Originally published between 1920-70,The History of Civilization was a landmark in early twentieth century publishing. It was published at a formative time within the social sciences, and during a period of decisive historical discovery. The aim of the general editor, C.K. Ogden, was to summarize the most up-to-date findings and theories of historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and sociologists. This reprinted material is available as a set or in the following groupings, or ...

Aristotle's Poetics aims to give an account of what he calls 'poetry' (covering the lyric, the epos, and the drama). Aristotle attempts to explain 'poetry' through 'first principles' and by discerning its different genres and component elements. His analysis of tragedy constitutes the core of his discussion. Aristotle's Poetics is universally acknowledged in Western critical tradition. Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

These first philosophers paved the way for the work of Plato and Aristotle - and hence for the whole of Western thought. This is a unique and invaluable collection of the works of the Presocratics and the Sophists. Waterfield brings together the works of these early thinkers with brilliant new translation and exceptional commentary. This is the ideal anthology for the student of this increasingly appreciated field of classical philosophy. - ;The first philosophers paved the way for the wor...

Sir Anthony Kenny tells the fascinating story of the birth of philosophy and its remarkable flourishing in the ancient Mediterranean world. This is the first of four volumes in which he will unfold a magisterial new history of Western philosophy. Specially written for a broad popular readership, but serious and deep enough to offer a genuine understanding of the great philosophers, Kenny's lucid and stimulating history will become the definitive work for anyone interested in the people and...

One of the most important mathematical theorems is named after Pythagoras of Samos, but this semi-mythical Greek sage has more to offer than formulas. He is said to have discovered the numerical nature of the basic consonances and transposed the musical proportions to the cosmos, postulating a "harmony of the spheres." He may have coined the words "cosmos" and "philosophy." He is also believed to have taught the doctrine of transmigration of souls and therefore to have advised a vegetarian...

THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU• to appreciate the revolution in thinking brought about by the Ancient Greek philosophers, who sought to make sense of the world through analysis, reasoning and argument • to recognize the key ideas of the most significant philosophers and their contribution to Western thought• to learn about the philosophers' lives, and their impact on society• to appreciate the value of questioning received wisdom and submitting it to rigorous analysis To live...

The philosophers who preceded Socrates (469 - 399 BC), the PreSocratics, were the first recorded individuals to reject mythological explanations for the unknown. Aristotle called the PreSocratics physikoi meaning physicists, after physis, nature, because they sought natural explanations for phenomena, as opposed to the earlier theologoi, theologians, whose philosophical basis was supernatural. The physikoi invented maps, an early time-keeping device in the form of a sun-dial and they were ...

“The truth is hypothetical.”Scepticism (or skepticism), the belief that requires all information to be well supported by evidence, originated in the Skeptikoi, a first century BC Greek school who “asserted nothing.” The school was founded by Aenesidemus; our main source of the school’s teachings is Sextus Empiricus and the leader of the Sceptics was Pyrrho of Elis (365-275 BC) who had traveled to India and studied with the gymnosophists (naked lovers of wisdom). From India, Pyrrho ...

Hegel: Lectures on Philosophy gathers the mature reflections through which Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel elaborates philosophy as a systematic account of reality, history, spirit, and reason. Composed from the lecture hall rather than the polished treatise, the work combines conceptual rigor with expansive historical narration, moving dialectically from abstract principles to concrete cultural forms. It belongs to the great post-Kantian moment in German Idealism, where philosophy sought no...

An anthology of Pythagorean writings ranging from four biographies of the ancient philosopher to his influential teachings."The material in this book is indispensable for anyone who wishes to understand the real spiritual roots of Western civilization." —Jacob Needleman, Professor of Philosophy, San Francisco State University, author of The Heart of PhilosophyPythagoras (fl. 500 B.C.E.), the first man to call hims...

Everyone wants to live a meaningful life. Long before our own day of self-help books offering twelve-step programs and other guides to attain happiness, the philosophers of ancient Greece explored the riddle of what makes a life worth living, producing a wide variety of ideas and examples to follow. This rich tradition was recast by Diogenes Laertius into an anthology, a miscellany of maxims and anecdotes, that generations of Western readers have consulted for edification as well as entert...

Plato's Symposium, written in the early part of the 4th century BC, is set at a drinking party (symposium) attended by some of the leading intellectuals of the day, including Aristophanes, the comic dramatist, Socrates, Plato's mentor, and Alcibiades, the brilliant but (eventually) treacherous politician. Each guest gives a speech in praise of the benefits of desire and its role in the good and happy human life. At the core of the work stands Socrates' praise of philosophical desire, and a...