The 17 best about plato books

In "Plato: A Very Short Introduction" Julia Annas offers a captivating exploration of the great philosopher's ideas and writings. This accessible book delves into the essence of Plato's philosophy, inviting readers to engage with his distinctive style and profound themes. Annas examines Plato's use of dialogue, fiction, and myth as tools for philosophical inquiry, shedding light on his multifaceted approach to understanding the world. Through discussions on love, virtue, the nature of the soul, and the cosmos, Annas unravels Plato's complex arguments and reveals the enduring relevance of his thought. "Plato: A Very Short Introduction" is an essential guide for anyone seeking to comprehend the foundational ideas that have shaped Western philosophy. As Annas aptly notes, "To read Plato is to enter a world where the most fundamental questions about human existence are posed with a clarity and depth that still challenge and inspire us today."

Plato: A Guide for the Perplexed by Gerald A. Press is an essential companion for anyone seeking to navigate the complex and profound philosophy of Plato. As Press notes, Plato's work has perplexed readers for centuries, and yet it remains a cornerstone of Western thought. This book offers a clear and comprehensive guide to Plato's major works and ideas, providing a lifeline for those who seek to unravel the mysteries of his thought. Press provides a detailed review of all the major dialogues, exploring the particular perplexities of the dialogue form and offering a cogent and reliable survey of the whole history of Platonic interpretation and his far-reaching influence. Whether you are a student encountering Plato for the first time or a seasoned scholar seeking a deeper understanding, Plato: A Guide for the Perplexed is an invaluable resource that will illuminate the path to Platonic wisdom.

The Cambridge Companion to Plato is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the thought of one of the most important and influential philosophers in Western history. As the editor, Richard Kraut, notes in his introduction, "Plato stands as the fount of our philosophical tradition, being the first Western thinker to produce a body of writing that touches upon a wide range of topics still discussed by philosophers today." This volume brings together fourteen new essays by leading Plato scholars, providing a comprehensive overview of Plato's philosophy and its enduring significance.

The essays in this Companion cover a wide range of topics, including Plato's views on knowledge, reality, mathematics, politics, ethics, love, poetry, and religion. There are also analyses of the intellectual and social background of Plato's thought, the development of his philosophy throughout his career, the range of alternative approaches to his work, and the stylometry of his writing.

The Cambridge Companion to Plato is an essential resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Plato's philosophy. It is a comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date guide that will help readers to understand the major themes of Plato's work and their significance for Western thought.

The Republic is one of Plato's most famous and influential works. It is a dialogue in which Socrates and his companions discuss the nature of justice and the ideal state. The dialogue is divided into ten books, and it covers a wide range of topics, including politics, ethics, education, and metaphysics.

In The Republic, Plato argues that the ideal state is one that is ruled by philosopher-kings. Philosopher-kings are those who have the knowledge and wisdom to rule justly and wisely. Plato believed that the best way to produce philosopher-kings was through a rigorous education system that would develop their intellectual and moral virtues.

The Republic is a complex and challenging work, but it is also one of the most important works of political philosophy ever written. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the history of political thought and the nature of the ideal state.

As Plato writes in The Republic: "The unexamined life is not worth living." This book is an invitation to examine the fundamental questions of politics, ethics, and human nature. It is a challenging but rewarding read that will stay with you long after you finish it.

Symposium by Muriel Spark is a darkly comic and thought-provoking novel that explores the themes of love, beauty, and truth. The novel is set during a dinner party attended by five posh London couples, and it follows the events surrounding the murder of one of the guests, Hilda Damien.

As the guests wait for Hilda's arrival, they engage in witty and philosophical conversation, discussing everything from the nature of love to the meaning of life. However, beneath the surface of this civilized gathering, there are dark currents flowing. Jealousy, resentment, and greed simmer beneath the surface, and as the evening progresses, these emotions come to a head.

Spark's Symposium is a masterfully crafted novel that offers a unique perspective on the nature of human relationships. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in exploring the darker side of human nature.

As one reviewer wrote, "The prevailing mood is urbane: the wine is poured, the talk continues, and all the time the ice on which the protagonists' world rests is being thinned from beneath, by boiling emotions and ugly motives. No living writer handles the tension between formality of expression and subversiveness of thought more elegantly."

Complete Works by Arthur Rimbaud is a comprehensive collection of the French poet's writings, including his poems, prose, and letters. Rimbaud was one of the most important and influential poets of the 19th century, and his work has been praised for its originality, beauty, and power.

Complete Works is divided into eight "seasons" that reflect the facets of Rimbaud's life and work. These seasons include Childhood, The Open Road, War, The Tormented Heart, The Visionary, The Damned Soul, A Few Belated Cowardices, and The Man with the Wind at His Heels.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of Rimbaud's development as a poet, and it includes many of his most famous poems, such as "The Drunken Boat" and "A Season in Hell." Rimbaud's work is known for its exploration of themes such as love, loss, rebellion, and the search for meaning in life.

Complete Works is an essential resource for anyone who wants to study Rimbaud's work. It is also a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in the history of French poetry or in the life and work of one of the most enigmatic and influential poets of all time.

As Rimbaud himself wrote, "I have invented new flowers, new stars, new flesh, new tongues." Complete Works is an invitation to explore the strange and wonderful world of Arthur Rimbaud, a poet who changed the course of literature.

Why Plato Wrote by Danielle S. Allen is a groundbreaking book that challenges the traditional view of Plato as a detached philosopher who was unconcerned with the practical problems of politics. Allen argues that Plato was not only the world's first systematic political philosopher, but also the western world's first think-tank activist and message man.

Allen provides a close reading of Plato's dialogues, and she shows how Plato used them to intervene in Athenian politics and to promote his own political agenda. Plato believed that democracy was a flawed system of government, and he sought to develop an alternative system that would be more just and stable.

Why Plato Wrote is a valuable contribution to the study of Plato's philosophy. It offers a fresh perspective on Plato's dialogues, and it sheds light on the political context in which they were written. Allen's book is also a reminder that philosophy is not just an abstract academic pursuit, but can also be a powerful force for political change.

As Allen writes, "Plato was not just a philosopher. He was also a political activist, a message man, and a think-tank entrepreneur. He used his dialogues to intervene in Athenian politics and to promote his own political agenda."

Preface to Plato by Eric Alfred Havelock is a classic work of scholarship that explores the relationship between Plato's philosophy and the oral tradition of ancient Greece. Havelock argues that Plato's philosophy can only be understood in the context of this oral tradition, and he shows how Plato's dialogues are structured like oral performances.

Havelock also discusses Plato's attack on poetry, which he sees as a response to the continued dominance of the poetic tradition in contemporary Greek thought. Havelock argues that Plato's hostility to poetry is explained by the fact that, in a nonliterate culture, poetry was the primary means of preserving and transmitting cultural knowledge.

Preface to Plato is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's philosophy. It provides a clear and concise overview of Plato's major ideas, and it offers a unique perspective on the development of Plato's thought.

As Havelock writes, "Plato's frontal attack on poetry has always been a problem for sympathetic students, who have often minimized or avoided it. Beginning with the premise that the attack must be taken seriously, [this book] shows that Plato's hostility is explained by the continued domination of the poetic tradition in contemporary Greek thought."

Statesman by Piers Anthony is the fifth book in the Cluster series, a science fiction series that follows the adventures of a group of humans who are transported to an alien planet called Cluster.

In Statesman, the protagonist, Hope Hubris, has been overthrown as the Tyrant of Jupiter and is now an exile. However, he is still determined to lead humanity to the stars.

Statesman is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that explores themes such as the nature of leadership, the importance of freedom, and the human spirit.

As Anthony writes, "Hope Hubris had ruled the solar system's most powerful empire with a fierce, uncompromising passion. His was a white-hot flame of justice that scarred friend and foe alike. Yet now he left Jupiter as an exile, his autocratic rule overthrown by the one person he could not oppose."

Statesman is a must-read for fans of science fiction and for anyone who is interested in the human spirit.

Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing by Christopher J. Rowe is a groundbreaking study of Plato's use of language and rhetoric in his dialogues. Rowe argues that Plato was not simply a philosopher, but also a master of literary art, and that his dialogues are not just philosophical treatises, but also works of art.

Rowe analyzes Plato's use of dialogue form, his use of metaphor and allegory, and his use of humor and irony. He shows how Plato uses these techniques to create a unique and powerful form of philosophical writing that is both intellectually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing.

Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing offers a fresh perspective on Plato's philosophy and his place in the history of Western thought. Rowe's book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand Plato's philosophy or who is interested in the art of philosophical writing.

As Rowe writes, "Plato's dialogues are usually understood as simple examples of philosophy in action. In this book I treat them rather as literary-philosophical artefacts, shaped by Plato's desire to persuade his readers to exchange their view of life and the universe for a different view which, from their present perspective, they will barely begin to comprehend."

Plato's Philosophers: The Coherence of the Dialogues by Catherine H. Zuckert is a groundbreaking study of Plato's dialogues that offers a fresh perspective on Plato's philosophy. Zuckert argues that the dialogues are not simply a collection of abstract philosophical arguments, but are also a series of dramatic works that explore the lives and thought of individual philosophers.

Zuckert analyzes the characters of Socrates, Plato, and other philosophers who appear in the dialogues. She shows how these characters develop over the course of the dialogues, and how their philosophical views change and evolve.

By examining the dialogues in their dramatic order, Zuckert reveals a narrative of the rise, development, and limitations of Socratic philosophy. She shows how Socrates develops his distinctive philosophical style, and how his interlocutors reveal the limitations of his philosophy.

Plato's Philosophers: The Coherence of the Dialogues is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's philosophy. It provides a deep understanding of the characters and their philosophical development, and it offers a fresh perspective on the dialogues as a whole.

As Zuckert writes, "Plato made Socrates the dialogues' central figure because Socrates raises the fundamental human question: what is the best way to live? Plato's dramatization of Socratic imperfections suggests, moreover, that he recognized the apparently unbridgeable gap between our understandings of human life and the nonhuman world."

Plato's Republic: A Study by Stanley Rosen is a groundbreaking study of Plato's Republic that challenges earlier interpretations of the dialogue. Rosen argues that the key to understanding the Republic is to grasp the author's intention in composing it, in particular whether Plato believed that the city constructed in the Republic is possible and desirable.

Rosen demonstrates that the fundamental principles underlying the just city are theoretically attractive, but that the attempt to enact them in practice leads to conceptual incoherence and political disaster. He shows how Plato uses the dialogue to explore the tensions between philosophy and political practice, and he argues that the Republic is a vivid illustration of the irreconcilability of these two realms.

Plato's Republic: A Study is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's Republic. It provides a fresh perspective on the dialogue's arguments and themes, and it offers a deep understanding of Plato's political philosophy.

As Rosen writes, "The Republic is a vivid illustration of the irreconcilability of philosophy and political practice."

Plato's Theory of Knowledge by Norman Gulley is a classic work of scholarship that provides a comprehensive and insightful study of Plato's theory of knowledge. Gulley traces the development of Plato's epistemology through his various dialogues, and he offers a fresh perspective on the relevance of Plato's ideas to our own lives.

Gulley argues that Plato's theory of knowledge is not simply a collection of abstract ideas, but is also a practical guide to living a good life. He shows how Plato's theory of knowledge can help us to understand the nature of reality, the limits of our knowledge, and the importance of education.

Plato's Theory of Knowledge is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's philosophy. It provides a clear and concise overview of Plato's epistemology, and it offers a fresh perspective on the relevance of Plato's ideas to our own lives.

As Gulley writes, "Plato's theory of knowledge is not a finished system, but a series of progressive attempts to solve the problem of knowledge."

Plato's Ethics by Terence Irwin is a comprehensive and insightful study of Plato's ethical philosophy. Irwin provides a detailed analysis of Plato's arguments for the existence of the Forms, the nature of the soul, and the good life. He also discusses Plato's views on virtue, justice, and happiness.

Irwin argues that Plato's ethics is not simply a collection of abstract ideas, but is also a practical guide to living a good life. He shows how Plato's ethical philosophy can help us to understand the nature of the good life, the importance of virtue, and the role of reason in ethical decision-making.

Plato's Ethics is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's philosophy. It provides a clear and concise overview of Plato's ethical philosophy, and it offers a fresh perspective on the relevance of Plato's ideas to our own lives.

As Irwin writes, "Plato's ethics is not a finished system, but a series of progressive attempts to solve the problem of how we ought to live."

Plato's Political Philosophy by Mark Blitz is a comprehensive and insightful introduction to Plato's political thought. Blitz provides a detailed analysis of Plato's arguments for the existence of the Forms, the nature of the soul, and the ideal state. He also discusses Plato's views on justice, equality, and the role of the philosopher in society.

Blitz argues that Plato's political philosophy is not simply a utopian blueprint, but is also a serious attempt to address the problems of political life. He shows how Plato's political philosophy can help us to understand the nature of political authority, the importance of justice, and the role of education in a democratic society.

Plato's Political Philosophy is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's philosophy. It provides a clear and concise overview of Plato's political philosophy, and it offers a fresh perspective on the relevance of Plato's ideas to our own lives.

As Blitz writes, "Plato's political philosophy is not an attempt to escape from the contingencies of political life, but rather an attempt to understand and grapple with them."

Plato's Sophist by Martin Heidegger is a major text that offers a unique perspective on Plato's philosophy. Heidegger argues that the Sophist is not simply a debate about the nature of sophistry, but is also a profound exploration of the nature of being and truth.

Heidegger shows how Plato's dialogue raises fundamental questions about the relationship between language, thought, and reality. He argues that the Sophist is a key text for understanding Plato's philosophy, and that it offers a unique perspective on the nature of human existence.

Plato's Sophist is a challenging and thought-provoking work that is essential reading for anyone who wants to study Plato's philosophy. It is also a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in the history of philosophy or in the nature of language, thought, and reality.

As Heidegger writes, "The Sophist is not simply a debate about the nature of sophistry, but is also a profound exploration of the nature of being and truth."

Plato's Laws: Force and Truth in Politics is a collection of essays that offers a fresh perspective on Plato's dialogue Laws. The book explores the cultural and historical context of the Laws, and it highlights its importance to contemporary scholarship.

The essays in this volume are written by leading scholars in the fields of classics, history, philosophy, and political science. They offer a close reading of the dialogue, and they explore a wide range of topics, including the nature of political authority, the role of law in society, and the relationship between force and truth in politics.

Plato's Laws: Force and Truth in Politics is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study Plato's Laws. It provides a comprehensive overview of the dialogue, and it offers a unique perspective on its relevance to contemporary political thought.

As the editors write, "This volume fills a major gap in studies on Plato's dialogues by addressing the cultural and historical context of the Laws and highlighting their importance to contemporary scholarship."