All philosophy is a footnote to Plato. No other person so shaped the Western world and the way we think about it.Plato's questions remain as real for us today as they were 2500 years ago and as human beings we can not avoid their presence nor shirk our responsibility to attempt to answer them:•What is Justice?•What is Truth?•What is Beauty?•What kind of society should we build?•How do we know what we know?Plato For Beginners introduces the reader to Socrates Plato's mentor whose martyrdom ...

With all the talk about "democracy" these days it's surprising how little time is spent concentrating on the concept of democracy itself its history and justification as a form of political governance. Democracy for Beginners looks at democracy's rich evolution in its varied forms and at some of the challenges democracies face today.Beginning with the rise of democracy in fifth-century Athens and ending with an exploration of what the future might hold — for example the notion of "e-democr...

A 96 page guide to the background, program, uses for and contact time needed with the CD-ROM A Right to Die? The Dax Cowart Case. This guide is supplied free with every multi-user copy of the CD-ROM, and will prove invaluable for all those planning to use the program in a classroom setting. This guide is not available to purchase separately.

The thinkers who built the Western mind—and still shape your own.This is the best book on philosophy I have ever read. —Philip van Heusen for Readers' FavoriteThree men. Three rival visions of reality. And together, the hidden framework behind how you think about truth, morality, happiness, and meaning.Much of Western philosophy can be traced back to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle—figures whose ideas continue to shape not o...

In this accessible and authoritative work of political science and political philosophy, one of the most prominent political theorists of our time provides a primer on democracy:  what it is, why it is valuable, how it works, and what challenges it confronts in the future.Robert Dahl begins with an overview of the early history of democracy. He goes on to discuss differences among democracies, criteria for a democratic process, basic institutions necessary for advancing the ...

"A groundbreaking exploration of bisexual politics by a revolutionary thinker" (Publishers Weekly) provides the missing piece of the puzzle for readers who identify as bisexualDepicted as duplicitous, traitorous, and promiscuous, bisexuality has long been suspected, marginalized, and rejected by both straight and gay communities alike.Bi takes a long overdue, comprehensive look at bisexual politics, from the issues surrounding biphobia/mon...

A brilliant portrait of the Greek philosopher who personified philosophy.Socrates was undeniably one of the greatest thinkers of all time, yet he wrote nothing. Throughout his life, and indeed until his very last moment alive, Socrates fully embodied his philosophy in thought and deed. It is through the story of his life that we can fully grasp his powerful actions and ideas.In his highly acclaimed style, historian Paul Johnson masterfully disentangles cent...

How can we apply the teachings of the greatest ancient philosopher to modern life?Socrates is the quintessential Athenian philosopher, the source of the entire Western philosophical tradition, and Godfather to the Stoics. He spent his life teaching practical philosophy to ordinary people in the streets of Athens, yet few people today are familiar with the wisdom he has to offer us.How to Think Like Socrates is an accessible and informative guide to...

"Open Democracy envisions what true government by mass leadership could look like."—Nathan Heller, New YorkerHow a new model of democracy that opens up power to ordinary citizens could strengthen inclusiveness, responsiveness, and accountability in modern societiesTo the ancient Greeks, democracy meant gathering in public and debating laws set by a randomly selected assembly of several hundred citizens. To the Icelandic Vikings, democracy m...

“A must-read for anyone interested in practical philosophy.”—Donald J. Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman EmperorNavigate the challenges of modern life, with ancient and time-tested Greek and Roman thinkers at your side.“A refreshing example of a too-rare form of self-help, in which the goal isn’t success or happiness but becoming a better human being.”—The Wall Street JournalWhat is a ...

Naming What We Know, Classroom Edition examines the core principles of knowledge in the discipline of writing studies, using the lens of “threshold concepts”—concepts that are critical for epistemological participation in a discipline. This edition focuses on the working definitions of thirty-seven threshold concepts that run throughout the research, teaching, assessment, and public work in writing studies. Developed from the highly regarded original edition in response to grassro...

The Sophist is one of the late Dialogues of Plato, which was written much later than the Parmenides and the Theaetetus, probably in 360 BC. After he criticized his own Theory of Forms in the Parmenides, Plato proceeds in the Sophist with a new conception of the Forms, more mundane and down-to-earth, and makes more clear the epistemological and metaphysical puzzles of the Parmenides; thus, he refers to that dialogue between Parmenides and young Socrates, which was written probably much earl...