The Bloomsbury Companion to Plato

(Paperback)

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Plato, mathematician, philosopher and founder of the Academy in Athens, is, together with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, universally considered to have laid the foundations of Western philosophy. The Bloomsbury Companion to Plato provides a comprehensive and accessible study guide to Plato's thought. Written by a team of leading experts in the field of ancient philosophy, this companion covers five major areas; - Plato's life and his historical, philosophical and literary context - synopses of all the dialogues attributed to Plato - the most important features of the dialogues - the key themes and topics apparent in the dialogues - Plato's enduring influence and the various interpretative approaches applied to his thought throughout the history of philosophy Covering every aspect of Plato's thought in over 140 entries, The Bloomsbury Companion to Plato is an engaging introduction to Plato and an essential resource for anyone working in the field of ancient philosophy.

Reviews

The editor has assembled a remarkably wide range of contributors, able to cover - as successfully as any team could, within the space of a single volume - the outlines of the complex and fissiparous world of Plato, Platonism, and Platonic interpretation up to the present day. The book represents a unique resource for advanced students and professional scholars alike. -- Christopher Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Greek, Durham University, UK
Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. -- A.P. Johnson, Lee University, CHOICE
Gerald Press and his associate editors, Harald Tarrant, Deborah Nails and Francesco Gonzalez, have given us a companion to turn (and return) to for succinct guidance about topics in Platos philosophy, the intellectual context in which he wrote, and the many different historical and contemporary interpretations of his work . . . Both in overall conception and its individual entries this companion is much to be welcomed . . . The high standard of the contributions and the rich array of entries make this companion an excellent resource for courses on Plato or individual dialogues, while it also has much to offer to anyone who wants a concise and up-to-date introduction to aspects of Plato, his work, or his philosophy. -- Albert Joosse, Universitt Freiburg, Breisgau, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Author Bio

Gerald A. Press is Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center, USA, and has published widely on Plato.