The Portable Plato

by Plato and Plato (edited by Scott Buchanan)

Book Overview

Writing in the fourth century B.C., in an Athens that had suffered a humiliating defeat in the Peloponnesian War, Plato formulated questions that have haunted the moral, religious, and political imagination of the West for more than 2,000 years- what is virtue? How should we love? What constitutes a good society? Is there a soul that outlasts the body and a truth that transcends appearance? What do we know and how do we know it? Plato's inquiries...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140150404
• ISBN13: 9780140150407
• Release Date: March 1977
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 704 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 5.7" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

For the Philosophy Student...a Must

Have been stretching my memory all day today as to who said: "All philosophy since the Greeks, are merely footnotes to Plato." Depending on one's persuasion, this is certainly debatable, however, philosophy is all about debate, discussion...asking the hard questions. As a student of philosophy or even a PHd in the discipline should always have this man's work at an arm's reach. Why? Because Socrates attempted to ask the hard questions, creating what is now known as critical thought. Something so lacking in our modern age. One of the great lines in the introduction of this book by the editor, Scott Buchanan: "So the reader of Plato joins Socrates in inquiry, as Sancho Panza joined Don Quixote, for adventures of the mind." My personal favourite books of Plato are, "Phaedo" as the Master drinks the Hemlock (the deadly poisen). And, although not entirely agreeing with all the ideas, "The Republic", books 1-10, to my mind is an absolute master piece. Not knowing Greek or Latin, commenting on the translation would be ludicrous, however, Benjamin Jowett has done a fine job as the material is accessable for the undergraduate or curious. A Fine "Portable" of Plato to have in your library.

Very good, but falls short of greatness

The selections included are fairly standard, but they are great works nonetheless. The translation is excellent. One major drawback is a lack of the textual reference numbers that most other Plato translations include. Aside from that, there is little to scrutinize about this collection.

portableplato

i guess i beat everyone to it, so i'll answer myself. I bought the portable plato book about a week ago. content-wise, i would redirect you to "great dialouges of plato" which includes all the stories in this book except "protagoras", and a few more, and is about 7 bucks (i think), the translation in this book from benjamin jowett, and "great dialouges" is w.h.d. rouse, both have been said to be great translations (i cant vouch since i've never understood greek, and i havent read the greek version of any of plato's writings). If you wanna read some key philosophy, but have little attention-span, and are bored to death of essays, then i'd say read plato, its in the form of conversations, which are interesting (to me anyways, like plays almost), and humourous at times, and of course thought-provoking. if you dont think you could read conversations, then i guess i wouldn't choose plato.if i wasn't a "portable" collector i'd of gotten another more complete plato book, not that this doesn't have alot, it does, but there ARE more complete editions, maybe even of the same translations (dont quote me on that)?i always imagine merlin from the (king arthur story, i dunno what its called), when i listen to socrates. He has that kinda character, the serious, inhumanly wise, but yet humourous, human personality, you know (youll know) what i mean. the best way i can describe the portable books is:albums:boxset::books:"portable" books, but as for this one there is another collection that (i think) is superior, so i'd skip it and get "great dialouges" or something.