The Bloomsbury Handbook of Plato

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Description

This essential reference text on the life, thought and writings of Plato uses over 160 short, accessible articles to cover a complete range of topics for both the first-time student and seasoned scholar of Plato and ancient philosophy. It is organized into five parts illuminating Platos life, the whole of the Dialogues attributed to him, the Dialogues literary features, the concepts and themes explored within them and Platos reception via his influence on subsequent philosophers and the various interpretations of his work. This fully updated 2nd edition includes 19 newly commissioned entries on topics ranging across comedy, tragedy, Xenophon, metatheatre, gender, musical theory, animals, Orphism, political theory, religion, time, Hellenistic philosophy and post-Platonic ancient commentaries. It also features revisions to the majority of articles from the 1st edition, including 8 which have been completely re-written, and 12 which have had the references substantially revised. Reflecting the growing diversity of Plato scholarship across the world, this edition includes contributions from a wide range of scholars who enrich the field and provide students and scholars with a vital resource for study and reference.

Reviews

This well conceived and thoughtfully organized collection brings together scores of lucid and authoritative essays by many of the leading Plato scholars in the world. In this revised and updated second edition, it remains a reliable and congenial guide to the perplexities of Platos philosophy. * Glenn W. Most, Professor of Greek Philology (retired), Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy *
This second edition of The Bloomsbury Handbook of Plato is most welcome. Some entries have been rewritten or updated, and some new well-informed entries added to offer a coherent introduction to even more aspects of Plato and his philosophy. This collection will be most helpful for beginners, but also will serve senior scholars. It is a treasure for anyone who is interested in the field of ancient philosophy. * Michael Erler, Professor Emeritus of Classic Philology, University of Wrzburg, Germany *
This handbook concisely introduces critical interpretations from antiquity to the present day, provides the background that sets the dialogues in context, and above all, reveals the depth and breadth of Platos philosophical legacy. The highly readable entries are expertly informed and refreshingly non-dogmatic, and the companion summarizes the dialogues, letters and spuria to leave the reader in a better position to interpret Plato. Highly recommended for Plato readers both novice and experienced. * Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Professor of Classics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA *
(for the 1st edition) 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 *
(for the 1st edition)Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. * CHOICE *
(for the 1st edition) 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 Plato's 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 was Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center, USA. Mateo Duque is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Binghamton University, USA.