Publisher's Synopsis
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle Give Us Important Advice on How to Live Wisely and Happily
Socrates once asked his friend and student Phaedrus: 'Where have you come from and where are you going?'.... and although this sounds just like a simple greeting between two friends; these two questions are really at the heart of most 'real' Greek philosophy. We all want to know how it is we got here (where did the universe come from and what is our place in it); and we all want to choose the best, most fulfilling and happiest life for ourselves in the years ahead. (Often smaller details like this are easy to overlook in Plato but important to his deeper meanings and have been deliberately added.)
Throughout our lives we all have to make important Life Choices; and these choices are largely 'philosophical' in nature whether we realise it or not. What goals should I have for myself, and what are the most important criteria for me personally when making my own unique Life Choices? These sorts of questions are explored in this book, and to help answer them, we will look at some important advice from Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
As well as being of interest to people making important Life Choices, this book will also appeal to anyone already interested in Greek philosophy generally who wants to get a better understanding of why the names of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are still so well known today some 2,400 years after these great philosophers lived. The 'real' Greek philosophy of Socrates is not mainly about discussing vague abstruse ideas. It is much more concerned with the practical side of our lives today.
Several of Plato's books are discussed in detail including: The First Alcibiades, Phaedrus and Phaedo; and some important common themes in Plato's writings are looked at. Aristotle's 'practical philosophy' about how to improve our personal lives and the cities we live in is also explored.
By the end of this book you will have a deeper understanding of who Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were, and what Greek philosophy is really all about in the 'Socratic' sense of the word. It is simply about how to live our lives 'wisely' in the modern world today - and this is the focus of the final chapter, since as Plato suggests: 'Where Wisdom Resides Nothing of Happiness is Wanting' (Plato-Euthydemus-280a)
