This is the second book I have read that focuses directly on the Presocratic philosophers. Since I have already written a brief review of Geoffrey Kirk’s "The Presocratic Philosophers," I will use this review to discuss in greater depth two figures this book has helped me appreciate further: Parmenides and Heraclitus.

Parmenides, often considered a claimant to the title of founder of Western philosophy along with Thales of Miletus, presents his philosophy as a divine revelation in poetic form. His two fundamental premises lead to the conclusion that thinking and being are the same, and that reality is eternal, unchanging, and homogenous. However, there are critiques of his reasoning, such as the shift in the use of "being."

Heraclitus, on the other hand, is associated with relativism and flux. His river analogy challenges our understanding of identity and being, and his relativism is exemplified by the idea that the road up and the road down are one and the same. Despite emphasizing flux, he reaches a conclusion comparable to Parmenides’ monism, arguing that all is one and there is harmony throughout the world.

Both Parmenides and Heraclitus offer profound insights into the nature of being, and their ideas continue to be relevant and debated today. Their philosophies challenge us to think more deeply about the world around us and our place in it.

The works of Parmenides and Heraclitus also have important ethical implications. Heraclitus’ view that good and bad are interdependent troubles Aristotle, but it also suggests that struggle is an essential part of harmony. This idea aligns with his statement that "war is the father of all things," emphasizing the role of conflict in reality.

In conclusion, the study of Parmenides and Heraclitus offers a rich and complex understanding of the Presocratic philosophers and their contributions to Western philosophy. Their ideas continue to inspire and challenge us, and their works remain an important part of the philosophical canon.

I read most of it and found it interesting. However, I also noticed that I would immediately forget everything.

This made me realize that simply reading something without taking the time to understand and remember it is not very useful.

In order to truly retain the information, I need to engage with it more actively. This could involve taking notes, highlighting important points, or discussing the content with others.

Additionally, I could try to apply the knowledge I have gained to real-life situations. This would not only help me remember the information better but also give it more meaning and value.

Overall, I understand that reading is just the first step in the learning process. To truly benefit from what I read, I need to take an active approach and make an effort to remember and apply the information.

My favorites are Heraclitus, Pythagorus, Gorgias, and Thrasymachus.

Heraclitus is renowned for his profound insights into the nature of change. He believed that everything is in a state of flux, and that the only constant is change itself. His ideas have had a significant impact on philosophy and continue to be studied and debated today.

Pythagorus, on the other hand, is famous for his work in mathematics and music. He discovered the relationship between numbers and musical intervals, and his theories about the harmony of the universe have influenced many fields, including astronomy and physics.

Gorgias was a sophist who was known for his rhetorical skills and his skepticism about knowledge. He argued that nothing can be known for certain, and that language is a powerful tool that can be used to persuade and deceive.

Finally, Thrasymachus was a philosopher who believed that justice is simply the interest of the stronger. His views were controversial in ancient Greece and continue to be a topic of discussion in political philosophy today.

Together, these four philosophers represent some of the most important and influential ideas in the history of Western philosophy. Their work has inspired generations of thinkers and continues to shape our understanding of the world around us.

My advice?

Start with the Greeks. The ancient Greeks have had a profound and far-reaching impact on various aspects of our modern world. Their contributions in philosophy, art, architecture, and democracy are truly remarkable.

By studying the Greeks, we can gain valuable insights into the human condition, explore different ways of thinking, and appreciate the beauty and elegance of their creations.

We can learn from their philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who delved into profound questions about ethics, morality, and the nature of knowledge. Their ideas continue to shape our understanding of the world today.

In art and architecture, the Greeks developed unique styles and techniques that have inspired generations of artists and architects. Their sculptures, such as the Parthenon Marbles, are considered masterpieces of human creativity.

Finally, the Greeks gave us the concept of democracy, which is the cornerstone of our modern political systems. By studying their democratic ideals and practices, we can better understand the importance of citizen participation, equality, and the rule of law.

So, if you want to expand your knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the world, start with the Greeks.

The statement "i mean… she does talk about the first philosophers! she’s got that for her

Amazing book for my Greek Philosophy class!

This book has truly been a remarkable find for my Greek Philosophy course. It offers a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the various philosophical ideas and thinkers from ancient Greece.

The author's writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy for me to understand even the most complex concepts. The book is filled with interesting anecdotes and examples that bring the philosophy to life.

Each chapter is well-structured and presents a different aspect of Greek Philosophy, allowing me to build a solid foundation of knowledge. I have found myself constantly referring back to this book for clarification and further study.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Greek Philosophy. It is an essential resource that will enhance your understanding and appreciation of this fascinating subject.

If you want to truly understand why Western philosophers over 2000 years ago thought the way they did and said the things they said, then you must read Plato and Aristotle. Their works are fundamental to understanding the development of Western philosophy.

However, if you further need to understand the reasons behind Plato and Aristotle's thoughts and words, then you must read this book. This book delves deep into the historical, cultural, and intellectual context in which these great philosophers lived and thought.

By reading this book, you will gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the complex web of ideas and influences that shaped the Western philosophical tradition. It will help you to see how Plato and Aristotle's thoughts were not only a product of their own genius but also a response to the challenges and opportunities of their时代.

In short, if you are serious about understanding Western philosophy, this book is an essential read.

This book was truly a monster!! It is an excellent biography that delves into the lives and thoughts of both obscure and well-known philosophers. As a student of philosophy, I gained a wealth of knowledge from listening to this. Robin Waterfield is nothing short of a genius. His remarkable ability to draw conclusions and make educated inferences from ancient fragments is truly masterful.

However, I do have one small criticism. I wish that the reader wouldn't have read all of the source notes during the narrative. It made the listening experience a bit long-winded at times. But overall, this is an excellent text. The Audible Edition is a great choice, and I look forward to reading or listening to more from Robin Waterfield in the future.

His work is not only informative but also engaging, making it accessible to both students and enthusiasts of philosophy alike. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the history and development of philosophical thought.

Hard to understand at times, probably because it's mostly fragments though.

This statement implies that the text in question poses challenges in comprehension. It could be due to the fact that it consists mainly of fragmented pieces rather than complete and连贯的 sentences or paragraphs.

Fragmented writing can make it difficult for the reader to follow the intended meaning. Without the necessary context and connections between the fragments, the overall message may become模糊不清.

To improve understanding, it might be beneficial to rewrite the text, filling in the gaps and providing more context. This could involve connecting the fragments into完整的 sentences and paragraphs, clarifying the relationships between different ideas.

By doing so, the reader will have a better chance of grasping the intended meaning and following the flow of the text more easily.

This book serves as an excellent starting point for anyone with an inclination towards reading classic age Greek philosophy.

However, the reason one might desire to engage with this subject - and indeed, why I myself have this inclination - remains somewhat of a mystery to me.

Admittedly, it's not an overly captivating topic. But as a bedtime read, this book fulfills a purpose. I could only manage to read a few pages at a time before succumbing to sleep.

Nevertheless, I did discover certain parts of it to be quite interesting. It's fascinating to observe how closely some of these ancient thinkers approximated what is now widely accepted as scientific theory.

This book offers a unique perspective on the evolution of human thought and the development of ideas that have endured through the ages.

It serves as a reminder of the profound influence that ancient philosophy has had on our modern understanding of the world.

Despite its shortcomings as a highly engaging read, it holds value for those willing to explore the depths of Greek philosophy and gain insights into the minds of some of the greatest thinkers of the past.

Overall, while it may not be a page-turner, it is a worthwhile addition to any collection for those interested in the history of ideas and the roots of modern scientific thought.

It is far better to read the primary sources such as Laertius and Aristotle rather than this.

Primary sources offer direct access to the original thoughts and ideas of the great minds of the past. By reading Laertius and Aristotle themselves, we can gain a more accurate and in-depth understanding of their philosophies and teachings.

These primary sources are like windows into the ancient world, allowing us to see how these thinkers grappled with the fundamental questions of human existence. In contrast, relying on secondary or derivative works may not provide the same level of authenticity and detail.

Therefore, if one truly desires to explore the rich intellectual heritage of the past, it is essential to turn to the primary sources and engage with them directly.

By doing so, we can embark on a journey of discovery and gain insights that will enrich our own understanding of the world and ourselves.

This anthology, carefully edited by the Greek scholar Robin Waterfield, is composed of a series of extracts, accompanied by commentary, from the works of several Greek thinkers. These thinkers lived in the couple of centuries preceding the first megastar of western philosophy, Socrates. Hence, they are known to us as the Presocratics.

Well, to say "a series of extracts" is perhaps an overstatement, as not many of them actually wrote anything down. So, the way we know what they thought is largely through secondhand (and no doubt distorted) accounts. These accounts come from their disciples, critics (including Plato, Socrates' chief scribe and the second megastar of western philosophy, who pitted some of them in dialogue against his hero), or historians writing many centuries later. What remains is a series of fragments, much like the cracked mosaics of some ancient palace floor.

However, this is enough to shed light on their strange and distant world. And yet, in some ways, it is not so distant. For these men (yes, all men) were the first to think like we do. Anyone who has read their precursors, the great Greek epic poets Homer and Hesiod, knows that the gods controlled everything. Whatever a phenomenon might seem to be, it ultimately had a supernatural cause. We don't know what triggered the shift away from mythological thinking to the search for explanations in nature. But somehow, with the Presocratics, it happened, and it has been with us ever since.

Some of the more outlandish beliefs of Pythagoras' followers sound like those of a new age cult. For example, they believed that the moon "is inhabited, just like our earth, but by creatures and plants which are taller and more beautiful; for creatures there are fifteen times as strong as those here, and never excrete anything, and their day is fifteen times longer than ours." But they also laid the foundation for much of modern mathematics, including the mathematical relationships in music. And while some Presocratic scientific speculations may sound quaint and cute to modern ears (such as Anaxagoras' exclamation that "the sun is larger than the Peloponnese"), others were right on the mark (like Anaxagoras' assertion that "the moon does not have its own light, but gains it from the sun"). Still others are almost eerie in their prescience. Anaxagoras hypothesized a "big bang" origin for the universe (though set in motion by Mind), while Democritus posited atoms in motion and the combination of elements, and even asserted that the Gods, like us, were the products of atomic combination. There is also a mystical streak among these thinkers. Most of them believed that everything is one, and that nothing can come into being from non-being. But this did not preclude a healthy dose of common sense. Heraclitus, for instance, held that "what awaits men after death cannot be anticipated or imagined."

The Sophists, by contrast – or at least their more flamboyant representatives – come across as superficial, boorish trivializers, interested only in egotistical point-scoring and well deserving of the opprobrium in which history has held them. But again, since we lack original sources, it's difficult to know how much of this impression is based on malicious caricature.

For the most part, though, these distant philosophers seem just like us. They were fumbling with all their native curiosity and ingenuity towards the most coherent explanations of the universe they could find. But they were there first, and we owe them a great deal.