Book Description

OF ALL philosophers, it is Plato who most persuasively invites the readerby the fertility of his thought and the magic of his style. Not only do his writings contain the germs of most of the problems that philosophers still discuss, but his. prophetic vision has often discerned, beyond the wilderness of disputation, a promised land. Nevertheless Plato was not a mere system-maker; he preferred rather to cast his thought in the form of vigorous dialogues in which the reader may perceive the condieting currents of thought. Hence the perennial freshness and vitality of his philosophy; it lives as drama lives, and is always contemporary. The translation of Plato's dialogues by Benjamin Jowett, late Master of Balliol College and Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford, has long been recognized as an English classic. A general introduction provides a survey of the elements in Plato's philosophy and of his peculiar genius, with some indication of his importance for the modern world. Generous selections from = number of the more important dialogues, some extensive, others brief, give a fair conception of the philosopher's many-sided interests; special introduction summaries of omitted portions, and notes, help the reader to understand the relation of the selections. A list of further reading guides is also included for those who may wish to extend their knowledge of Plato.