cannot be taught and is in fact a gift of the gods.

The Phaedo is a third-person account of the philosophical discussion between Socrates and his friends on the day of his death. Socrates accepts his fate most amicably, arguing that death is the means by which to achieve the aims of true philosophy, for only by escaping the evil of the body can the soul truly acquire wisdom. Socrates renews his argument that learning is in fact recollection, supposedly proving that the soul exists before birth. He also argues that everything comes from its opposite; if death comes from life, then life must come from death. The proofs he offers for his belief that the soul is eternal do not strike me as very convincing. In many ways, the Phaedo is a precursor to much of the philosophy of The Republic, in which the concepts of the eternal soul and the invisible Forms mentioned here are threshed out much more satisfactorily.

Great Dialogues of Plato (Signet Classics)

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Great collection/translation but bad print quality.
Good
Great introduction to the philosophies of Plato and Socrates
Republic: Greatest Book of the Western Civilisation
Great!

Great Dialogues of Plato (Signet Classics)
Plato
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451527453

Book Description

"In Rouse's pages, Soctrates' strength of mind, his dedication to the philosophical truth, are borne in on the modern reader with something of the power that impressed and disturbed the ancient Greeks."--Time

"There has been no adequate translation of Plato since Jowett...and I think Rouse has done it." --Dudley Fitts

* Rouse is one of the world's most respected classical scholars

Customer Reviews:

Great collection/translation but bad print quality........2007-07-04

The translation and collection is admirable, but the quality of this Signet paperback I received is very cheap looking. For some reason it just seems crammed and most pages seem like they are typed in bold and others normal. Sometimes there will be a diagonal bolding of a page (like a line of bold going through from top left to bottom right) to the point where an "a" will have the entire bottom filled in. Not sure if I got a bad copy, but this isn't something I've ever noticed in a book before. This also makes some of the footnotes hard to read because they are even smaller so a "w" is all filled in and looks like an upside down triangle with the tip cut off.

Good.......2006-11-10

The book was delivered fast and in excellent conditions. I recommend doing business with this member.

Great introduction to the philosophies of Plato and Socrates.......2006-05-16

Love him or hate him (and there are plenty who feel both ways), Plato is essential reading for anyone interested in Western thought. So much so that A. N. Whitehead made the famous, if controversial, comment that "all of philosophy is but a series of footnotes to Plato." Even if that's a bit over the top, Plato is still simply one of those "must reads," for philosophy in particular, and for the humanities in general. Plato raised questions about virtue, justice, love, government, god, society, epistemology and metaphysics that we still wrestle with today, and his answers, for better or worse, have greatly impacted our culture and history.

If you're new to Plato, this edition is a good start. I've had my copy of the Great Dialogues of Plato-now dog-eared, scribbled in, and Scotch-taped together-since I first wrestled with the Apology and the Republic in my high school humanities class. These are hardly Plato's only dialogues, but they are arguably the most important, especially for general students. Rouse's translations are highly readable. He captures the flavor of what Plato wanted to say and how he wanted to say it, without sounding antiquated or artificially modern.

It's worth noting that this edition does not present the dialogues in the order in which Plato probably wrote them, but in the order which seems to represent the unfolding of the particular events described. Thus, the Apology, Crito and Phaedo-describing the trial and death of Socrates-come together at the end, even though the Apology was one of the first dialogues written by Plato, and the Phaedo was among his middle dialogues. This is important because earlier dialogues are probably more representative of Plato's teacher, Socrates, while later dialogues reflect increasingly Platonic thinking, even though Plato continued to use "Socrates" as a character. The Socratic ethics of the Apology and Crito, for instance, seem sharply at odds with the ethics of the Republic, probably Plato's most complete and representative work.

So you might want to read the dialogues in the following order: Apology, Crito, and Ion, for roughly Socratic thought; Meno and Phaedo, for transitional dialogues; and Symposium and Republic for solidly Platonic thinking. Of course, there is no universal agreement on the order of Plato's dialogues, nor as to which represents whose views most faithfully.

As for drawbacks to this edition, there are no introductions to the individual dialogues, Rouse's general "Preface" is short and weak, and the standardized reference numbers to the original Greek pages are only summarized at the top of odd pages, instead of given as line-by-line annotations, which makes cross-referencing a chore. (Because of the lack of introductions, you should read at least an article or two on Socrates and Plato from any general history of philosophy.) Nonetheless, I like Rouse's translations, and the edition is worthy of five stars despite its shortcomings. I still refer to my banged up copy, which I'll keep on my bookshelf as long as the pages hold together.

Republic: Greatest Book of the Western Civilisation.......2006-05-16

I was looking for Jowett's translation of 'The Republic'. I couldn't find it, so I bought this one.

'The Republic' is, quite simply, the greatest book produced by the Western civilisation. It has everything in it: metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, logic, aesthetics and politics. Someone said that Western philosophy began with Plato and ended with Aristotle. He was wrong; it began and ended with Plato.

The book is best known for its noble idea that philosophers should be kings. The authoritarian system that Plato proposes to ensure this may not be desirable or feasible (Democracy is here to stay). But the course of study and training that he prescribes for the philosopher-king can certainly be taken to heart by those who want to serve their countries.

There are strong parallels with the Bhagavad Gita. Plato's vision of a three-class society (philosophers, warriors, masses) mirrors the original Aryan society (Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas). His division of the primary tendencies corresponds with the modes of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Above all, his definition of justice (each doing his own thing) is identical with the concept of Swadharma.

The translation is adequate. Plato is supposed to be the greatest Greek prose writer, and one of the greatest in the world. That doesn't exactly show in Rouse's version. But Jowett may be too outdated for today's readers.

A useful summary is provided for each book of 'The Republic'.

Great!.......2005-03-02

For those who do not know, Plato was Socrates' preeminent student. The dialogues are treatises on various interesting questions, such as what is love, virtue, etc.... The style of the texts are based on the Socratic method of asking questions and use of analogy to test an hypothesis. This gives the texts the style of mysteries as you follow the twists and turns of the arguments to get to the conclusion. Socrates is often the protagonist guiding the reader so it also gives the texts a sense of biography.

This collection contains probably the best works, and Rouse's translation is clear and easy to read. Enjoyable, entertaining, mind-opening.

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Interpreting Plato's Dialogues
J. Angelo Corlett
Manufacturer: Parmenides Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Average customer rating:

The Socratic method is still valid.
A must read for logically-challenged Liberals!
inadequate description, translation
Simply Wonderful!
This book is simply a piece of art

The Dialogues of Plato
Plato
Manufacturer: Thoemmes Continuum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1855065142

Book Description

Many would consider Plato not only the greatest philosopher ever, but the greatest Greek prose writer too. Numerous English translations have been attempted, largely to be criticized and forgotten. Over a hundred years after the first edition of his translation in 1871, Benjamin Jowett's reputation remains resilient to time. Jowett (1817-93) was a great classical scholar and Master of Balliol College, Oxford, who spent over fifty years translating and revising these dialogues. He was keen to convey the literariness of Plato's writings and to offer up a cohesively readable translation that would appeal equally to classics scholars and readers with no knowledge of ancient Greek.

This 1892 third edition of Jowett's translation reveals his clearest vision, with his final editorial selections, ordering, and word-polishing. Thus, it includes the Eryxias, the Second Alcibiades, twenty-one of Jowett's essays, and, most usefully, marginal analyses, all subsequently omitted. Though Jowett wanted his translation to be improved and corrected from time to time, for its overall consistency and fluidity, this third edition remains a classic that both Plato and Jowett scholars will wish to read and consult.

--Contains all Jowett's final amendments
--Twenty-one of Jowett's essays subsequently omitted
--Unique marginal analyses to each dialogue

Customer Reviews:

The Socratic method is still valid........2002-07-24

This Bantam Classics edition presents, through translations by different sources, eight of Plato's "early" dialogues, all involving Socrates, his apotheosized master. Written in the form of question-and-answer sessions, these dialogues profile a man in a continuous quest for the truth, even when he is awaiting his execution, and demonstrate a particular system of gathering information and building knowledge, a system that is nothing less than the foundation of Western thought.

The oracle at Delphi stated that Socrates was the wisest of men because he knew that his wisdom was paltry -- unlike the Sophists, who not only thought they could teach things like virtue and "excellence" to the youth of Athens but also charged money for their tutelage. Since Socrates admits to knowing nothing, he gains all his knowledge through inquiry, deferring to his interlocutors' presumed knowledge, often using sarcasm with the Sophists. His questions commonly use logic of the form "If A is the same as B and B is the opposite of C, isn't A the opposite of C?"

Socrates saw himself as a "gadfly" to Athenian society, always seeking truth -- an absolute truth, as opposed to the moral relativism taught by the Sophists and practiced by the Athenians. His basic interest was inquiring of the way a man should live his life, one conclusion being that to suffer is better than to cause suffering, since the immortal soul is judged constantly by the gods.

Some of the arguments might seem specious to the modern reader, but the importance of reading the dialogues is not necessarily to agree with any particular argument presented but to observe an intensely systematic and organized method of gaining knowledge through interrogatory dialogue. First-hand experience tells me that asking and answering questions is a better way to learn than listening to a one-sided lecture, and reading Plato's Socratic recollections confirms my opinion.

A must read for logically-challenged Liberals!.......2001-08-01

Unfortunately, the public school system of America has eradicated all courses relative to developing a student's ability to reason, and reason well. Rhetoric,and the 'Socratic Method' were essential parts of a collegiate student's curriculum in medieval Europe, and the universities of America would not be remiss in re-introducing this dynamic type of verbal intercourse today.

inadequate description, translation.......1998-08-11

The pleasure of Plato is as much from his literary as from his philosophical acumen. The choice of the public-domain Jowett translation is unhappy for bringing out the literary merit of the original. This Victorian prose, while usually competent as translation, does not ring true to the original and certainly does nothing for the late 20th century American ear. One wonders why the set is so expensive when the translation was had for nothing. And why doesn't Amazon print the contents of these cassettes in their bibliographical information. Does one have to buy the set to find out exactly what its contents are>

Simply Wonderful!.......1998-07-12

Plato's work is brilliant! Socrates was the greatest philosopher of all time, and reading about his wisdom and virtue is absolutely moving. Socrates is such an inspiration to the world, and this book should be required reading for all human beings to teach them how to be truly good people. Socrates is my role model, and this book is absolutely wonderful in showing the incredible wisdom of this divine man.

This book is simply a piece of art.......1997-11-30

If you are an amateur philosopher like me, this is a great book to start.

Surprisingly it is easy to read!!!

Book Description

These four dialogues cover time surrounding the execution of Socrates. As he was charged, tried, and condemned to death, the four dialogues stand as final testaments to his credo of virtue. These are texts that have shaped thousands of years of thought on the meaning of life and personal conduct.

The Symposium and the Phaedrus: Plato's Erotic Dialogues (S U N Y Series in Ancient Greek Philosophy)

Average customer rating:

Some of the best work by histories greatest writer

The Symposium and the Phaedrus: Plato's Erotic Dialogues (S U N Y Series in Ancient Greek Philosophy)
Plato
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Medieval | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0791416186

Customer Reviews:

Some of the best work by histories greatest writer.......2004-06-13

Yes, Plato could write. He's the best writer ever. Better than Mike Royko, Lester Bangs, Stephen King, Anne Rice, George Will, Homer, Albert Einstein, Stephen J.Gould, Richard Dawkins, William Shakespeare, Ovid, Lao Tzu and Tom Clancey. Aside from a fine pen, this man had a mind beyond belief. He's also much more intelligent than those other authors-only Lao Tzu challenges him (just a little). He worshipped his martyred teacher Socrates, and wrote about him in most of his works.

These works deal with Love, and Plato never just gives you anything. First he has to make you see how little you know about the subject, then he sets you on the right path.

"The Symposium" deals with a party the day after a rather intense drinking party-everyone (almost) is on the verge of a hangover, no one wants to drink to excess, some not at all. They decide to tell stories about Love in mythological style, drinking either wine or water. Socrates goes last, but all the stories are worthwhile-actually there is a mathematical subtext to this that those of you interested in math might enjoy finding out on your own. No doubt there is much here I've never fathomed, and never will. We are left with the impression that the story of Socrates is the most accurate, but the reader (to truly understand) must come up with an explanation of his own, in similar style to the people at the symposium. Plato's books are very intreractive.

Phaedrus is the most inspirational thing I've ever read. It explains Erotic as well as other types of love in basically the same manner, and if I could tell you how beautiful it is, I would. It can take a guy that spends half his time working on his phd and the other half working with amateur wrestlers & wrestling and make him feel like Don Juan. I never appreciated those self help books much, but I actually was inspired to walk up to a strange woman and tell her we'd met in another life after reading this, and she replied that yeah, she thinks she remembers me. It was one of the best moves I ever made, and we've never stopped feeling this way about each other. Enjoy, Learn, and be Happy.

Average customer rating:
The Dialogues of Plato, Volume 4: Plato's Parmenides, Revised Edition (The Dialogues of Plato)
Plato
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Republic

Plato's Symposium: A Translation by Seth Benardete with Commentaries by Allan Bloom and Seth Benardete

ASIN: 0300077297

Book Description

Among Plato`s later dialogues, the Parmenides is one of the most significant. In this book, Allen provides a superb translation of the Parmenides along with a structural analysis that proceeds on the assumption that formal elements, logical and dramatic, are important to its interpretation and that the argument of the Parmenides is aporetic, a statement of metaphysical perplexities.

The Dialogues of Plato, Volume 1: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Gorgias, Menexenus (The Dialogues of Plato)

Average customer rating:

All of Allen's translations ROCK
Very clear, well organized and engaging.
The best work of Crito

The Dialogues of Plato, Volume 1: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Gorgias, Menexenus (The Dialogues of Plato)
Plato
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Ancient | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0300044887

Customer Reviews:

All of Allen's translations ROCK.......2007-09-04

The five volumes that Allen has produced so far are much more than just another set of translations of Plato. They provide a coherent and accessible stand-alone course of study in Platonic philosophy. One can start right from the Preface of the fist volume and read them all straight through to the very end of Allen's masterful edition of the Republic. In fact - that is exactly what one should do.

Allen develops a number of crucial ideas in his commentaries/introductions. One of his most brilliant strokes is his demonstration of how the "Forms" are already strongly implied in the early "Socratic" dialogs. Those dialogs assume that such questions as "what is virtue?" are meaningful - and the way in which Plato assumes this already assumes that there is such a thing as Virtue, ie, the "Form" of virtue.

The order in which the dialogs are arranged is far from conventional - and yet there is a master plan behind it all. If one takes the time to read (and probably re-read) the Introductions/Commentaries while reading the dialogs in the given order, the maximum benefit will be gained from Allen's depth of knowledge and insight.

If you are starting from scratch I would highly recommend also reading Pierre Hadot's "What Is Ancient Philosophy?" in parallel with this first volume. Julia Annas' "Introduction" to the Republic would also be good to have once you get to that volume (which is the fifth and last one so far - as of August 2007).

One hopes that Allen is at work right now on a translation of the Phaedo!!!!

Very clear, well organized and engaging........2001-02-11

This book is excellent for anyone interested in the study of Platonic philosophy, both in the original dialogue form and in commentary which elucidates the primary text. Allen assembles six dialogues in this volume, which all deal with several major themes; the necessity of true definition of words if any meaningful dialogue is to be carried on regarding them (such as virtue, piety, justice, etc.), the death of Socrates, and absolute necessity of caring for the excellence of the soul through acting justly and absolutely rejecting injustice. Allen begins each chapter with a clear and very instructive discourse on the dialogue, as well as relating it to others which illustrate the same concepts dealt with in the present one. He always avoids devloving into the effetism of academic terminology, so he is very readable. He expresses the true meaning of the dialogue in language which all can understand. The dialogues are translated in a very understandable contemporary language, yet somehow manage to maintain the linguistic, poetic power of the original. I found that reading the commentary first, then the dialogue, and finally rereading the commentary provided a wonderful way to use this book. I can't wait to read the entire set! Buy and read it!

The best work of Crito.......1999-12-04

Crito was a great book to read about for philosophy. It was very interesting in various ways.

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