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Presocratic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by: Catherine Osborne
en

0192840940  9780192840943  9781429470049 

 


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Book Description:

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.

 


Date: 2005-08-28   Rating: 5
Review:

A thought-provoking introduction to the Presocratics

If you want to understand the origins of Western thought, whether science, philosophy or theology, then you must start with the Presocratics. Something very remarkable happened in the Greek world 2,600 years ago; the emergence of speculative intellectual enquiry and reasoned argument. Catherine Osborne pres a readable and lively introduction to these pioneer thinkers. She starts with an account of a discovery of a fragment written by Empedocles, to give the reader an insight into how scholars investigate these early philosophers and the difficulties they face interpreting such scant evidence. Then she proceeds to specific, selected topics and thinkers. So it is not a conventional, chronological account, although she incidentally pres that along the way. To this end, the map, timeline and pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book are extremely useful. If you want a more conventional - and more thorough - introduction, then try Early Greek Philosophy, by J Barnes.

Osborne's tone is occasionally very didactic, and she will sometimes ask a question and leave the reader to think of an answer, so that it feels very much like being in class. Her account of the Sophists is rather partisan (she doesn't seem to like them very much) and the reader should take it as a point of view rather than the last word. But overall, this is a great book, with an informative text and well-chosen illustrations. For many readers, this short account will tell them all they want to know about the beginnings of the Western intellectual tradition. Your next step is Plato and Aristotle.



Date: 2005-03-25   Rating: 4
Review:

Approaching the Presocratics from a Different Angle

General Review of Book Series: I have to admit it: I am a fan of these little books. It's my dirty little secret. These short introductions pre one with a pocketsize, portable introduction to a wide variety of topics. With a light tone and a surface skim of the issues, these little guides pre one with the general overview one might expect in a small survey course. Naturally, there are downsides. Are these guides comprehensive? Heavens no! Do they take time to dig deeply into the issues? Not generally. But are they a good resource to use if you want to get your feet wet before you dive in? Yes. When used properly, these little guidebooks can allow what might start out as a casual curiosity to develop into a more in-depth research project. In fact, all of these introductions pre references and suggestions for further reading.

Catherine Osborne's _A Very Short Introduction to Presocratic Philosophy_ is another work, like Julia Annas's _Very Short Introduction to Ancient Philosophy_, that examines its subject matter topically rather than through a chronological account of the various thinkers who fall under this category. Osborne manages to pull it off splendidly, while still pring enough of a timeline in order to develop a sense for the history. Readers who were looking more for "thought summaries" in Annas's work will find it in this introduction, as her focused topic allows for this sort of interpretation.

Osborne's first chapter is dedicated to the process of finding fragmentary evidence and how it is assembled and interpreted by scholars. I found this chapter particularly helpful, especially since it manages to communicate the difficulties that surround Presocratic scholarship. Chapter two addresses what might be called the main thesis of her entire introduction. For a long time now, scholars have organized Presocratic thinkers into a timeline according to Aristotle's observation that they were all striving after first principles (early attempts at cosmology) until Parmenides. However, if we follow this line of reasoning, we become locked into only examining certain thinkers and dismissing much of what they have to say regarding their other philosophical interests. Thus, Osborne vows to chuck the "first principles story" out the window and to examine what other stories are lurking in the fragments of these ancient thinkers.

What follows are a series of topically based chapters, each essentially covering the diverse thought of various thinkers: Zeno; the examination of reality and appearance through Xenophanes, Melissus, and Anaxagoras; Heraclitus; Pythagora; and finally the sophists Protagoras and Gorgias. Osborne's writing is clear and she manages to pre engaging summaries of these thinkers and the wide range of their thought. Additionally, she has pred an excellent bibliography for anyone interested in following up on any one of these topics or thinkers. If you have an interest in Presocratic philosophy, or just want a refresher on what these thinkers had to say, you've come to the right place.