Classical Philosophy: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 1 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
by Peter Adamson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 114 ratings
Part of: A History of Philosophy (6 books)
ISBN-13: 978-0199674534
ISBN-10: 0199674531
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Classical Philosophy is the first of a series of books in which Peter Adamson aims ultimately to present a complete history of philosophy, more thoroughly but also more enjoyably than ever before. In short, lively chapters, based on the popular History of Philosophy podcast, he offers an accessible, humorous, and detailed look at the emergence of philosophy with the Presocratics, the probing questions of Socrates, and the first full flowering of
philosophy with the dialogues of Plato and the treatises of Aristotle. The story is told 'without any gaps', discussing not only such major figures but also less commonly discussed topics like the Hippocratic Corpus, the Platonic Academy, and the role of women in ancient philosophy. Within the thought of Plato and
Aristotle, the reader will find in-depth introductions to major works, such as the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics, which are treated in detail that is unusual in an introduction to ancient philosophy. Adamson looks at fascinating but less frequently read Platonic dialogues like the Charmides and Cratylus, and Aristotle's ideas in zoology and poetics. This full coverage allows him to tackle ancient discussions in all areas of philosophy, including
epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, ethics and politics. Attention is also given to the historical and literary context of classical philosophy, with exploration of how early Greek cosmology responded to the poets Homer and Hesiod, how Socrates was presented by the comic playwright Aristophanes and the
historian Xenophon, and how events in Greek history may have influenced Plato's thought. This is a new kind of history which will bring philosophy to life for all readers, including those coming to the subject for the first time.
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Books In This Series (6 Books)
A History of Philosophy
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Classical Philosophy: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 1
Peter Adamson
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Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 2
Peter Adamson
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Philosophy in the Islamic World: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 3
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Medieval Philosophy: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 4
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From the Publisher
Classical Philosophy: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 1
Classical Philosophy: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 1
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This book was written in the same lively style as the podcast and should appeal to both general readers and scholars of ancient philosophy... Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers." --Choice
"There are real treasures here...Through prodigious labor, [Adamson] has opened doors, and opened a dialogue with the wide world concerning the history of philosophy that is invaluable and he is to be warmly thanked for this." -- Bryn Mawr Classical Review
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
Peter Adamson took his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame and first worked at King's College London. In 2012 he moved to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, where he is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy. He has published widely in ancient and medieval philosophy,
especially on Neoplatonism and on philosophy in the Islamic world.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
ASIN : B00K8UBGLE
Publisher : OUP Oxford; 1st edition (June 26, 2014)
Publication date : June 26, 2014
Language : English
File size : 3074 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
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Print length : 369 pages
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Best Sellers Rank: #498,292 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
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#1,044 in Greek & Roman Philosophy (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 114 ratings
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without any gaps history of philosophy greek philosophy philosophy without ancient greek peter adamson classical philosophy plato and aristotle socrates chapter philosophical covers section throughout volumes form includes based particular podcast
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Massimo Pigliucci
5.0 out of 5 stars Good enough to use as a textbook, fun enough to read on your own
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2019
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I have started reading the full series of Peter Adamson's "philosophy without gaps" (three volumes out at the moment of this writing, one more already announced), and it has won me over quickly. I have used the first and second volumes (the latter on Hellenistic and Christian philosophy) as companion books for an undergraduate class I have taught at City College, and they worked out beautifully. Adamson's sense of humor and light touch make otherwise potentially monotonous readings a sheer pleasure. Despite (or is it because?) his obsessions with Buster Keaton and giraffes. Finally something has come along that beats the classic by Bertrand Russell. This first volume in particular is noticeable for its treatment of the Presocratics, as well as for the smart choice of the material to cover from both Plato and Aristotle. Highly recommended.
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ewomack
VINE VOICE
4.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of a philosophical history series that claims to cover "just about" everything...
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2020
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Only relatively recently, at least in cosmic time, did history of philosophy volumes become more inclusive. Way back in 1945, Bertrand Russell's philosophical history, still in print today, serves as an early, if not the first, example of inserting the word "Western" into the phrase "History of Philosophy." Frederick Copleston's multi-volume historic magnum opus, written largely after Russell's, did not do likewise, though anyone reading it today would instantly recognize its almost exclusively Western focus. Academic canons tend to die slowly, very slowly, and the subsumption of other philosophical traditions under the rubric of "philosophy" followed a similarly slow pattern. Thankfully, things have changed and anyone today who dared to write a book called "History of Philosophy" that focused solely on the Western tradition would likely find themselves lambasted for cultural exclusivity. To take one good example, A.C. Grayling's extremely current "History of Philosophy" initially covers the usual Western ground, but then it takes up Indian, Chinese, Arabic-Persian and African philosophy in a final section. Even more surprisingly, it covers both analytic and continental perspectives. So where could a "history of philosophy" go from there? Could any history actually cover "everything?" Peter Adamson, a philosophy professor based in Munich and London, seems up to the task by releasing a series of books titled, perhaps somewhat cheekily, "A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps." Really? Without "any" gaps? The quest seems downright Quixotic and the title insinuates a massive, possibly inhuman, commitment. Adamson probably wouldn't retain his university positions if he came down with a bout of insanity, so scratch that theory.
As Adamson himself explains in the first volume's preface, the books originated from a series of podcasts initiated by what he saw as a lack of inclusive philosophical histories. These completely free and roughly half-hour podcasts began in late 2010 and continue to the present. In that time he and a slew of special guests have covered topics ranging from the Greek, Roman and Medieval periods, to Jewish, Islamic and Byzantine philosophy, along with over 60 podcasts on classical Indian philosophy and just over 50 on "Africana." A "Renaissance" category has appeared and rapidly grown over the past year. The book series inspired by these podcasts currently includes five volumes: "Classical Philosophy," "Philosophy in the Hellenistic & Roman Worlds," "Philosophy in the Islamic World," "Medieval Philosophy" and "Classical Indian Philosophy." The books pretty much follow the order of the podcasts, so one can adequately prophesize the series's upcoming books. Inside each volume, the chapters also follow the podcast format in that each one has a roughly similar length and they read like a serial, meaning that the end of one chapter often includes a "teaser" for the next. A real giveaway comes in the first volume's 22nd chapter, possibly corrected in later editions, with an unintentional reference to "listeners." Given this derived format, readers know the time commitment of each chapter, so the book easily conforms to a regular reading schedule, but this also means that more complex topics get segmented up into multiple chapters or that pieces of a topic appear in multiple places. For example, the first book doesn't contain a single chapter dedicated to Aristotle's difficult work "The Metaphysics," but many of that book's topics appear scattered throughout the section on Aristotle.
Overall, the text remains accessible even to the uninitiated throughout. Though definitely not a relaxing beach read, the topics covered receive enough examples and explanations to allow even those without philosophy degrees to follow along. It should shock no one that the first volume of the series covers the foundation for just about everything that came after it, namely, Classical Greek philosophy. The vast majority of Western philosophical histories begin here, so this might appear to some as an overt Western bias right at the outset. Yet this era of philosophy also greatly influenced Islamic philosophical thought. One could also argue just how much the West has foisted the label of "Western Philosophy" onto ancient Greek philosophy. After all, the West discovered many ancient Greek texts through Arabic translations and only after the fact claimed them as "Western." True, these texts heavily influenced subsequent Western thought, but it seems myopic to suggest that Greek thought somehow remains exclusively "Western." It existed long before the concept of "Europe" existed. As such, ancient Greek thought makes for a natural starting point, especially for a series that will gradually branch out and cover multiple traditions.
"Classical Philosophy" not only evokes Greek thought, but inevitably the "giants" of ancient philosophy, Plato and Aristotle. The majority of the first volume covers the thought and work of these immensely influential thinkers in some detail, but it also covers their "prequels," those who often get crammed into the catch-all category of "Pre-Socratics." Similar to many histories, it all begins with Thales in 6th Century BC Ionia (the book uses "BC" and "AD" throughout, instead of "BCE" and "CE"). It also provides some historical context, including the fact that philosophers typically emerge mainly from societies possessing some wealth and power, in this case "wealth" may also pertain to leisure or free-time. Not to mention that philosophy and science once intermingled in a single discipline. As a philosopher scientist, Thales predicted the 585 BC lunar eclipse, cornered the olive market and had a particular affinity for water as a cosmic substrate. His successors followed suit, but favored different elements. Everything known about this early era comes from fragments or work preserved by later authors, so this age stays somewhat in the shadows. Anaxmiander, and "infinity," and Anaximenes became slightly more abstract, along with Xenophanes, the mystical bean-avoiding Pythagoras, Heraclitus, the metaphysical Parmenides ("to not not to be"), Zeno and his paradoxes, the Atomists, Anaxagoras, Empedocles and an interesting chapter on Hippocratic medicine, which histories of philosophy usually omit. The series also covers early medicine, definitely a part of science, as one of the "gaps" to fill. This section concludes with "The Sophists," who would become a particular target for the Platonic Socrates.
Though Socrates wrote nothing himself, many people wrote plenty about him and the book's second part begins by discussing the Socratic works of Aristophanes and Xenophon before turning to Plato. The Platonic Socrates, of course, remains one of the most famous figures in philosophical and world history. Portrayed in numerous dialogues, Socrates, via Plato, introduced ethics into the discipline by asking "how should we live?" This section covers both famous dialogues, such as "The Republic," "Theaetetus" and "Gorgias" and lesser known ones such as "Charmides," "Cratylus" and "Phaedrus." The Theory of Forms appears throughout, as well as the Socratic method and the feverish search for a definition of "The Good." "The Parmenides," considered a late dialogue, finds a young Socrates tongue-tied over the elder philosopher's objections to the Theory of Forms. "Timeaus," the only dialogue in Latin available until the 12th century, takes on cosmology, the Demiurge and the lost city of Atlantis. Some main themes of "The Republic" receive their own full chapters, such as the soul juxtaposed with the ideal city, including the "philosopher kings," and the famous allegory of the cave. Another chapter discusses Plato's "erotic" dialogues such as "The Symposium" and "Phaedrus," while dealing with some matters considered very distasteful today. A final chapter on Plato wonders why he censored myth in "The Republic" but also created his own myths like "The Myth of Er." Plato covered just about everything and became a standard by which subsequent philosophers would find themselves judged. Aristotle, perhaps Plato's only rival in ancient philosophy comes next, with an equally thick section that covers even more material. It begins with an appropriately titled chapter "Mr. Know It All."
If Plato did it all then Aristotle did even more. People may not have quite as much fun reading Aristotle's often difficult and sometimes turgid works, but, perhaps more than Plato, he arguably better represents the direction that philosophy and science would take. For example, in "The Prior Analytics," he invented the logical syllogism and provided the basis for modern logic. As one of the world's first known biologists, he analyzed, dissected and classified animals and recorded his observations in multiple massive volumes. He wrote about difficult concepts that would later become known as "Metaphysics," such as form and matter, four kinds of causes (material, formal, efficient and final), how an immaterial soul relates to a material body, how things change and what in them changes, primary and secondary substance, knowledge and "the first mover" and "the unmoved mover" culminating in "thought thinking itself." On ethics, he posited the happiest life as the life of reason and philosophical contemplation and conceived of the highest form of friendship as involving mutual admiration between "rational" people. On politics, he wrote that "excellent" cities create "excellent" men - he held quite misogynistic views - and that "excellence" remains the ultimate goal of cities. He has deep suspicions about democracy and thinks that, mostly due to climate, some people are born as "natural slaves," but not his own people, of course. His views on tragedy and rhetoric, including his theory of "catharsis" and some very modern sounding ways to publicly trounce a rival, still influence thought today.
In the spirit of inclusivity, the book also contains a chapter on "Women and Ancient Philosophy." Though references to many ancient women philosophers exist, including some found on tombstones, unfortunately not many written and reliable or substantial records survive to really get a rigorous sense of what exactly ancient women philosophers thought or taught. Many consider a woman named Theano, who studied with Pythagoras, as the first woman philosopher. Similar to Aristotle, ancient Greece didn't hold women as equal to men, so what little work survives from women philosophers usually seems tainted or rewritten by men in their own vision. Pythagoreans and Plato did allow a philosophical place for women, but few others did at the time. Things apparently look up for women, at least a little, in later ages.
Plato and Aristotle loomed over their respective schools, the Academy and the Lyceum, for some time after their deaths. As the Classical Greek age drifted into the Hellenistic age, the followers of Plato apparently became more mathematical and a form of "Pythagorean Platonism" arose in the "Late Academy." Aristotle's successor Theophrastus would add botany to Aristotle's body of work, raising such questions as why men have nipples since "nature does noting in vain," as his teacher claimed. Yet the two "giants" of ancient philosophy would play only minor roles in the next few ages to come, since their works remained largely unavailable to the Latin speaking world for centuries. They would make quite a comeback much later, one that still reverberates to the present day.
This first volume of "History of Philosophy Without any Gaps" gets the series off to a running start, though anyone who has already studied ancient Greek philosophy might find much of the material a review. Still, it sets the stage for the next volume, which will include more lesser known and lesser covered schools and figures from an era considered "fly-over" by many philosophy departments and histories. Given the format, reading volume two doesn't actually require reading volume one, but it doesn't hurt. Especially since the first volume's lively and often humorous text makes its subject more accessible, appealing and comprehensible for many who might have qualms about reading philosophy. Down with qualms! Read! Or listen to the podcasts! Or listen to the podcasts and read! Look at these options! No excuses! If nothing else, read on to see if the series misses any "gaps." From the vantage point of volume one, things look good so far.
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Anthony
4.0 out of 5 stars pretty good
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2021
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Seems to be a good introductory exposition of Ancient Greek philosophy, going into a bit of detail in a few spots. The author is I think unduly sympathetic and insufficiently critical. Plato was in fact a fascist elitist who would bind us all into rigidly controlled castes and carefully censor our thoughts and inputs. Aristotle would have us all enslaved since not being Greek this was our just and righteous fate. These were not ‘nice’ people. And this needs to be emphasised. They don’t get a free pass just because they’ve been studied by the privileged for thousands of years. Because they were supposedly 'great' thinkers. And as for their more ‘technical’ content. The Form of the Good. Substance, Essence and Accident, form and matter, the four causes. If you’re not nauseated by all this simplistic nonsense I don’t know what to say to you. It was an achievement 2400 years ago. But a lot has happened since. It is of value now mostly only because it has had enormous influence. Time to grow up.
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Book and Music Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars Reader friendly survey of classical philosophy
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2015
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I am one of those odd ducks that read books such as this for entertainment. Peter Adamson is a marvelous educator. The book is readable throughout and the author is so understanding of one's limited ability to remember the difficult names of many Greek philosophers he reminds you what you read earlier when it pertains to the discussion later in the book. I wish I had had professors such as him when I tried to take philosophy in college, and just found it too dense and unrewarding. Anyone with the slightest interest in why we think about things the way we do today will appreciate having this foundation . . . and I am surely not alone in enjoying the mental and historical journey.
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Arthur H. McDaniel
5.0 out of 5 stars Books and Podcasts. Great combination !!!!
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2020
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Discovered Mr. Adamson's podcasts ( A history of philosophy without any gaps) on Spotify. Mr. Adamson seems to have put alot of time and effort into his podcasts and renewed my interest in Philosophy. The books are based on his podcasts. Finally have found someone to pull the history of philosophy together. Entertaining, making learning easy and enjoyable is hard to do. I like opening up the book and reading along with the podcasts. Well worth the buy. Great books. I have bought 3 so far, gonna take a while but I learn something new everytime I open his books.
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Anonymous999
5.0 out of 5 stars A priceless resource for philosphy students and enthusiasts!
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2014
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As a philosophy student in college, I bought this book to use as a companion to my Ancient Greek philosophy course, and it is an incredible resource. The sections are digestibly short while packed with useful information. Adamson is unparalleled in his ability to explain the cryptic, unintelligible texts in my course textbook. No philosophy student should pass up this gem! I just wish the other volumes would come out sooner so I could use them for my other classes.
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David Dare
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice addition to the podcast
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2021
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Very nice addition to the podcast
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douglas a. dailey
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2017
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wonderful copy and book
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RuaSesamo
3.0 out of 5 stars Only good to a certain degree
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2019
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First things first: what Peter Adamson is doing with this collection is admirable and I respect him for it. With that said, your view on this book will depend vastly on who you are and your study goals. If you have no philosophical background and you just want to learn philosophy in a comprehensive way, this book is excellent; however, if you are a philosophy student who needs a good history of Ancient philosophy, it will disappoint you: it's not fit for that purpose. It's an easy reading and a fun way for the general public to get some important knowledge, not for scholars, students, etc.
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peter
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and balanced approach to philosophy...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2020
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Many philosophy books can be quite dry and dense and perhaps off-putting to the general reader. Peter Adamson's friendly, informal and humorous approach I found to be far more readable, helpful and informative. From the pre-socratics through to Plato and Aristotle and all of the relevant thinkers in between, this is a very enjoyable read and the perfect starting point for someone who wishes understand philosophy from its beginnings. I'm now about to start his second book in the series, on the philosophy of the Hellenistic and Roman era, which I'm sure will be just as interesting...
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Nigel PJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Classical Philosophy-a classic book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2014
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Peter Adamson's podcast series is a weekly pleasure. As I write this he is up to episode 181 which, with breaks for the occasional, holiday, is approaching four years of work.
The success of the series is largely down to Peter's style. He is a great communicator, humorous, affable and above all (for a subject that needs this) intelligible.
This book version of the first series is most welcome. Reading can only reinforce what we have already listened to and Peter Adamson has retained his entertaining style in the lightly edited volume.
One thing I missed here is the interviews that Peter conducted with other philosophers, I should have been glad to see these in print.
The scope and ambition of the podcasts and associated books is so welcome. Anyone who has read Bertrand Russell's or Father Copleston's (also to be recommended) surveys of the history of philosophy will find the scope and readability of this book to be very welcome indeed.
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Gazza
5.0 out of 5 stars Classical Philosophy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2018
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I bought this book along with the second volume (Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds) and finding them both wonderful reads. Brilliant for getting a history of this period or, as I'm doing, simply dipping into them to learn about these great thinkers.
I hope you find my review helpful.
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kafkafan
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2017
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Absolutely brilliant. Witty, interesting, in depth explanations, way above many philosophy books. You will learn and understand a lot.
Read it.
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===
Classical Philosophy
(A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps #1)
by
4.28 · Rating details · 359 ratings · 40 reviews
Classical Philosophy is the first of a series of books in which Peter Adamson aims ultimately to present a complete history of philosophy, more thoroughly but also more enjoyably than ever before. In short, lively chapters, based on the popular History of Philosophy podcast, he offers an accessible, humorous, and detailed look at the emergence of philosophy with the Presocratics, the probing questions of Socrates, and the first full flowering of philosophy
with the dialogues of Plato and the treatises of Aristotle. The story is told 'without any gaps', discussing not only such major figures but also less commonly discussed topics like the Hippocratic Corpus, the Platonic Academy, and the role of women in ancient philosophy. Within the thought of Plato and
Aristotle, the reader will find in-depth introductions to major works, such as the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics, which are treated in detail that is unusual in an introduction to ancient philosophy. Adamson looks at fascinating but less frequently read Platonic dialogues like the Charmides and Cratylus, and Aristotle's ideas in zoology and poetics. This full coverage allows him to tackle ancient discussions in all areas of philosophy, including
epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, ethics and politics. Attention is also given to the historical and literary context of classical philosophy, with exploration of how early Greek cosmology responded to the poets Homer and Hesiod, how Socrates was presented by the comic playwright Aristophanes and the
historian Xenophon, and how events in Greek history may have influenced Plato's thought. This is a new kind of history which will bring philosophy to life for all readers, including those coming to the subject for the first time. (less)
with the dialogues of Plato and the treatises of Aristotle. The story is told 'without any gaps', discussing not only such major figures but also less commonly discussed topics like the Hippocratic Corpus, the Platonic Academy, and the role of women in ancient philosophy. Within the thought of Plato and
Aristotle, the reader will find in-depth introductions to major works, such as the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics, which are treated in detail that is unusual in an introduction to ancient philosophy. Adamson looks at fascinating but less frequently read Platonic dialogues like the Charmides and Cratylus, and Aristotle's ideas in zoology and poetics. This full coverage allows him to tackle ancient discussions in all areas of philosophy, including
epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, ethics and politics. Attention is also given to the historical and literary context of classical philosophy, with exploration of how early Greek cosmology responded to the poets Homer and Hesiod, how Socrates was presented by the comic playwright Aristophanes and the
historian Xenophon, and how events in Greek history may have influenced Plato's thought. This is a new kind of history which will bring philosophy to life for all readers, including those coming to the subject for the first time. (less)
Kindle Edition, 369 pages
Published June 26th 2014 by OUP Oxford (first published May 10th 2014)
| Review of | Classical Philosophy (A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps #1) | |
| Rating | ||
| Shelves | to-read ( 1342nd ) | |
| Format | Kindle Edition edit | |
| Status | March 25, 2022 – Shelved as: to-read March 25, 2022 – Shelved | |
| Review | Write a review | |
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I suppose you wouldn't even know this book existed unless you were the kind of person who hangs out in the philosophy section of the bookstore (which I do). And "the history of philosophy" may sound impressive to the point of being off-putting, and the book is from Oxford University Press, which adds to the whole why-would-you-read-this-unless-it-was-assigned-in-class feeling. Well, it's a lot more readable—and enjoyable—than that sounds. It's based on a series of podcasts, so it's written in a casual style, almost conversational. Each chapter is fairly short and self-contained, probably because of its podcast ancestry. But Adamson does an excellent job of linking each chapter to earlier ones so that you get the sense that this really is a continual, gap-less history.
Okay, minor quibble here: I would have liked a pronunciation guide for the unfamiliar Greek names that pepper this book. I'm not that familiar with this period in philosophic history beyond the big names of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and a pronunciation guide—obviously not needed with the original podcasts!—and maybe a short list of the lesser-known philosophers would have been helpful. But overall, I'd highly recommend this as a readable introduction to early philosophy, at least for readers who'd be interested in philosophy in the first place. (less)
Okay, minor quibble here: I would have liked a pronunciation guide for the unfamiliar Greek names that pepper this book. I'm not that familiar with this period in philosophic history beyond the big names of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and a pronunciation guide—obviously not needed with the original podcasts!—and maybe a short list of the lesser-known philosophers would have been helpful. But overall, I'd highly recommend this as a readable introduction to early philosophy, at least for readers who'd be interested in philosophy in the first place. (less)
May 18, 2019Brian rated it it was amazing
This is way, way better than the podcast. It's written on a level that a college graduate, particularly of NSA, would find easy, and it reminds me of why as a Christian I love philosophy and particularly Plato and Aristotle: that's because they ask the big questions and pretty much everybody else tends towards being some sort of inside baseball.
Adamson does his best work as a thoughtful reader of Plato and Aristotle, but probably his most valuable work will be covering the other guys that get neglected (I am really looking forward to the Islamic philosophy volume), but here he doesn't have much to work with as far as the Presocratics go. I was really glad, though, that Stokes made us learn about them. It's probably helpful to remember where Plato and Aristotle came from. Anyway, Adamson doesn't think of Plato and Aristotle as too opposed to each other, he denies that Plato really should be seen as a totalitarian (or at least not without extensive arguing), he denies that Aristotle's works are just lecture notes, and he is always willing to give them a fair hearing. He even gives Plato a fair hearing on the issue of sexuality, and the feminist he quotes at the end is the reasonable type who thinks philosophy has been misogynistic NOT because men and women are the same (wouldn't that be incoherent), but because they are different and philosophy has been conducted by men. I read this chapter with more composure than I have ever read someone talking about Greece and feminism, because he said it without any shrillness and with charitable reading and good humor. That's the dominant tone in the book: one gets that he's a normal dude who probably enjoys his glass of wine while making a chuckle-inducing joke (though not a belly-laugh, he's not really clever). Good man. Let's see, he's 46, so perhaps he'll make it to Descartes. I hope he does. Put this up there with Needham as fun history for the plebs.
This book made me want to read Plato and Aristotle deeply so that I could better understand the real world out there, which is a real triumph. On to the next book. (less)
Adamson does his best work as a thoughtful reader of Plato and Aristotle, but probably his most valuable work will be covering the other guys that get neglected (I am really looking forward to the Islamic philosophy volume), but here he doesn't have much to work with as far as the Presocratics go. I was really glad, though, that Stokes made us learn about them. It's probably helpful to remember where Plato and Aristotle came from. Anyway, Adamson doesn't think of Plato and Aristotle as too opposed to each other, he denies that Plato really should be seen as a totalitarian (or at least not without extensive arguing), he denies that Aristotle's works are just lecture notes, and he is always willing to give them a fair hearing. He even gives Plato a fair hearing on the issue of sexuality, and the feminist he quotes at the end is the reasonable type who thinks philosophy has been misogynistic NOT because men and women are the same (wouldn't that be incoherent), but because they are different and philosophy has been conducted by men. I read this chapter with more composure than I have ever read someone talking about Greece and feminism, because he said it without any shrillness and with charitable reading and good humor. That's the dominant tone in the book: one gets that he's a normal dude who probably enjoys his glass of wine while making a chuckle-inducing joke (though not a belly-laugh, he's not really clever). Good man. Let's see, he's 46, so perhaps he'll make it to Descartes. I hope he does. Put this up there with Needham as fun history for the plebs.
This book made me want to read Plato and Aristotle deeply so that I could better understand the real world out there, which is a real triumph. On to the next book. (less)
I absolutely adore listening to these on my way to and from uni. I'm finally getting a useful, holistic sense of the history of philosophy. (less)
Mar 08, 2020Felicity rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I do think this book is quite excellent for its level of detail, and also it’s accessibility and readability. It was great to fill in the gaps of my knowledge about the Presocratics, Plato, and Aristotle. Some of the chapters felt a bit like “nothing” chapters, though I suppose that is inevitable in a history of philosophy that is endeavouring to avoid any gaps. I also have to say I preferred this medium to the podcast version. Somehow (strangely), his tone is conveyed much more effectively and enjoyably in his writing than in his voice. I loved the sense of humour throughout, and that seemed to come across much better in the book than the podcast, in my opinion. (less)
Sep 23, 2017Ali Benam rated it it was amazing
Simple, thorough and consistent. Covers pretty much every philosopher from Presocratics, starting with Thales, to Aristotle with a readable language.
For decades I've been reading philosophy in in haphazard way. If the intent of the philosopher sometimes seemed nebulous, I blamed it on my own poor understanding. But thanks to PA's books I'm becoming aware that philosophers are often carrying on a debate with predecessors hundreds or thousands of years in the past, fully assuming that the reader has followed the course of the discussion. I was doing the equivalent of trying to make sense of a long going and vituperative family argument without knowing the background.
PA books are a remedy. They are engaging, readily graspable and fairly comprehensive history; in this volume covering Greek thought up through Aristotle. The volumes together are something like a more complete and adult version of Sophie's World. (less)
PA books are a remedy. They are engaging, readily graspable and fairly comprehensive history; in this volume covering Greek thought up through Aristotle. The volumes together are something like a more complete and adult version of Sophie's World. (less)
Nov 21, 2017Adam Glantz rated it it was amazing
What you might already know is that the author is attempting to tell the full story of Western philosophy without skipping over any of its significant practitioners. What you might not know is that this is a book (and by origin, a podcast) designed for the thoughtful layperson, in which no prior knowledge is needed. The chapters are bite-sized and the narrative is as glib and smooth as you'd expect from a work that began as a podcast. If you're used to that podcast, you'll be happy to know that the book contains a few chapters not available in the audio incarnation, though you might miss the scholarly interviews that are only available in the podcast.
In terms of substance, Adamson indicates that philosophy arose when people began offering rational arguments for the major questions of existence. Social forces, like the distribution of wealth and power, have an influence on philosophy, but philosophy is probably not simply reducible to a mere function of this distribution. The initial, classical stage of philosophy was punctuated by three eras. First were the pre-Socratics, who believe reality boils down to one or a just a few principles, and whose ideas gradually became more systematic over time (particularly via Parmenides and his supporters and opponents). To this endeavor, Plato added a sophisticated (Socratic) method of inquiry and an abiding ethical concern. Finally, Aristotle interacted critically with Plato, generating an entire curriculum of study across the range of human endeavor.
I've read a few complaints about the puns and giraffe references, but I think these are part and parcel of the author's attempt to reach the nonspecialist. The goofy comments are a form of encouragement, whereby Adamson is effectively saying, "You, too, can get this stuff" or even "You're not alone in thinking this or that philosopher has strange ideas". (less)
In terms of substance, Adamson indicates that philosophy arose when people began offering rational arguments for the major questions of existence. Social forces, like the distribution of wealth and power, have an influence on philosophy, but philosophy is probably not simply reducible to a mere function of this distribution. The initial, classical stage of philosophy was punctuated by three eras. First were the pre-Socratics, who believe reality boils down to one or a just a few principles, and whose ideas gradually became more systematic over time (particularly via Parmenides and his supporters and opponents). To this endeavor, Plato added a sophisticated (Socratic) method of inquiry and an abiding ethical concern. Finally, Aristotle interacted critically with Plato, generating an entire curriculum of study across the range of human endeavor.
I've read a few complaints about the puns and giraffe references, but I think these are part and parcel of the author's attempt to reach the nonspecialist. The goofy comments are a form of encouragement, whereby Adamson is effectively saying, "You, too, can get this stuff" or even "You're not alone in thinking this or that philosopher has strange ideas". (less)
I suppose it wasn't a great idea to listen to the podcast as I always knew audiobooks weren't my thing. Nevertheless, I think the idea of a podcast/book that gives a 5-10 page introduction of each philosopher and his work is good.
The book is split into 3 sections with Pre-Socratics, Socrates-Plato, and Aristotle. I followed the Pre-Socratics clearly but then things got a little too abstract. I am not giving up yet and I will read the second volume. The best way to go about this would be to read no more than one chapter per day. Yes, that would mean over a month per book but to make sense of the copious amount of information, this is most reasonable thing to do.
Why 4 stars and not 5?
Well, I expected more insights into the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander and how the former influenced the latter. There was no such mention except a passing comment. Also, I would have liked to know more about the life of Socrates and his relationship with Greek orthodoxy.
(less)
The book is split into 3 sections with Pre-Socratics, Socrates-Plato, and Aristotle. I followed the Pre-Socratics clearly but then things got a little too abstract. I am not giving up yet and I will read the second volume. The best way to go about this would be to read no more than one chapter per day. Yes, that would mean over a month per book but to make sense of the copious amount of information, this is most reasonable thing to do.
Why 4 stars and not 5?
Well, I expected more insights into the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander and how the former influenced the latter. There was no such mention except a passing comment. Also, I would have liked to know more about the life of Socrates and his relationship with Greek orthodoxy.
(less)
Sep 20, 2014Drew rated it liked it
Recommended to Drew by: ToReadPhil
Shelves: i-dont-own, c-philosophy, 2014-sig
I haven't read the book, but I have listened to the podcast episodes that are adapted to make up this book. I wonder if this book adds more content or has less than the podcast.
As far as a history of philosophy goes, this is the best one I've read (listened to). Adamson teaches philosophy at a university and I believe this podcast bridges the academic requirements and entertainment requirements that I demand.
I'd recommend the podcast to anyone with interest in the history of philosophy. The only issue is that he doesn't go into the philosophical issues themselves, but presents the historical context and gives brief synopsizes of each philosopher's major works. There are also a few podcasts where he interviews another professor with more direct expertise on the specific subject on hand. (less)
As far as a history of philosophy goes, this is the best one I've read (listened to). Adamson teaches philosophy at a university and I believe this podcast bridges the academic requirements and entertainment requirements that I demand.
I'd recommend the podcast to anyone with interest in the history of philosophy. The only issue is that he doesn't go into the philosophical issues themselves, but presents the historical context and gives brief synopsizes of each philosopher's major works. There are also a few podcasts where he interviews another professor with more direct expertise on the specific subject on hand. (less)
A solid read that I never found boring or over-simplified.
I'd recently started becoming (more) interested in Philosophy again and had been looking for something not quite full-on academic (I have plenty of books like those) to ease me back in. I had started off reading The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell but, Russell being Russell, he likes to claim that he's giving you an even-handed account but you can tell even when dealing with the pre-Socratics (which I knew little about) that he's got an agenda and the book feels more like his personal vanity project to show how history vindicates his own views.
So I thought about reading some of the authors as primary texts (translated of course) but this seemed to me like more work than I had planned on at this specific stage. So I looked around and noted that this series of books existed. I was already well aware of the podcast series from which the name is taken but podcasts are a sort of hypnotic or anaesthetic for me- I listen to them and once about 20-30 seconds have passed I suddenly realise that I've zoned out and so end up replaying the same sections over and over.
I attended lectures by Peter Adamson during my time at King's College (full-disclosure) and he was always one of my favourite and more engaging lecturers and so the chance to read something in his style but which didn't turn me into walking case-study for anterograde-amnesia seemed like just the ticket!
Structure:
The book is laid out logically enough (that is, chronologically) but I like the fact that he relentlessly focuses on linking the goals of the Philosophers rather than purely what they did and when (which is why many history books are a god-awful bore).
Of particular note is the excellent length of each chapter that always seemed to be just enough for me in terms of length.
The only unavoidable thing is that so much of the book is given over to Aristotle.
Content:
I'd say that this book is perfect for those who want a decent history of Philosophy (like me) and also a nice introduction to Philosophy for people new to the subject; that in-itself is high-praise given that many can't do that without trying too hard to appear modern or over-simplifying. Naturally, you aren't going to pass a university exam solely by reading this book but that isn't it's goal. However, reading this book will give you a springboard if you later wanted to study for such an exam. To that end there is a brilliant 'Further Reading' section at the end.
I am definitely looking to get more books in this series.
In view of balance... (also the disproportionately longer paragraph-length below does not indicate relative importance).
I did feel that chapter 42 on 'Women and Ancient Philosophy' was a mis-fire and felt tacked on. It really was pretty much a waste of time given that pretty much none of their work survives and that which does looks suspiciously like men writing pretending to be women (according to Adamson). As such, I felt that the feminist motivation of including this chapter was rather undone by the reality on the ground. It was rather more contradicted when Adamson mentions Luce Irigaray's Feminist views on Aristotle of which he says "this is not standard-issue history of Philosophy".
Adamson is right that this, however, does fit into a tradition of engaging with other thinkers; but imposing values and analyses from the last century to thinkers from well before the birth of Christ comes across as almost anachronistic and skates dangerously close to why Russell's book fails.
Prose:
Adamson is engaging at all times and extremely clear; both in terms of explaining the specific philosophers and also connecting them together. He also manages something very difficult given the paucity of information about these historic figures: he makes them seem real. Combined with his focus on conveying their goals this really helps you get a handle on what they were trying to achieve and what their mindset was rather than merely their doctrine at a given time.
Print:
I bought the hardback of this book on Amazon for about £17 new.
The quality is very good. The binding is of high quality and so are the pages; so much so that having read the book you would be hard-pressed to know that it had ever been handled.
The layout is very good and extremely easy to read.
The appearance of the book without the dust-jacket is also very pleasing and would make a quality addition to a discerning collector's shelf. I wish more books were printed like this and in this price-range!!
N.B. I liked the series title for a podcast but don't like it for a book series. There is something almost undignified about a quality hardback with that title/subtitle. I would have preferred something like "Continuum: the unbroken history of Philosophy". But then, this book does have one occurrence of the term "dude" and I'm the sort of person who cringes at translations of Plato in which characters talk about this or that "guy", so take that for what it's worth... (less)
I'd recently started becoming (more) interested in Philosophy again and had been looking for something not quite full-on academic (I have plenty of books like those) to ease me back in. I had started off reading The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell but, Russell being Russell, he likes to claim that he's giving you an even-handed account but you can tell even when dealing with the pre-Socratics (which I knew little about) that he's got an agenda and the book feels more like his personal vanity project to show how history vindicates his own views.
So I thought about reading some of the authors as primary texts (translated of course) but this seemed to me like more work than I had planned on at this specific stage. So I looked around and noted that this series of books existed. I was already well aware of the podcast series from which the name is taken but podcasts are a sort of hypnotic or anaesthetic for me- I listen to them and once about 20-30 seconds have passed I suddenly realise that I've zoned out and so end up replaying the same sections over and over.
I attended lectures by Peter Adamson during my time at King's College (full-disclosure) and he was always one of my favourite and more engaging lecturers and so the chance to read something in his style but which didn't turn me into walking case-study for anterograde-amnesia seemed like just the ticket!
Structure:
The book is laid out logically enough (that is, chronologically) but I like the fact that he relentlessly focuses on linking the goals of the Philosophers rather than purely what they did and when (which is why many history books are a god-awful bore).
Of particular note is the excellent length of each chapter that always seemed to be just enough for me in terms of length.
The only unavoidable thing is that so much of the book is given over to Aristotle.
Content:
I'd say that this book is perfect for those who want a decent history of Philosophy (like me) and also a nice introduction to Philosophy for people new to the subject; that in-itself is high-praise given that many can't do that without trying too hard to appear modern or over-simplifying. Naturally, you aren't going to pass a university exam solely by reading this book but that isn't it's goal. However, reading this book will give you a springboard if you later wanted to study for such an exam. To that end there is a brilliant 'Further Reading' section at the end.
I am definitely looking to get more books in this series.
In view of balance... (also the disproportionately longer paragraph-length below does not indicate relative importance).
I did feel that chapter 42 on 'Women and Ancient Philosophy' was a mis-fire and felt tacked on. It really was pretty much a waste of time given that pretty much none of their work survives and that which does looks suspiciously like men writing pretending to be women (according to Adamson). As such, I felt that the feminist motivation of including this chapter was rather undone by the reality on the ground. It was rather more contradicted when Adamson mentions Luce Irigaray's Feminist views on Aristotle of which he says "this is not standard-issue history of Philosophy".
Adamson is right that this, however, does fit into a tradition of engaging with other thinkers; but imposing values and analyses from the last century to thinkers from well before the birth of Christ comes across as almost anachronistic and skates dangerously close to why Russell's book fails.
Prose:
Adamson is engaging at all times and extremely clear; both in terms of explaining the specific philosophers and also connecting them together. He also manages something very difficult given the paucity of information about these historic figures: he makes them seem real. Combined with his focus on conveying their goals this really helps you get a handle on what they were trying to achieve and what their mindset was rather than merely their doctrine at a given time.
Print:
I bought the hardback of this book on Amazon for about £17 new.
The quality is very good. The binding is of high quality and so are the pages; so much so that having read the book you would be hard-pressed to know that it had ever been handled.
The layout is very good and extremely easy to read.
The appearance of the book without the dust-jacket is also very pleasing and would make a quality addition to a discerning collector's shelf. I wish more books were printed like this and in this price-range!!
N.B. I liked the series title for a podcast but don't like it for a book series. There is something almost undignified about a quality hardback with that title/subtitle. I would have preferred something like "Continuum: the unbroken history of Philosophy". But then, this book does have one occurrence of the term "dude" and I'm the sort of person who cringes at translations of Plato in which characters talk about this or that "guy", so take that for what it's worth... (less)
Oct 02, 2018Martin rated it it was amazing
There really isn’t a better book on philosophy, for any purpose. If you have the slightest interest in ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, etc, then this series should be your main reading. Philosophy is a bit peculiar in that learning the history of it IS doing it, in a way. For example, in a history of science you may learn who discovered what when, but you most likely won’t learn how many orbitals a certain atom has or the anatomy of starfish. But if you read a history of philosophy, you WILL learn the subject matter itself. You will learn how Plato’s Theory of Forms works, how Aristotle’s political philosophy works, and so on. Other than digging deeper into these subjects by reading more in depth guides on them or the primary authors themselves, a history of philosophy pretty much gives you all you read if you only have a casual interest.
The problem I’ve found with most histories of philosophy is that they either leave out important thinkers, or don’t explain important thinkers well for the layman. For example, Antony Kenny’s history of philosophy gives only a few pages to Neoplatonism and does not explain it very well if you don’t already understand it. In his section on Kant, by contrast, he goes into extreme depth but I felt it’s too diffficult to understand.
Peter Adamson solves both these problems. As the subtitle of the podcast and book is “...without any gaps,” he doesn’t skip anything major of note. He also has a way of explaining philosophical theories in way anyone should be able to understand. I always revert back to him as a reference when trying to understand other writers.
As a result, I should stop my self from being distracted with other books on philosophy and read only this series, and I suggest you do the same. (less)
The problem I’ve found with most histories of philosophy is that they either leave out important thinkers, or don’t explain important thinkers well for the layman. For example, Antony Kenny’s history of philosophy gives only a few pages to Neoplatonism and does not explain it very well if you don’t already understand it. In his section on Kant, by contrast, he goes into extreme depth but I felt it’s too diffficult to understand.
Peter Adamson solves both these problems. As the subtitle of the podcast and book is “...without any gaps,” he doesn’t skip anything major of note. He also has a way of explaining philosophical theories in way anyone should be able to understand. I always revert back to him as a reference when trying to understand other writers.
As a result, I should stop my self from being distracted with other books on philosophy and read only this series, and I suggest you do the same. (less)
Feb 29, 2020Henrique Maia rated it it was amazing
What makes this a great history of philosophy is precisely its “without any gaps approach”. This because, as Peter Adamson himself recognizes on the last section of this book, if you’re studying philosophy in, say, an undergraduate course, and you’re doing the usual flyover on the whole history of the great philosophers that are most of your classes, usually “you might reasonably expect to jump from Aristotle to, perhaps, Descartes, leaping over about 2,000 years of history in the process” (ADAMSON, 2014). Yes, time is short and there’s too much of the good stuff to cover without having to deal with what most histories deem the minor thinkers.
This is unfortunate, because with such huge gaps in the narrative, you get the impression that some of the thinkers, or their ideas, just come out of the blue, making them seem more extraordinary than they really were.
Well, not in Adamson’s History. The key feature here is really his “without any gaps” approach. This is what makes this a must-be companion for all who truly want to know how ideas came to be in the first place.
So, if you’re a history of philosophy buff like me and you really want to know as much as possible about the minor things leading to the great ones, this is definitely a must-read for you too.
From almost every conceivable minor thinker to the big, big ones, where you also get to see not only all the great, but also the smaller things they thought, said and done; from the great men (for they are usually only men) to the great women; from the usual great biographical moments to the tiniest details that make up the perfect conversation starters at parties, nothing here is left out. For this is truly A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps. (less)
This is unfortunate, because with such huge gaps in the narrative, you get the impression that some of the thinkers, or their ideas, just come out of the blue, making them seem more extraordinary than they really were.
Well, not in Adamson’s History. The key feature here is really his “without any gaps” approach. This is what makes this a must-be companion for all who truly want to know how ideas came to be in the first place.
So, if you’re a history of philosophy buff like me and you really want to know as much as possible about the minor things leading to the great ones, this is definitely a must-read for you too.
From almost every conceivable minor thinker to the big, big ones, where you also get to see not only all the great, but also the smaller things they thought, said and done; from the great men (for they are usually only men) to the great women; from the usual great biographical moments to the tiniest details that make up the perfect conversation starters at parties, nothing here is left out. For this is truly A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps. (less)
Feb 21, 2021Prakhar Ganesh rated it it was amazing
[5]
Amazing introduction to the world of philosophy and the ancient Greek philosophers. The book is a product of a very famous podcast series, and so the writing style is very conversational, and full of dry humor and puns (which I love). It is a blend of a history book and a philosophy book, and in my opinion the perfect entry point to the world of philosophy for the newcomers.
As the title suggests, the author attempts to provide a history of philosophy without any gaps, which means at times talking about philosophers or certain works of philosophers which are not very well known. However, this helps connect the whole story through a single string, making it a really compelling history book. Even though at times it is painful to learn about philosophers with weird names that you will forget about in just 2 pages, the author connects all the chapters so well that you never feel lost.
Overall, one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is first in the series 'History of Philosophy without any Gaps' and I definitely intend to continue with the next book in the series. (less)
Amazing introduction to the world of philosophy and the ancient Greek philosophers. The book is a product of a very famous podcast series, and so the writing style is very conversational, and full of dry humor and puns (which I love). It is a blend of a history book and a philosophy book, and in my opinion the perfect entry point to the world of philosophy for the newcomers.
As the title suggests, the author attempts to provide a history of philosophy without any gaps, which means at times talking about philosophers or certain works of philosophers which are not very well known. However, this helps connect the whole story through a single string, making it a really compelling history book. Even though at times it is painful to learn about philosophers with weird names that you will forget about in just 2 pages, the author connects all the chapters so well that you never feel lost.
Overall, one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is first in the series 'History of Philosophy without any Gaps' and I definitely intend to continue with the next book in the series. (less)
Nov 11, 2017Tvrtko Balić rated it it was amazing
Could I nitpick if I tried? Probably. But I'm not going to. The reason for this is simple, the book accomplishes what it sets out to do, it does it well and it does it in an entertaining way. The parts where I feel like I have something to say are the parts where Adamson actually gives his own opinions or interprets a belief in a way I would not necessarily agree with (even though he's the professor of philosophy, not me), but while in a bad book those parts could devolve into rants that feel out of place, here they are rational, take other views into consideration and offer a new perspective on ideas being discussed, explaining the legacy of ancient philosophers and how they are viewed by historians of philosophy. Things that I disagree with end up being informative and my initial hesitation only contributes to the positive overall impression of the book in the end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the topic, I would definitely recommend the podcast as well and I am definitely going to keep reading the series. (less)
Sep 19, 2021Anthony O'Connor rated it really liked it
pretty good
Seems to be a good introductory exposition of Ancient Greek philosophy, going into a bit of detail in a few spots. The author is I think unduly sympathetic and insufficiently critical. Plato was in fact a fascist elitist who would bind us all into rigidly controlled castes and carefully censor our thoughts and inputs. Aristotle would have us all enslaved since not being Greek this was our just and righteous fate. These were not ‘nice’ people. And this needs to be emphasised. They don’t get a free pass just because they’ve been studied by the privileged for thousands of years. Because they were supposedly 'great' thinkers. And as for their more ‘technical’ content. The Form of the Good. Substance, Essence and Accident, form and matter, the four causes. If you’re not nauseated by all this simplistic nonsense I don’t know what to say to you. It was an achievement 2400 years ago. But a lot has happened since. It is of value now mostly only because it has had enormous influence. Time to grow up. (less)
Seems to be a good introductory exposition of Ancient Greek philosophy, going into a bit of detail in a few spots. The author is I think unduly sympathetic and insufficiently critical. Plato was in fact a fascist elitist who would bind us all into rigidly controlled castes and carefully censor our thoughts and inputs. Aristotle would have us all enslaved since not being Greek this was our just and righteous fate. These were not ‘nice’ people. And this needs to be emphasised. They don’t get a free pass just because they’ve been studied by the privileged for thousands of years. Because they were supposedly 'great' thinkers. And as for their more ‘technical’ content. The Form of the Good. Substance, Essence and Accident, form and matter, the four causes. If you’re not nauseated by all this simplistic nonsense I don’t know what to say to you. It was an achievement 2400 years ago. But a lot has happened since. It is of value now mostly only because it has had enormous influence. Time to grow up. (less)
