Classic Surveys on Plato and His Philosophy (6 vols.)

by Alfred Day; Friedrich Schleiermacher; Thomas Maguire; Walter Pater

and

2 more

Publishers:

George Bell and Sons; John W. Parker; Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer

and

3 more

, 1759–1928

Overview

Philosopher and mathematician A. N. Whitehead once claimed that “the safest general characterization of European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” It is difficult to disagree with him. Plato wrote seminal works on ethics, political theory, morality, epistemology, and metaphysics. His concept of forms went on to have a great influence on Christian theology in the post-Apostolic period and many of the ideas that form the basis for Western democracy come from his Republic.

Classic Surveys on Plato and His Philosophy is a collection designed to help you dig into the philosophy of the great Greek idealist and the ancient rhetorical form of the dialogue. Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Introduction and Alfred Days Summary and Analysis provide thorough, time tested starting points for studying seminal classics like Phaedrus, Apology, Timaeus, and Plato’s keystone work, the Republic. Walter Pater and Thomas Maguire’s essays holistically examine Plato’s philosophy and influence over 2,500 years.

The Logos edition of these valuable volumes are enhanced by amazing functionality. Study Plato’s texts alongside a library of classic literature and philosophy. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Powerful searches help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Tablet and mobile apps let you take your study with you. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Provides exposition and insight into the Western world’s foundational philosopher
• Holistically examines the work and influence of Plato
• Analyzes each of Plato’s dialogues individually

Product Details

• Title: Classic Surveys on Plato and his Philosophy
• Volumes: 6
• Pages: 1,839

Schleiermacher’s Introductions to the Dialogues of Plato

• Author: Friedrich Schleiermacher
• Translator: William Dobson
• Publisher: John W. Parker
• Publication Date: 1836
• Pages: 437

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher’s work gives a thorough introduction to almost every one of Plato’s dialogues. Translated from the German, Schleiermacher’s classic work is a thorough and effective way to expand your knowledge of Platonic philosophy, with the help of one of the nineteenth century’s greatest theologians.

Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), often called the father of modern theology, was a German philosopher and one of the greatest Protestant theologians of the nineteenth century. He is often regarded as the father of modern hermeneutics, and known for his many other works in systematic theology. Otto Weber states that, “Retrospectively, the dogmatics of the nineteenth century can be understood essentially as the direct, indirect, or negatively received influence of the theology of Friedrich Daniel Schleiermacher, one of the most powerful personalities in all of church history, in some ways comparable with Augustine.”

Summary and Analysis of the Dialogues of Plato

• Author: Alfred Day
• Publisher: George Bell and Sons
• Publication Date: 1890
• Pages: 532

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Alfred Day’s Summary and Analysis of the Dialogues of Plato is a valuable resource for understanding Plato’s dialogues. Day aims to compile a “means of reference to the precise paragraphs in which the most noteworthy ideas of Plato have been enunciated and discussed, and then bring together . . . those passages . . . that bear on the same subject.”

Alfred Day was a nineteenth-century philosopher. He earned his BA, MA, and LLD from the University of Glasgow.

Plato and Platonism: A Series of Lectures

• Author: Walter Pater
• Publisher: Macmillan and Co.
• Publication Date: 1895
• Pages: 263

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

This volume contains a series of lectures from respected nineteenth-century literary critic Walter Pater. One of Pater’s last works, Plato and Platonism is based on a series of lectures Pater gave at the height of his popularity. Pater holistically examines Plato’s body of work and provides a thorough, cohesive introduction to the philosophical systems Plato established.

Walter Pater (1839–1894) was an English essayist, literary critic, and fiction writer. He studied at Oxford and later taught classics and philosophy there. He was a pioneer of the aesthetic movement, and his work influenced the likes of Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, James Joyce, W. B. Yeats, and Ezra Pound.

An Essay on the Platonic Idea

• Author: Thomas Maguire
• Publisher: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer
• Publication Date: 1866
• Pages: 193

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Thomas Maguire’s Essay on the Platonic Ideal constructs a comprehensive picture of Plato’s philosophy using exclusively Plato’s texts themselves. Maguires work covers Platonic ideas such as forms, justice, and immortality. A scholarly, yet accessible text, this essay provides an excellent introduction to Plato’s text and philosophy.

Thomas Maguire (1821–1889) was a classical scholar and lawyer. He was professor of moral philosophy at Trinity College. He is also the author of Essays on the Platonic Ethics

Greek Philosophy before Plato

• Author: Robert Scoon
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 1928
• Pages: 374

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Greek Philosophy before Plato exposits the state of Greek philosophy before Plato and explores the “epistemological lines” that led up to the philosophical watershed that is Plato. Among the figures Scoon discusses are Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and of course, Plato’s teacher, Socrates. Scoon’s text is valuable for its exposition of philosophy before Plato, as well as its insight into Plato’s influence through the years.

Robert Scoon was associate professor of philosophy at Princeton.

A Synopsis or General View of the Works of Plato

• Author: Floyer Sydenham
• Publisher: S. Richardson
• Publication Date: 1759
• Pages: 40

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Floyer Sydenham’s classic work provides a holistic introduction to the works of Plato. Sydenham’s synopsis is an excellent tool for examining how Plato’s philosophy unfolds across dozens of dialogues.

Floyer Sydenham (1710–1787) was an English scholar of Ancient Greek and rector of Esher. He was sent to a debtors’ prison over a small bill for his room and board. He died shortly after his imprisonment, and his death was the impetus for the Royal Literary Fund.

About Plato

Plato (427–347 BC) was born in Athens to an aristocratic family. A student of Socrates until the latter’s death, he also studied the works of Heraclitus, Parmenides, and the Pythagoreans. Following the death of Socrates, Plato spent a number of years traveling around the Mediterranean. He eventually returned to Athens and founded a school of philosophy called the Academy (named for the field in which it was located), where he later taught Aristotle.

Plato wrote works on ethics, politics, morality, epistemology, and metaphysics. He is best known for his theory of forms, the theory that the qualities that define a thing’s existence (redness, beauty) exist in an abstract realm of forms, separate from matter. Plato believed that what was true, and therefore real, must be unchanging. Because the material world is in a constant state of change it is not true reality but a mere illusion. Plato taught that love is the longing for the Beautiful in its purest, most abstract, form. Consequently, love is what motivates all the highest human achievements.