Ancient Philosophy (Beginner's Guides) by William J. Prior

Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

by William J. Prior

Before Socrates, philosophers sought explanations for naturally-occurring phenomena from earthquakes and eclipses to the existence of the entire cosmos. But the Socratic era saw a great shift towards questions much closer to the human experience. Philosophers became concerned with life and how to live it, the nature of knowledge and reality, the soul and its relation to the body, and the place of human beings in the universe.Ancient philosophy expert, William J. Prior elegantly guides readers through philosophy’s formative years, from the pre-Socratic to the Stoic and Epicurean schools. Combining a general discussion of movements with analysis of key passages from ancient texts, it is an enthralling insight into the evolution of philosophy and how the great thinkers of centuries gone by can still send our minds reeling today. For students and interested readers alike, this is the ideal introduction, opening the door to the philosophy's classic works and fascinating in its own right.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published May 10, 2016

Reviews

[DeanJean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking. Reading this book is like discovering, in reverse, how the groundwork for our modern 'discoveries' had already been laid down, a few thousand years earlier. And we had to depend on evidence!

[Chai Zheng Xin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read guide to ancient philosophy. I was able to understand the content despite no background in philosophy.

[Isha · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this book gives you a glimpse of Ancient "Western" Philosophy. It talks about the principles and ideologies of a few philosophers namely Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Epicurus. A very immaculate description of the meaning of a Good Life, Knowledge and reality, The Soul and God and Cosmos. If any of the mentioned words are of any interest to you, then yes this book is for you. No matter how dull the topic looks the book maintains its pace throughout and provides useful insights to the first timers.