Plato
is the most widely studied, and probably the
greatest, philosopher of all time. He asked
his contemporary Athenians for answers to
all of the difficult and troubling questions
that we now call “philosophical”,
and then recorded their ideas in the form
of lively dramatic debates. Plato also had
his own distinct views about almost everything:
the nature of knowledge and reality, politics,
ethics, mathematics, economics, the size of
the ideal city, and much else besides.
Introducing
Plato begins by explaining how philosophers
like Socrates and Pythagoras influenced Plato’s
thought. It provides a clear account of Plato’s
puzzling theory of knowledge, and explains
how this theory then directed his provocative
views on politics, ethics and individual liberty.
It offers detailed critical commentaries on
all of the key doctrines of Platonism, especially
the very odd “theory of Forms”,
and concludes by revealing how Plato’s
philosophy stimulated the work of important
modern thinkers such as Karl Popper and Jacques
Derrida.
***
Dave
Robinson has taught philosophy for many years
and has written Introducing guides to ethics,
Rousseau, Kierkegaard, political philosophy
and many others.
Judy
Groves is a painter, graphic designer and
illustrator. She has illustrated numerous
books in the Introducing series including
Philosophy, Chomsky and Wittgenstein.
