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Socrates: Philosophy in an Hour cover art

Socrates: Philosophy in an Hour

By: Paul Strathern
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Summary

Philosophy for busy people. Listen to this succinct account of the philosophy of Socrates in just one hour.

Socrates is widely renowned as one of the founders of Western philosophy, despite the fact that his ideas survive largely through the work of his pupil Plato. Socrates’ dialectic – a method of aggressive questioning – was the forerunner of logic; he used it to cut through the pretentions of his adversaries and arrive at the truth. Socrates placed philosophy on the sound basis of reason, believing it to be better to question ourselves rather than the world around us and viewing the world as inaccessible to our senses – only to thought. Charged with impiety and the corruption of youth Socrates was eventually tried and sentenced to death, ending his life by drinking the judicial hemlock.

This audiobook is an expert account of Socrates’ life and philosophical ideas – entertainingly written and is above all easy listening. Also included are selections from Socrates’ work, suggested further reading, and chronologies that place Socrates in the context of the broader scheme of philosophy.

©2012 Paul Strathern (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

“Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them...I find them hard to stop reading.” ( New York Times)
“Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise.” ( Wall Street Journal)
“Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character... I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization.” ( Boston Globe)
"A godsend in this era of the short attention span." ( New York Times)

What listeners say about Socrates: Philosophy in an Hour

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Anachronistic and Over-Simplified

The author showed little understanding of Socrates. There is no mention of Aristophanes and the discussion of the relationship between the literary and historical Socrates was lacking. The book was also filled with anachronistic references to the authors views on science and religion, with a bizarre dismissal of the entire Middle Ages that would have made Burckhardt blush. For a more useful and interesting introduction to Socrates (not to mention free) I'd recommend the History of Philosophy Podcast.

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5 people found this helpful

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Loved it!

Despite its slightly short length, the book is a wonderful introduction into the life of the philosopher Socrates. Would have loved to hear more on his philosophies, but I suppose that is for anther book for another day.

The narrator excels in his delivery with a soothing and pleasant tone of voice, coupled with the occasional acting up to match with the various dialogues and anecdotes present in the texts.

Overall, an excellent audiobook that has me tempted to buy up the rest of the series, especially so if they feature the same narrator!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A must listen

The only thing that I disliked was, it could have been longer! It was an hour but seemed like 10 mins so interesting to follow and comprehend!

I recommend this to the lovers of knowledge at all levels, for students as well as instructors.

The reciter has an exceptional and excellent performance, a very good voice and very well read.

The text of the Audio is also excellent.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Good introduction

I didn't know much about Socrates and this was a good introduction for someone like me that doesn't want to get too weighed down with terse and weighty tomes. Very listenable and encouraging me to investigate further on this topic and the other characters of ancient Greece.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

full of facts abouts socrates and his life

knowthyself -socrates iam examining my life through reason as my guide and methodical questining as my torch in the darkness of my ignorance

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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short but good

funny and engaging, would have preferred it to be longer but that wasnt the idea!

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Really enjoyed, despite complex language at times

Really enjoyed the book, but sometimes the language was quite complex and took a lot of concentration to follow. This might not be an issue for everyone though

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brilliant

I would recommend starting with Socrates then go to Plato's book. it will all flow better. I am now eager to learn more about Socrates and his theories.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Quick overview of Socrates

The book is short (about 1 hour of listening time), but content is solid and I recommend it to those who want a quick overview of Socrates’ life, his work and philosophy. Well done for people behind his book.

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more of a biography than about his philosophy

It seems to focus heavily on his life and influence and not enough on his acomplishments and philosophies.

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