Socrates

ThethirdvolumeofProfessorGuthrie\'sgreathistoryofGreekthought,entitledTheFifth-CenturyEnlightenment,dealsintwopartswiththeSophistsandSocrates,thekeyfiguresinthedramaticandfundamentalshiftofphilosophicalinterestfromthephysicaluniversetoman.Eachofthetwopartsisavailableasapaperbackwiththetext,bibliographyandindexesamendedwherenecessarysothateachpartisself-contained.Socratesdominatedthecontroversiesofthisperiod,ashehasdominatedthesubsequenthistoryofwesternphilosophy.Hewasthefirsttoidentifyandgrapplewithsomeofthemostintractableandpersistentlogicalandphilosophicalproblems;buthewasalsoandhasremainedahighlycontroversialfigurebecauseofhisextraordinarypersonalqualitiesandhisremarkablecareer.ProfessorGuthrieoffersabalancedandcomprehensivepictureoftheman,hislife,andhisthought.