Socrates: A Life Examined Luis E. Navia,
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 159102501X
DDC: 183.2
Edition: Hardcover; 2007-03-14
Summary:
One of the most influential thinkers in the history of the West was
Socrates of Athens (469-399 BCE). Literally, thousands of books and
other works of art have been devoted to him, yet his character and
the tenets of his philosophy remain elusive. Even his contemporaries
had very different impressions of him, and since he himself left no
writings to posterity, we can only wonder: Who was this man really?
What ideas and ideals can be truthfully associated with him? What is
the basis for the extraordinary influence he has exerted throughout
history? Philosopher Luis E. Navia presents a compelling portrayal of
Socrates in this very readable and well-researched book, which is
both a biography of the man and an exploration of his ideas. Through
a critical and documented study of the major ancient sources about
Socrates--in the writings of Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, and
Aristotle--Navia reconstructs a surprisingly consistent portrait of
this enigmatic philosopher. He links Socrates' conviction that the
unexamined life is not worth living with Immanuel Kant's later
concept of an innate moral imperative as the only meaningful purpose
of human existence. He highlights Socrates' unrelenting search for
the essence and value of the soul as that aspect of his philosophical
journey that animated and structured all his activities. Navia also
considers Socrates' relationship with the Sophists, his stance
vis-à-vis the religious beliefs and practices of his time, his view
of the relationship between legality and morality, and the function
of language in human life. Finally, he eloquently captures the
Socratic legacy, which, more than twenty-four centuries after his
death, is still so urgently relevant today. Navia brings to life this
perennially important philosopher, illuminating the relevance of his
ideas for our modern world.
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