Greek Philosophy

Thomas Taylor was the first to translate the complete works of Plato into English and as such, a prominent Neoplatonist of his day. He wrote prolifically and his huge body of work has been influential on generations of writers and thinkers that followed him. Here he presents us with a concise summary of Platonic philosophy in the form of a creed. It is not intended to be heard as dogma, so much as it is a guide for students and thinkers alike.

Brother Stewart sets out to prove that ancient civilization has an important role to play in the overall mythology and history of Freemasonry. While other writers on this topic have focused on religious and initiatory similarities, Stewart turns his attention to archeological marvels in order to prove that there must have been an accompanying philosophical and intellectual aspect to these great civilizations. As such, he also touches on Pythagoras and discusses the Neoplatonists at length.

Alexander Wilder was a theosophist, journalist, and prolific writer in his day; being heavily recognized as one of the leading Platonists in America at the time. This piece was originally published in 1897 and offers a brief overview of some of the concepts explored by Plato, with some focus on religion, goodness, evil, and truth.

Perception, memory, truth, and knowledge all play major roles in this dialogue. What is remarkable about Plato's treatment of those ideas is how contemporary are both the questions and the answers he puts in the mouths of his characters. Socrates is adamant in asserting that he does not know the answers but that his function is simply to help formulate and critically examine the doctrines presented by others.

Philosophy is the study of problems concerning matters as fundamental as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BC) is said to have coined the term.

Plato is, by any reckoning, one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition and one of the most penetrating, wide-ranging, and influential authors in the history of philosophy. This audiobook contains Plato's most notable books. Contents:The Apology; Crito; Charmides; Laches; Lysis; Menexenus; Ion; Meno

Written nearly two thousand years ago, Emperor Marcus Aurelius‘s Meditations remains a relevant and profound philosophical exploration of what it means to live a meaningful life.

Critias is one of Plato's late dialogues and contains the story of the mighty island kingdom Atlantis and its attempt to conquer Athens, which failed due to the ordered society of the Athenians. Critias is the second of a projected trilogy of dialogues, preceded by Timaeus and followed by Hermocrates. The latter was possibly never written, and Critias was left incomplete. This edition was translated by Benjamin Jowett in 1871.

Plato is, by any reckoning, one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition and one of the most penetrating, wide-ranging, and influential authors in the history of philosophy. This audiobook contains Plato's most notable books.

The Tao Te Ching is a compilation of meditations, comprised of 81 short chapters. Each chapter reflects on the beauty and mystical nature of the Tao (the Way). Tao Te Ching (Book of the Way) is one of the oldest written works that provides advice and guidance on perspective, inner strength, divine power, and moral excellence, among other principles of the universe. This 21st-century edition has been translated so that ancient text (originally written in classical Chinese in the fourth century BC) can be understood and enjoyed by the average listener.

In the third century BC, Stoicism arose in response to and under the influence of these older schools, combining many of the best theories from each into a more cohesive whole. With a greater flexibility and more practical application to everyday life, Stoicism quickly became a very popular school of thought, a growth made exponential by its introduction to the Romans.

Im Gorgias, einer der umfangreichsten Dialoge Platons, trifft Sokrates auf eben jenen damals weithin bekannten Rhetor Gorgias. In seiner ihm ganz eigenen Art zieht Sokrates Gorgias sogleich in ein Gespräch über die Frage, was die Redekunst eigentlich sei und ob man sie tatsächlich eine Kunst nennen dürfe. Mit der dialektischen Gesprächsmethode der Erkenntnisfindung überfordert, reicht Gorgias schon bald das Wort an seinen Begleiter Polos weiter, der nach Kräften bemüht ist, die Rhetorik in ihrer staatstragenden Bedeutung gegenüber Sokrates zu verteidigen - jedoch ohne Erfolg.

De ce que l'homme n'a pas d'autre choix que d'être "artisan de sa propre vie" pour tendre à la "tranquillité de l'âme", Sénèque déduit une morale très humaine.

The second-century Greek physician Galen—the most famous doctor in antiquity after Hippocrates—is a central figure in Western medicine. A talented doctor, surgeon, writer, philosopher, teacher, pharmacologist, and inventor, Galen attended the court of Marcus Aurelius, living through outbreaks of plague that devastated the Roman Empire. He also served as a physician for professional gladiators. In writings that provided the foundation of Western medicine up to the nineteenth century, Galen created a unified account of health and disease.

In The Republic, Plato tackles the big issues of the state and the individual: how the state should be ruled, and by whom; and the way the individual should lead his life - and why. The lively quality of the dialogue can be clearly appreciated in this new translation by Tom Griffith.

"질문하는 삶을 살고 계신가요?" 서울대 학생들에게 인기 수업으로 손꼽히는 인문학 수업을 강의할 때 김헌 교수가 학생들에게 꼭 던지는 질문이다. 기회가 될 때마다 일반 대중을 대상으로 한 강의에도 나가며 서양 고전의 세계를 알려오고 있는 저자는 그때도 수강생들에게 같은 질문을 던진다. 재미있는 건 반응이 꼭 같다는 것이다. 학생들과 수강생들은 어색한 미소만 지을 뿐이다. 우리는 왜 나와 나를 둘러싼 세상에 대해서 질문하고, 궁금해 하고, 묻고 따져보는 일을 이토록 어색하고 불편하게 여기게 되었을까?

Socrates is an enigmatic figure, known chiefly through the accounts of others like Plato and Aristophanes. He was one of the most brilliant intellects ever, and devised what would later be called the Socratic method, which is a way of leading one's interlocutor to see his errors and contradictions through clever questioning before leading him to the truth. In ancient Athens, Socrates was widely known as a "gadfly", that is, an annoying insect buzzing at people's ears, because he kept questioning prejudices and contradictions; he was eventually tried and executed for "corrupting the minds of the youth".

Meditations is former US President Bill Clinton's favorite book. This audio consists of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor AD 161-180, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Hippias of Elis travels throughout the Greek world practicing and teaching the art of making beautiful speeches. On a rare visit to Athens, he meets Socrates, who questions him about the nature of his art. Socrates is especially curious about how Hippias would define beauty. They agree that beauty makes all beautiful things beautiful, but when Socrates presses him to say precisely what he means, Hippias is unable to deliver such a definition.

In an increasingly polarised world, asking better questions in our daily and working lives is a radical shortcut to personal and professional success. It can create space for us to rethink our positions, find answers together and even change our minds for the better.