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Presocratic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Paperback – 1 June 2004

by Osborne (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 87 ratings
Edition: 1st
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This is a book about the invention of Western philosophy, and the first thinkers to explore ideas about the nature of reality, time, and the origin of the universe. It begins with the finding of the new papyrus fragment of Empedocles' poem, and uses the story of its discovery and interpretation to highlight the way our understanding of early philosophers is marked by their presentation in later sources. Generations of philosophers, both ancient and modern, have traced their inspiration back to the presocratics, even though we have very few of their writings left. In this book, Catherine Osborne invites her readers to dip their toes into the fragmentary remains of thinkers from Thales to Pythagoras, Heraclitus to Protagoras, to try to fill in the bits of a jigsaw that has been rejigged many times and in many different ways. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0192840940
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0192840943
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press UK
  5. Publication date
    1 June 2004
  6. Part of series
    Very Short Introductions
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    17.53 x 1.04 x 11.07 cm
  9. Print length
    168 pages
  10. See all details
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Product description

From the Publisher

Catherine Osborne is lecturer in philosophy at the University of East Anglia. She recently moved from her position as Reader in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies at the University of Liverpool, and was previously a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wales, Swansea. Her publications include Rethinking Early Greek Philosophy, and Eros Unveiled: Plato and the God of Love , as well as the chapter on Heraclitus in the Routledge History of Philosophy, volume 1 and articles on a wide range of issues in Ancient Philosophy from the Presocratics to the Early Christian period.

About the Author

Catherine Osborne is lecturer in philosophy at the University of East Anglia. She recently moved from her position as Reader in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies at the University of Liverpool, and was previously a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wales, Swansea. Her publications include Rethinking Early Greek Philosophy, and Eros Unveiled: Plato and the God of Love , as well as the chapter on Heraclitus in the Routledge History of Philosophy, volume 1 and articles on a wide range of issues in Ancient Philosophy from the Presocratics to the Early Christian period.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press UK; 1st edition (1 June 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0192840940
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0192840943
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.53 x 1.04 x 11.07 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 87 ratings

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  1. Catherine Osborne

    Catherine Osborne

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Donald G. Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to a Challenging Subject
Reviewed in the United States on 17 October 2021
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We have only fragments of the Greek philosophers who lived before Plato and Aristotle. These fragments have been extracted from later texts--some as much as 1,000 years later. Scholars have spent decades trying to interpret these fragments and reconstruct these first Western thinkers' thought. Their interpretations often rest on shaky foundations. Catherine Osborne does a masterful job of presenting the actual evidence and interpreting it without overreaching. Her great skill is to make clear the problems or questions these thinkers were addressing. Seemingly riddling remarks make more sense against that backdrop. Her writing is lively and accessible. She never condescends to her reader, and she never talks over his head just to display how much she knows or how smart she is. And she knows plenty and is plenty smart! She makes clear the sources of our knowledge and doesn't pretend that they are more reliable than they are. The book is very short (135 pp) but furnishes very helpful supporting materials: a map, a timeline (the dating of these early authors is often very uncertain), dates of the later writers from whom the fragments were extracted, many interesting pictures of ancient monuments and art works. An excellent features is that she provides quotations from various thinkers in separate boxes uncluttered by commentary, so that the reader has a chanc to encounter these thinkers and see what these fragmentary remains look like and how they read. I'm not aware of any better introduction for those who want to launch a study of these fascinating if riddling thinkers or for those who just want to know more about them.
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CMCBF
5.0 out of 5 stars Successfully unconventional
Reviewed in Brazil on 14 July 2021
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The author is successful in addressing less explored aspects of pre-Platonic philosophy (I use this term because, after all, it is possible that the historical Socrates was himself pre-socratic) using a thematic approach. Subverting the usual chronological order, she manages to take the reader out of the Aristotelian comfort zone of most textbooks - achieving the goal of philosophy, which is, ultimately, to feed thoughts and inferences. The book is a pill of brevity and density.
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F.D.M
5.0 out of 5 stars I love the 'A very short Introduction' collection and own quite ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 July 2018
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I love the 'A very short Introduction' collection and own quite a few. They have been very helpful to me with essay writing for my most recent OU module. I would highly recommend them, and already have to my fellow students.
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P. Salus
3.0 out of 5 stars Does the tortoise win?
Reviewed in Canada on 16 January 2016
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Interesting exposition, but I'd prefer a more traditional organisation (e.g. Guthrie's).
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in India on 25 May 2016
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Its a very good book but quite confusing for a new reader....
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