The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy

Its Origin, Development, and Significance

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ancient, History
Cover of the book The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy by André Laks, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: André Laks ISBN: 9781400887910
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: January 1, 2018
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: André Laks
ISBN: 9781400887910
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: January 1, 2018
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

When we talk about Presocratic philosophy, we are speaking about the origins of Greek philosophy and Western rationality itself. But what exactly does it mean to talk about “Presocratic philosophy” in the first place? How did early Greek thinkers come to be considered collectively as Presocratic philosophers? In this brief book, André Laks provides a history of the influential idea of Presocratic philosophy, tracing its historical and philosophical significance and consequences, from its ancient antecedents to its full crystallization in the modern period and its continuing effects today.

Laks examines ancient Greek and Roman views about the birth of philosophy before turning to the eighteenth-century emergence of the term “Presocratics” and the debates about it that spanned the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He analyzes the intellectual circumstances that led to the idea of Presocratic philosophy—and what was and is at stake in the construction of the notion. The book closes by comparing two models of the history of philosophy—the phenomenological, represented by Hans-Georg Gadamer, and the rationalist, represented by Ernst Cassirer—and their implications for Presocratic philosophy, as well as other categories of philosophical history. Other figures discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Diogenes Laertius, Schleiermacher, Hegel, Nietzsche, Max Weber, and J.-P. Vernant.

Challenging standard histories of Presocratic philosophy, the book calls for a reconsideration of the conventional story of early Greek philosophy and Western rationality.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

When we talk about Presocratic philosophy, we are speaking about the origins of Greek philosophy and Western rationality itself. But what exactly does it mean to talk about “Presocratic philosophy” in the first place? How did early Greek thinkers come to be considered collectively as Presocratic philosophers? In this brief book, André Laks provides a history of the influential idea of Presocratic philosophy, tracing its historical and philosophical significance and consequences, from its ancient antecedents to its full crystallization in the modern period and its continuing effects today.

Laks examines ancient Greek and Roman views about the birth of philosophy before turning to the eighteenth-century emergence of the term “Presocratics” and the debates about it that spanned the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He analyzes the intellectual circumstances that led to the idea of Presocratic philosophy—and what was and is at stake in the construction of the notion. The book closes by comparing two models of the history of philosophy—the phenomenological, represented by Hans-Georg Gadamer, and the rationalist, represented by Ernst Cassirer—and their implications for Presocratic philosophy, as well as other categories of philosophical history. Other figures discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Diogenes Laertius, Schleiermacher, Hegel, Nietzsche, Max Weber, and J.-P. Vernant.

Challenging standard histories of Presocratic philosophy, the book calls for a reconsideration of the conventional story of early Greek philosophy and Western rationality.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Life Exposed by André Laks
Cover of the book Addiction by Design by André Laks
Cover of the book The Worst of Times by André Laks
Cover of the book The Spirit of Cities by André Laks
Cover of the book The Reasons of Love by André Laks
Cover of the book Bayesian Non- and Semi-parametric Methods and Applications by André Laks
Cover of the book Economics in Perspective by André Laks
Cover of the book Communism's Shadow by André Laks
Cover of the book #Republic by André Laks
Cover of the book How Propaganda Works by André Laks
Cover of the book Religious Difference in a Secular Age by André Laks
Cover of the book The History of American Higher Education by André Laks
Cover of the book Authorizing Marriage? by André Laks
Cover of the book Ecological Models and Data in R by André Laks
Cover of the book Presidential Party Building by André Laks
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy