Books by Plato

Book SynopsisThis edition includes the entire surviving corpus attributed to Plato in antiquity. In addition to the texts, it contains introductions to the works, discussion on the chronology of their composition, comments on the dialogue form in which Plato wrote, and guidance on reading and studying Plato.Trade Review"This is clearly the definitive edition in English of the Platonic writings. It replaces completely the Hamilton-Cairns collection. . . . The notes are at just the right level, and the index is very helpful. The translations are both readable and accurate. They are always reliable, and in most cases the best available. It is the one volume of Plato every student of philosophy will want at her or his side." --Michael D. Rohr, Rutgers University"The most important publishing event in Platonic translation is the Complete Works edited by Cooper and Hutchinson. . . . Hackett has lavished great care in the production of this volume: fine India paper, elegant typography, sewn binding, and cloth boards. . . . It should be in every library and on the shelves of all lovers of Plato." --Steven J. Willett, Syllecta Classica"The edition is a vast improvement over the Princeton/Bollingen edition, the former standard. Congratulations on a fine work!" --Christian K. Edemeyer, Columbia University"It is hard to imagine how this English translation of Plato's Complete Works could be improved upon. A century may pass before it has a rival. Its editors and translators deserve the highest praise." --David K. Glidden, University of California at RiversideTable of ContentsIntroduction; Editorial Notes; AcknowledgmentsEuthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, trans. G. M. A. GrubeCratylus, trans. C. D. C. ReeveTheaetetus, trans. M. J. Levett, rev. M. BurnyeatSophist, trans. N. WhiteStatesman, trans. C. J. RoweParmenides, trans. M. L. Gill and P. RyanPhilebus, trans. D. FredeSymposium, Phaedrus, trans. A. Nehamas and P. WoodruffAlcibiades, trans. D. S. HutchinsonSecond Alcibiades, trans. A. KennyHipparchus, trans. N. SmithRival Lovers, trans. J. MitscherlingTheages, trans. N. D. SmithCharmides, Laches, trans. R. K. SpragueLysis, trans. S. LombardoEuthydemus, trans. R. K. SpragueProtagoras, trans. S. Lombardo and K. BellGorgias, trans. D. J. ZeylMeno, trans. G. M. A. GrubeGreater Hippias, trans. P. WoodruffLesser Hippias, trans. N. J. SmithIon, trans. P. WoodruffMenexenus, trans. P. RyanClitophon, trans. F. J. GonzalezRepublic, trans. G. M. A. Grube, rev. C. D. C. ReeveTimaeus, trans. D. J. ZeylCritias, trans. D. ClayMinos, trans. M. SchofieldLaws, trans. T. SaundersEpinomis, trans. R. D. McKirahan, JrLetters, trans. G. R. MorrowDefinitions, trans. D. S. HutchinsonOn Justice, trans. A. S. BeckerOn Virtue, trans. M. ReuterDemodocus, trans. J. BarnesSisyphus, trans. D. GallopHalcyon, trans. B. InwoodEryxias, trans. M. JoyalAxiochus, trans. J. P. HershbellEpigrams, trans. J. M. Edmonds, rev. J. M. Cooper Index

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Book SynopsisPresents Grube's translations. This title includes a number of footnotes along with a bibliography.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative new translation of Plato's foundational work of Western philosophy The Republic is Plato's masterwork. It was written 2,400 years ago and remains one of the most widely read books in the world, famous for both the richness of its ideas and the virtuosity of its writing. Presented as a dialogue between Plato's teacher Socrates and various interlocutors, it is an exhortation to study philosophy, inviting its readers to reflect on the choices we must make if we are to live the best life available to us. This complex, dynamic work creates a picture of an ideal society governed not money, power, or fame, but by philosophy, wisdom, and justice. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the sTrade Review"Must we not acknowledge...that in each of us there are the same principles and habits which there are in the State; and that from the individual they pass into the State?"What does it mean to be good? What enables us to distinguish right from wrong? And how should human virtues be translated into a just society? These are the questions that Plato sought to answer in this monumental work of moral and political philosophy, a book surpassed only by the Bible in its formative influence on two thousand years of Western thought.In the course of its tautly reasoned Socratic dialogues, The Republic accomplishes nothing less than an anatomy of the soul and an exhaustive description of a State that both mirrors and enforces the soul's ideal harmony. The resulting text is at once mystical and elegantly logical and may be read as a template for the societies in which most of us live today.Vintage Classics are quality paperback editions of the world's greatest written works. They are durably bound and are printed exclusively on acid-free paper.

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Book Synopsis''Perhaps the most entertaining work of philosophy ever written ... the first really systematic and serious attempt to say what love is'' John Armstrong, GuardianIn the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. From their conversation emerges a series of subtle reflections on gender roles, sex in society and the sublimation of basic human instincts. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by Plato''s mentor, Socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. The Symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love - as a response to beauty, a cosmic force or a path to goodness.Translated with an Introduction by Christopher GillTable of ContentsThe SymposiumPrefaceIntroductionThe SymposiumNotesSelect Bibliography

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Book SynopsisPresented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, this book is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. It addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as 'guardians' of the people.

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Book SynopsisThe third edition of The Trial and Death of Socrates 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 a Select Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisIn his celebrated masterpiece, Symposium, Plato imagines a high-society dinner-party in Athens in 416 BC at which the guests - including the comic poet Aristophanes and, of course, Plato''s mentor Socrates - each deliver a short speech in praise of love. The sequence of dazzling speeches culminates in Socrates'' famous account of the views of Diotima, a prophetess who taught him that love is our means of trying to attain goodness. And then into the party bursts the drunken Alcibiades, the most popular and notorious Athenian of the time, who insists on praising Socrates himself rather than love, and gives us a brilliant sketch of this enigmatic character.The power, humour, and pathos of Plato''s creation engages the reader on every page. This new translation is complemented by full explanatory notes and an illuminating introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volumTrade Review'In his lucid introduction Waterfield highlights the artistry and subtleties which might elude non-classicists. He emphasises that Plato's Symposium is fun.' Sophia Sackville-West, London Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisTimaeus and Critias is a Socratic dialogue in two parts. A response to an account of an ideal state told by Socrates, it begins with Timaeus’s theoretical exposition of the cosmos and his story describing the creation of the universe, from its very beginning to the coming of man. Timaeus introduces the idea of a creator God and speculates on the structure and composition of the physical world. Critias, the second part of Plato’s dialogue, comprises an account of the rise and fall of Atlantis, an ancient, mighty and prosperous empire ruled by the descendents of Poseidon, which ultimately sank into the sea.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and not

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Book SynopsisWorks in this volume explore the relationship between two people known as love (erōs) or friendship (philia). In Lysis, Socrates meets two young men at a wrestling school; in Symposium, he joins a company of accomplished men at a drinking party; and in Phaedrus, experimental speeches about love lead to a discussion of rhetoric.

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Book SynopsisTaking full extent of S.R. Slings' new Greek text of the Republic, Reeve has given us a translation at once both accurate and limpid. Loving attention to detail and deep familiarity with Plato's thought are evident on every page.Trade Review"Taking full advantage of S. R. Slings' new Greek text of the Republic, Reeve has given us a translation both accurate and limpid. Loving attention to detail and deep familiarity with Plato's thought are evident on every page. Reeve's brilliant decision to cast the dialogue into direct speech produces a compelling impression of immediacy unmatched by other English translations currently available." —Lloyd P. Gerson, University of Toronto"Reeve's new translation can be highly recommended for its accurate and readable rendering of the original. . . . Those who read the Republic for the first time or for pleasure are sure to find this the most attractive and accessible translation currently available." —Naoko Yamagata, in Journal of Classics Teaching"David Reeve's long and devoted engagement with Plato's Republic, evidenced in his highly-regarded revision of George Grube's translation, issues now in a completely new translation of his own. In this version, Socrates' narration of his conversation with Glaucon and Adeimantus et al. is converted so far as possible into dramatically gripping and effective direct speech. Its increased accessibility promises to make it the number-one choice for undergraduate courses." —John Cooper, Princeton University "Reeve's new translation of Plato's Republic will be of value both to students approaching the work for the first time and, and a handy version for the more advanced reader. The translation is solid, the format and scholarly apparatus make it very accessible." —Thomas Cooksey, in The Classical OutlookTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements; Maps. Genealogical Charts. Time Line; SELECTIONS: Acusilaus; Aelian; Aeschylus; Andron; Antoninus Liberalis; Apollodorus; Archilochus; Arrian; Babrius; Bacchylides; Bion; Callimachus; Cleanthes; Conon; Cornutus; Critias; Diodorus of Sicily; Eratosthenes; Euripides; Fulgentius; Hellanicus; Heraclitus; Herodorus; Herodotus; Hesiod; The Homeric Hymns; Horace; Hyginus; Longus; Lucian; Lucretius; Ovid; Palaephatus; Parthenius; Pausanias; Pherecydes; Pindar; Plato; Plutarch; Proclus; Sallustius; Sappho; Semonides; Simonides; Sophocles; Statius; Theocritus; Theophrastus; Thucydides; Vergil; Xenophanes; Xenophon; Appendix One: Linear B Sources (by Thomas G. Palaima); Appendix Two: Inscriptions; Appendix Three: Papyri; Note on Texts and Translations. Names and Transliterations. Index/Glossary.

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Book SynopsisThe struggle which Plato has Socrates recommend to his interlocutors in Gorgias - and to his readers - is the struggle to overcome the temptations of worldly success and to concentrate on genuine morality. Ostensibly an enquiry into the value of rhetoric, the dialogue soon becomes an investigation into the value of these two contrasting ways of life. In a series of dazzling and bold arguments, Plato attempts to establish that only morality can bring a person true happiness, and to demolish alternative viewpoints. It is not suprising that Gorgias is one of Plato''s most widely read dialogues. Philosophers read it for its coverage of central moral issues; others enjoy its vividness, clarity and occasional bitter humour. This new translation is accompanied by explanatory notes and an informative introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s comm

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Book SynopsisIn this dialogue Plato shows the pretensions of the leading sophist, Protagoras, challenged by the critical arguments of Socrates. The dialogue broadens out to consider the nature of the good life and the role of intellect and pleasure.

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Book SynopsisIn the Laws, Plato describes in fascinating detail a comprehensive system of legislation in a small agricultural utopia he named Magnesia. His laws not only govern crime and punishment, but also form a code of conduct for all aspects of life in his ideal state - from education, sport and religion to sexual behaviour, marriage and drinking parties. Plato sets out a plan for the day-to-day rule of Magnesia, administered by citizens and elected officials, with supreme power held by a Council. Although Plato''s views that citizens should act in complete obedience to the law have been read as totalitarian, the Laws nonetheless constitutes a highly impressive programme for the reform of society and provides a crucial insight into the mind of one of Classical Greece''s foremost thinkers.Table of ContentsThe LawsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionUtopianismPlato's Life and WorkPlato's Political ThoughtThe RepublicThe StatesmanThe LawsThe Relationship Between the Republic and the LawsMagnesia: the New Utopiaa. Size and Situationb. Population and Occupationsc. Educationd. Religione. Lawf. Government and AdministrationPlato and TotalitarianismThe Modern Reaction to PlatoComposition and Structure of the Laws: SummaryFurther ReadingNote on the TranslationThe Laws1. The Inadequacy of Spartan and Cretan LegislationIntroductory ConversationThe Aim of Spartan and Cretan LawsCourage and Pleasure2. Drinking Parties as an Educational DeviceTeetotallers MisguidedCan Drinking Parties be Educational?Interlude: The Athenian Pressed for an AnswerThe Nature and Purpose of EducationThe Educational Effect of Drinking Parties3. The Arts in the Service of EducationThe Nature and Purpose of Educationhow the Arts should reinforce EducationIs Pleasure the Proper Criterion in the Arts?Artistic Censorship in EgyptJustice and Happiness for TogetherChildren are Easily PersuadedThe Three ChorusesQualifications of the Third Chorus, and an Attack on Contemporary Trends in the ArtsThe Educational Effects of Drinking PartiesSumming-up on the Uses of Drink4. The Lessons of History: Legislation and the Balance of PowersLife after the FloodAutocracyThe Primitive City and the Origin of LegislationTroyThe Dorian LeagueWhy did the League Fail?Seven Titles to AuthorityThe Reasons for Sparta's Success5. The Lessons of History (2): Monarchy and DemocracyTwo Mother-ConstitutionsThe Persian MonarchyAthens and the Persian WarsThe Corruption of the Athenian DemocracyRecapitulationThe Proposed New Cretan Colony6. Magnesia and Its PeopleNatural ResourcesThe ColonistsThe Need for a Benevolent DictatorWhat Constitution is to be Imposed?The Age of CronusLaw should be SupremeAddress to the New Colonists7. The Correct way to Legislate: Laws and PreamblesIntroductionPhysical FitnessWealthThe Correct Treatment of ChildrenDuties to Relatives, Friends and StateDuties to ForeignersPersonal MoralityHow to Handle CriminalsSelfishnessExtremes of Emotion to be AvoidedVirtue and Happiness9. The Foundation of the New StatePreliminary Analysis of the StateThe Selection of the CitizensDistributing the Land (1)The Size of the Population (1)Religious and Social OccasionsStates Ideal and Real: Community of PropertyDistributing the Land (2)The Size of the Population (2)Holdings are InalienableThe Possession of MoneyThe Four Property-ClassesAdministrative Units of the StateTheory to be Modified by FactsThe Pre-eminence of MathematicsInfluences of Climate10. Civil and Legal AdministrationProblems of Appointing the First OfficialsThe Election of the Guardians of the LawsDuties and Tenure of the Guardians; Registration of PropertyMilitary OfficialsGeneralsCompany-CommandersThe ElectionsCavalry-CommandersDisrupted VotesThe Election of the CouncilThe Notion of EqualityThe Executive Committee of the CouncilOther Officials; PriestsThe Election of the ExpoundersTresurersThe Protection of the TerritoryThe Rural CourtsHow the Country-Wardens are to LiveThe City-WardensThe Market-WardensEducation OfficalsThe Minister of EducationDeath in OfficeThree Grades of CourtElection of the Supreme CourtCorrupt VerdictsThe Court of the PeopleThe Tribal CourtsOur Scheme is only a Sketch11. Marriage and Related TopicsThe Younger LegislatorsThe Organization of Religious FestivalsMarriage: Choosing a Partner (1)Changing the LawsThe Law of MarriagePreamble to the Law of Marriage: Choosing a Partner (2)Failure to MarryDowriesThe Wedding-FeastCorrect Procreation (1)The Life of the Newly-WedsThe Problem of SlaveryThe Buildings of the StateWomen must join the Communal MealsThree Instictive Drives: Food, Drink, SexCorrect ProcreationAdulteryRegistration of Births and DeathsAge Limits12. EducationWritten and Unwritten RulesEducation in the WombThe Importance of Movement: the Evidence of Corybantic Ritualhow far should a Child be Humoured?Unwritten Rules: a ReminderEarly EducationAmbidexterityPhysical Training (1)The Dangers of Innovation in EducationCome Model RulesThe Regulation of MusicThe Right Use of LeisureAttendance at SchoolThe Education of FemalesHow to Live a life of LeisureFurther Duties of the Minister of EducationThe Legislator's Instuctions to the Minister of Education: the CurriculumLiteratureA Set Text: Selections from the Laws of PlatoMusicComedy and TragedyMathematicsAstronomyHunting: Written and Unwritten Rules again13. Sport and Military TrainingArrangements for FestivalsMilitary TrainingObstacles to Correct Military TrainingRacesContests in ArmsHorse-RacingConclusion14. Problems of Sexual ConductThe Problems StatedThree Kinds of FriendshipHow to Discourage Unnatural Sexual IntercourseThe Importance of Self-ControlTwo Alternative Laws15. Agriculture, Economics and TradeThe Food SupplyAgricultural LawsDuties to NeighborsThe Water Supply (1)The harvestThe Water Supply (2)Bringing in CropsArtisansImports and ExportsThe Food Supply (2)Dwelling HousesThe MarketsResident Aliens16. Capital OffencesPreliminary DiscussionRobbery from TemplesProcedure in Capital CasesSubversionTreason17. The Theory of PunishmentTheft: Should all Thefts Attract the Same Punichment?Philosophical Legislation JustifiedA 'Terminological Inexactitude'The Attack on the Distinction between 'Voluntary' and 'Involuntary'The New Distinction, and the Purpose of PunichmentA Fuller Account of Injustice18. Homicide LawPersons Unfit to PleadInvoluntary HomicideHomicide in AngerVoluntary HomicideSuicideAnimals and Inanimate Objects as KillersMurder by Persons UnknownJustifiable Homicide19. WoundingsPreliminariesThe Courts' DiscretionVoluntary Wounding, and a Digression on Adopting an Heir in Cases of ChildlessnessWoundings Inflicted in AngerInvoluntary Woundings20. Assault21. ReligionThree Sources of ImpietyThe Case of the OppositionAddress to the Young HereticNature and Chance versus DesignThe Difficulties of Refuting AtheistsThe Priority of Soul (1)Ten Kinds of MotionSoul Moves ItselfThe Priority of Soul (2)Soul moves the Heavenly BodiesAddress to the Believer in the Indifference of the GodsProof that the Gods care for MankindThe Justice of the Gods, and the Fate of the SoulTransition to the Law of ImpietyTwo Kinds of OffendersThe Punishment for ImpietyPrivate Shrines22. The Law of PropertyRespect for PropertyRemoval of Buried TreasureRemoval of Property in GeneralThe Treatment of Slaves and Freedom23. Commercial LawThe Law of Sale and ExchangeRetail TradeContractsDealings with CraftsmenMilitary 'Craftsmen'24. Family LawMaking a WillTestamentary and Inheritance LawHow to Mitigate the Harshness of the LawThe Care of OrphansDisinheritanceSenilityDivorce and RemarriageDeath of a Wife or HusbandChildren of Mixed StatusRespect for Parents25. Miscellaneous LegislationNon-fatal Injuries by Drugs and CharmsThe Purpose of PunishmentLunacyAbuseThe Censorship of ComediesBeggarsDamage by SlavesFurther Rules of Legal ProcedureUnscrupulous AdvocacyOffences Committed by Members of Diplomatic MissionsTheft of Public PropertyMilitary ServiceAbandonment of WeaponsThe Need for ScrutineersThe Funeral of a ScrutineerProsecutions of ScrutineersOathsRefusal to Contribute to Public ExpensesRelations with the Outside WorldForeign TravelThe ObserversForiegn VisitorsSuretiesSearching a HouseTime Limits for Disputing TitlePrevention of Attendance at CourtPrevention of Participation in ContestsReceiving Stolen GoodsHarbouring an ExileWaging Private WarBribesTaxationOfferings to the GodsThe Three Grades of CourtThe Minor Points of Legal Procedure, and the Importance of Legal StudiesThe Execution of JudgementFuneral Regulations26. The Nocturnal CouncilHow can the State be Preserved Intact?Membership and Functions of the CouncilThe Unity and Plurality of VirtueThe Council's Duty to TeachThe Higher Education of the CouncilThe Importance of TheologyRecruitment of the Council, and its Course of StudiesClosing RemarksDepartures from the Budé TextMap of Central CreteList of CrimesAppendix: Plato's LettersNotesIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisFeatures an appendix that contains the fragments of early Greek love poetry which helps the reader appreciate the rich, and perhaps elusive, meaning of eros.Trade ReviewA superb translation that captures the rhetorical brilliance of the Greek. . . . The translation is faithful in the very best sense: it reflects both the meaning and the beauty of the Greek text. . . . The footnotes are always helpful, never obtrusive. A one-page outline is useful since there are no editorial additions to mark major divisions in the dialogue. An appendix containing fragments of early Greek love poetry helps the reader appreciate the rich, and perhaps elusive, meaning of eros. . . . The entire Introduction is crisply written, and the authors' erudition shines throughout, without a trace of pedantry. . . . this is an excellent book that deservedly should find wide circulation for many years to come. --Tim Mahoney, University of Texas at Arlington

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMyles Burnyeat, the Lawrence Professor of Ancient Philosophy at Cambridge, has revised Levett's translation to catch the charm and wit of the original in modern English, and has written a magnificent introduction and commentary of 250 pages that is lucid, rigorous, fair and un-put-downable. --Philip Howard, The Times (London)A masterly contribution to the understanding of the subject in a work of altogether exceptional intelligence. --Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, Christ Church, OxfordBurnyeat's introduction to the Theaetetus is easily the best available treatment of the dialogue; it is clear, stimulating, sympathetic but not uncritical, full of novel insights. Students at all levels, including professional philosophers, cannot fail to learn from it, to enjoy it. A real gem. --Gail Fine, Cornell University

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Book SynopsisWith an Introduction by Jane O'Grady. Translated by Tom Griffith.In Symposium, a group of Athenian aristocrats attend a party and talk about love, until the drunken Alcibiades bursts in and decides to discuss Socrates instead. Symposium gives an unsurpassed picture of the sparkling society that was Athens at the height of her empire. The setting of the other dialogues is more sombre. Socrates is put on trial for impiety, and sentenced to death. Euthyphro discusses the nature of piety, Apology is Socrates' speech in his own defence, Crito explains his refusal to escape punishment, and Phaedo gives an account of Socrates' last day. These dialogues have never been offered in one volume before. Tom Griffith's Symposium has been described as 'possibly the finest translation of any Platonic dialogue'. All the other translations are new.

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Book SynopsisIn Plato's "Letters", Ariel Helfer provides to readers, for the first time, a highly literal translation of the Letters, complete with extensive notes on historical context and issues of manuscript transmission. His analysis presents a necessary perspective for readers who wish to study Plato's Letters as a work of Platonic philosophy. Centuries of debate over the provenance and significance of Plato's Letters have led to the common view that the Letters is a motley collection of jewels and scraps from within and without Plato's literary estate. In a series of original essays, Helfer describes how the Letters was written as a single work, composed with a unity of purpose and a coherent teaching, marked throughout by Plato's artfulness and insight and intended to occupy an important place in the Platonic corpus. Viewed in this light, the Letters is like an unusual epistolary novel, a manner of semifictional and semiautobiographical literary-philosophic experiment, in which Plato sought to provide his most demanding readers with guidance in thinking more deeply about the meaning of his own career as a philosopher, writer, and political advisor. Plato's "Letters" not only defends what Helfer calls the "literary unity thesis" by reviewing the scholarly history pertaining to the Platonic letters but also brings out the political philosophic lessons revealed in the Letters. As a result, Plato's "Letters" recovers and rehabilitates what has been until now a minority view concerning the Letters, according to which this misunderstood Platonic text will be of tremendous new importance for the study of Platonic political philosophy.

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Book SynopsisThe newest deluxe edition in the bestselling Capstone Classics Series This ancient classic has had a make-over. In recent years these Capstone Classic deluxe editions have caught the book buying public's imagination.Table of ContentsAn Introduction by Tom Butler-Bowdon vii About Tom Butler-Bowdon xxiii The Republic 1

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Book Synopsis"Meno (Second Edition)".Trade ReviewFine translation, good notes--inexpensive, too!--D.A. Rohatyn, University of San Diego

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Book SynopsisTaking the form of a dialogue between Socrates, Gorgias, Polus and Callicles, GORGIAS debates perennial questions about the nature of government and those who aspire to public office. Are high moral standards essential or should we give our preference to the pragmatist who gets things done or negotiates successfully? Should individuals be motivated by a desire for personal power and prestige, or genuine concern for the moral betterment of the citizens? These questions go to the heart of Athenian democratic principles and are more relevant than ever in today''s political climate.Table of ContentsGorgiasAcknowledgmentsReference System Used in this EditionChronolgyIntroductionFurther ReadingA Note on the TextGorgiasA: Dialogue with GorgiasB: Dialogue with PolusC: Dialogue with CalliclesNotesGlossary of Greek TermsIndex

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Book SynopsisPhaedrus is widely recognized as one of Plato''s most profound and beautiful works. It takes the form of a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus and its ostensible subject is love, especially homoerotic love. This new translation is accompanied by an introduction, further reading, and full notes on the text and translation that discuss the structure of the dialogue and elucidate issues that might puzzle the modern reader.

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Book Synopsis''I''ll stop doing it as soon as I understand what I''m doing.''Somewhere between a historical account and work of philosophy, Socrates'' Defence details the final plea of Plato''s beloved mentor.Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin''s 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.Plato (474 BC-347 BC). Plato''s works available in Penguin Classics are Republic, The Last Days of Socrates, The Laws, Phaedrus, Protagoras and Meno, Timaeus and Critias, Theaetetus, Early Socratic Dialogues, The Symposium and Gorgias.

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Book SynopsisThese new translations present Plato''s remarkable dramatization of the momentous events surrounding the trial of Socrates in 399 BC, on charges of irreligion and corrupting the young. The Euthyphro, Defence of Socrates, and Crito form a dramatic and thematic sequence, raising fundamental questions about the basis of moral, religious, legal, and political obligation. Plato explores these issues with a freshness and directness that have never been surpassed. In the Defence of Socrates, Plato seeks not only to clear his master''s name, but also to defend the whole Socratic way of life, and therefore philosophy itself. The result is an oratorical masterpiece. The Euthyphro, an inquiry into the nature of piety, probes the relationship between religion and morality. The Crito discusses the citizen''s obligation to the state, in the context of a life-or-death issue confronting Socrates himself - whether or not to escape from prison. David Gallop''s Introduction provides a stimulating philos

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents1. 'The Origin of Virtue (Protagoras 320c-323a) ; 2. 'The Judgement of Souls' (Gorgias 523a-527a) ; 3. 'The Androgyne' (Symposium 189c-193e) ; 4. 'The Birth of Love' (Symposium 201d-212c) ; 5. 'The Other World' (Phaedo 107c-115a) ; 6. 'The Cave' (Republic 514a-517a) ; 7. 'Er's Journey into the Other World' (Republic 614b-621d) ; 8. 'The Winged Soul' (Phaedrus 246a-257a) ; 9. 'The Two Cosmic Eras' (Statesman 268d-274e) ; 10. 'Atlantis and the Ancient City of Athens' (Timaeus 20d-25d; Critias 108e-121c)

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Book SynopsisRepublic is the central work of the Western world''s most famous philosopher. Essentially an inquiry into morality, Republic also contains crucial arguments and insights into many other areas of philosophy. It is also a literary masterpiece: the philosophy is presented for the most part for the ordinary reader, who is carried along by the wit and intensity of the dialogue and by Plato''s unforgettable images of the human condition. This new, lucid translation by Robin Waterfield is complemented by full explanatory notes and an up-to-date critical introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Reviewcertainly the best translation of the Republic available * Julia Annas *A fine new translation * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisPlato's finest dramatic work, an entertaining tale of goodness and knowledgeExploring the question of what exactly makes good people good, Protagoras and Meno are two of the most enjoyable and accessible of all of Plato's dialogues. Widely regarded as his finest dramatic work, the Protagoras, set during the golden age of Pericles, pits a youthful Socrates against the revered sophist Protagoras, whose brilliance and humanity make him one the most interesting and likeable of Socrates' philosophical opponents, and turns their encounter into a genuine and lively battle of minds. The Meno sees an older but ever ironic Socrates humbling a proud young aristocrat as they search for a clear understanding of what it is to be a good man, and setting out the startling idea that all human learning may be the recovery of knowledge already possessed by our immortal souls.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-spe

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Book SynopsisEuthyphro/Apology/Crito/Phaedo''Nothing can harm a good man either in life or after death''The trial and condemnation of Socrates on charges of heresy and corrupting young minds is a defining moment in the history of classical Athens. In tracing these events through four dialogues, Plato also developed his own philosophy of a life guided by self-responsibility. Euthyphro finds Socrates outside the court-house, debating the nature of piety, while the Apology is his robust rebuttal of the charges against him. In the Crito, awaiting execution in prison, Socrates counters the arguments of friends urging him to escape. Finally, in the Phaedo, he is shown calmly confident in the face of death.Translated by HUGH TREDENNICK and HAROLD TARRANT with an Introduction and notes by HAROLD TARRANTTable of ContentsThe Last Days of SocratesChronologyPrefaceGeneral IntroductionFurther ReadingA Note on the TextsEuthyphro—HolinessSocrates in ConfrontationApology—Justice and Duty (i)Socrates Speaks at his TrialCrito—Justice and Duty (ii)Socrates in PrisonPhaedo—Wisdom and the SoulSocrates about to DiePostscript: The Theory of Ideas in the PhaedoNotesIndex

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Book Synopsis''Consider just this, and give your minds to this alone: whether or not what I say is just'' Plato''s account of Socrates'' trial and death (399 BC) is a significant moment in Classical literature and the life of Classical Athens. In these four dialogues, Plato develops the Socratic belief in responsibility for one''s self and shows Socrates living and dying under his philosophy. In Euthyphro, Socrates debates goodness outside the courthouse; Apology sees him in court, rebutting all charges of impiety; in Crito, he refuses an entreaty to escape from prison; and in Phaedo, Socrates faces his impending death with calmness and skilful discussion of immortality.Christopher Rowe''s introduction to his powerful new translation examines the book''s themes of identity and confrontation, and explores how its content is less historical fact than a promotion of Plato''s Socratic philosophy.

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Book SynopsisA translation that offers an introduction presenting both basic information and a sense of scholarly opinion.Trade ReviewA fantastic book. Translation is graceful and elegant yet uncannily accurate. Footnotes very useful, especially for teaching purposes, and the price is surprisingly low. --Eve Browning Cole, University of Minnesota

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Book SynopsisThis is an English translation of one of Plato's great dialogues of Socrates talking about death, dying, and the soul due to his impending execution. Included is an introduction and glossary of key terms. Focus Philosophical Library translations are close to and are non-interpretative of the original text, with the notes and a glossary intending to provide the reader with some sense of the terms and the concepts as they were understood by Plato''s immediate audience.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA Plato Reader offers eight of Plato's best-known works--Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus, and Republic--unabridged, expertly introduced and annotated, and in widely admired translations by C. D. C. Reeve, G. M. A. Grube, Alexander Nehamas, and Paul Woodruff.The collection features Socrates as its central character and a model of the examined life. Its range allows us to see him in action in very different settings and philosophical modes: from the elenctic Socrates of the Meno and the dialogues concerning his trial and death, to the erotic Socrates of the Symposium and Phaedrus, to the dialectician of the Republic.Of Reeve's translation of this final masterpiece, Lloyd P. Gerson writes, "Taking full advantage of S. R. Slings' new Greek text of the Republic, Reeve has given us a translation both accurate and limpid. Loving attention to detail and deep familiarity with Plato's thought are evident on every page. Reeve's brilliant decision to cast the dialogue into direct speech produces a compelling impression of immediacy unmatched by other English translations currently available."Table of ContentsIntroductionEuthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus, RepublicSelect Bibliography

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Book Synopsis''What exactly is knowledge?''The Theaetetus is a seminal text in the philosophy of knowledge, and is acknowledged as one of Plato''s finest works. Cast as a conversation between Socrates and a clever but modest student, Theaetetus, it explores one of the key issues in philosophy: what is knowledge? Though no definite answer is reached, the discussion is penetrating and wide-ranging, covering the claims of perception to be knowledge, the theory that all is in motion, and the perennially tempting idea that knowledge and truth are relative to different individuals or states. The inquirers go on to explore the connection between knowledge and true judgement, and the famous threefold definition of knowledge as justified true belief. Packed with subtle arguments, the dialogue is also a work of literary genius, with an unforgettable portrait of Socrates as a midwife of wisdom. This new edition uses the acclaimed translation by John McDowell. It includes a valuable introduction that locates the work in Plato''s oeuvre, and explains some of the competing interpretations of its overall meaning. The notes elucidate Plato''s arguments and draw connections within the work and with other philosophical discussions.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Reviewstrongly recommended for undergraduates and anyone with a serious interest in Plato. * Colin Leach, Classics for All *

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Book Synopsis From the Introduction:"Neglected for ages by Plato scholars, the Euthydemus has in recent years attracted renewed attention. The dialogue, in which Socrates converses with two sophists whose techniques of verbal manipulation utterly disengage language from any grounding in stable meaning or reality, is in many ways a dialogue for our times. Contemporary questions of language and power permeate the speech and action of the dialogue. The two sophistsEuthydemus and his brother Dionysodorusexplicitly question whether speech has any connection to truth and specifically whether anything can be said about justice and nobility that cannot also be said about their opposites." Focus Philosophical Library translations are close to and are non-interpretative of the original text, with the notes and a glossary intending to provide the reader with some sense of the terms and the concepts as they were understood by Plato's immediate audience. FeaturesNotes, glossary, and an interpretive essay.

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Book Synopsis''The god wanted everything to be good, marred by as little imperfection as possible.''Timaeus, one of Plato''s acknowledged masterpieces, is an attempt to construct the universe and explain its contents by means of as few axioms as possible. The result is a brilliant, bizarre, and surreal cosmos - the product of the rational thinking of a creator god and his astral assistants, and of purely mechanistic causes based on the behaviour of the four elements. At times dazzlingly clear, at times intriguingly opaque, this was state-of-the-art science in the middle of the fourth century BC. The world is presented as a battlefield of forces that are unified only by the will of God, who had to do the best he could with recalcitrant building materials.The unfinished companion piece, Critias, is the foundational text for the story of Atlantis. It tells how a model society became corrupt, and how a lost race of Athenians defeated the aggression of the invading Atlanteans. This new edition combines

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