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Philosophy Before Socrates: An Introduction with Texts and Commentary 2nd Edition

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Richard D. McKirahan (Author)
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Richard D. McKirahan (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars 9 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 088-4894519967
ISBN-10: 1603841822
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.; 2 edition (March 15, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1603841822
  • ISBN-13: 978-1603841825
  • Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5.8 x 8.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 starsTransition from superstition to reason
By H. Shimmin on October 7, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
With this second edition of "Philosophy Before Socrates", Richard McKirahan provides a clear, insightful introduction to a world in transition. As the Greeks adapted the phonetic alphabet to fit a culture that would become famous for asking tough questions, they created a wonderful, if now patchy, legacy. McKirahan provides careful, modern translations of the surviving fragments of sixth- and fifth-century texts and near-contemporary testimonia, followed by his own explanations of the context and interpretation of their meanings. He includes extensive comments from other philosophers and historians, providing the reader with some of the arguments that continue to frame these topics. McKirahan treats the pre-classical thinkers with care to examine their contributions to mankind's move from pieties and proverbs to beliefs grounded empirically in a domain where argument and proof became the foundation for reason.

In a way similar to examining the images found in Chauvet Cave and realizing that the figures are not the stumbling, primitive work of some guy with a chunk of charcoal, confronting ideas captured in these ancient Greek texts brings surprises. Well before Socrates' search for a good life we encounter the quest for justice and meaning in the natural universe, a world seen to lie outside the reach of immoral, petty Olympians. We encounter Xenophanes struggling with the distinction between knowledge and belief, and Parmenides developing deductive argument as he examines the possibility that our senses provide a reliable means of accessing truth. Although writers like Philolaus and the men who came to be derided as Sophists were not strictly pre-Socratic, McKirahan includes chapters to extend the world up to the gates of Athens and Plato.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsA required text for those interested in the Pre-Socratics
By David Fowler on April 7, 2013
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This is a truly excellent and comprehensive work on "Philosophy before Socrates". There are scores of texts on this particular period of Western thought, but this one really stands out for its deep learning and clear presentation. As the title makes clear, the text is not only a wonderful compendium of primary source material, but is supplemented with a thoughtful commentary on the texts themselves - and when it comes to this period of thought where all we have are fragments and incomplete or obscure passages, such commentary cannot be overvalued. This book should be a part of every library of those interested in Greek thought...period. This book, in my opinion, works well with other shorter, "big picture", works like that of Cornford's, Before and After Socrates, & Guthrie's, The Greek Philosophers.
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5.0 out of 5 starsOutstanding survey of Presocratic thought
By ryan on May 26, 2014
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Outstanding survey of Presocratic thought and philosophy. Each major figure introduced through their surviving fragments and doxographic record. Discussion of each gave me a thorough understanding of their primary contributions and how they were similar and/or different from their predecessors. I read two other books on the same subject, Barnes' "The Presocratic Philosophers" and Kirk & Raven's "The Presocratic Philosophers" (1st ed), but McKirahan's is the one that I will return to repeatedly to refresh my memory.
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5.0 out of 5 starsThorough and honest interpretations for a non-academic
By Modest_Type on July 2, 2015
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I'll preface by admitting this is the first book I've read on the presocratics, and that my interest is merely casual and not from an academic pursuit. I found this book to be exhaustive in a good way, and leaving me to pursue further interpretations of philosophers that I am interested in and providing a comprehensive understanding of where later Greek philosophy continues. McKirahan is open about his own interpretation; his bias on certain topics is laid bare so the reader is free to arrive at his own conclusions. The structure of referencing fragments and testimonia is easy. Each chapter references others previous and later, so theoretically a reader focused on only Pythagoras would find this book useful in understanding his influences and those he influenced, putting each philosopher into context. I'm thoroughly satisfied and will use this as a reference in my future studies. I'm more intrigued if McKirahan and his contemporaries will continue to revise the text as more fragments, if any, are discovered. The mystery of each philosopher based on so narrow sources leaves much room for interpretation and fascination.
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5.0 out of 5 starsPurchased for a class, so I didn't have much ...
By R. Padraic Springuel on February 25, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Purchased for a class, so I didn't have much choice in what I was getting. However, I found the book very well written and fascinating. I ended up reading the whole thing, even the parts that weren't assigned.
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