The Presocratic Philosophers: A Critical History with a Selection of Texts 2nd Edition by G. S. Kirk (PDF)

Description

Beginning with a long and extensively rewritten introduction surveying the predecessors of the Presocratics, this book traces the intellectual revolution initiated by Thales in the sixth century BC to its culmination in the metaphysics of Parmenides and the complex physical theories of Anaxagoras and the Atomists in the fifth century it is based on a selection of some six hundred texts, in Greek and a close English translation which in this edition is given more prominence. These provide the basis for a detailed critical study of the principal individual thinkers of the time. Besides serving as an essential text for undergraduate and graduate courses in Greek philosophy and in the history of science, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers with interests in philosophy, theology, the history of ideas and of the ancient world, and indeed to anyone who wants an authoritative account of the Presocratics.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Back in 1978 I acquired in London the paperback edition of volume 1 of Cambridge’s “History of Greek Philosophy.”I am not a scholar or student of Greek philosophy, but I am generally antagonistic to the Platontic conceptions of the appropriate social order, and since much of our appreciation of Socrates comes through the work of Plato, I wanted to go further back into the concepts that had been developed up to the time of Socrates. This volume 1 contains extensive citations to the work of G S Kirk, particularly to this particular work.While I have not been interested in enough to read “The Swerve” by Stephen Goldblatt,, which takes up from “On Nature” by Lucretius (post Plato-which I have read) and introduces many readers to the earlier concept of the composition of matter consisting of atoms, or very small particles. There is more to that concept and its overall application which readers may gain from Goldblatt’s work.A field of current interest to me has been in the works of Lisa Randall: ” Warped Passages,” “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” and “Higgs Discovery” all of which I have on Kindle. These works relate to the investigations of particle physics and energy as well as the dimensions in which those subjects are studied (such as the Large Hadron Collider).As I began to appreciate the “scientific” concepts of particulate matter and the relations to energy, which no doubt arise from the same human thinking processes as occurred in those ancient times, I decided to examine this work of G S Kirk et al., because it sets out both the original Greek texts and the English translations which convey those perceptions from so far back in human experience and thought. For those interested in the processes and development of human thought, this can be a valuable source for comparison and the understanding of certain ideas that are still being explored almost 3000 years later. It provides some insight into the curiosity and concerns of mankind.I have rated this at four stars because I am not qualified to give it a higher rating. However I cannot imagine that true scholars in the field would give it a less than five stars.

⭐This book is well set out in a chronological order, in four sections, from the forerunners of the Philosophical Cosmogony, The Ionian Thinkers,Philosophy in the West and the Ionian response. The inclusion of the Greek text followed by the English translation is useful for those who would be interested in comparing the translation with the ‘original’ text. Each fragment is identified by the source and the text is generally easy to follow. There are some interesting sections that question whether Aristotle misrepresented various predecessors eg Empedocles with Love and Strife and Heraclitus’s idea of a changing river. There are many interesting footnotes that bring in arguments from other authors. These include the classical professionals J. Barnes and W.C. Guthrie. As the statement on the back of the book reads ‘The first edition of this…book was judged by reviewers to be ‘the best history of Pre-Socratic philosophy, to appear in English since Burnet’s Early Greek Philosophy’ (Vlastos) This revised edition shows the excellent team work of a knowledgeable team.

⭐Because of eurydike’s review, I did a little looking around and, indeed, what eurydike states seems to be the case. Based on this review (Thanks, eurydike)), I purchased the First Edition. eurydike is absolutely correct. To knowingly remove precious, important fragments is heinous and inexcusable. I first got this text in the early seventies when I took the class as an elective….. The professor made us work excrutiatingly through (the I Ching method previously referred to in another review) the fragments, and a Greek 101/102/201/202 textbook was required. It was one of the most satisfying classes I have ever taken. Mr. Domino is also correct. This text isn’t really for the non major or one without the time requirements to go from scratch. I was in college, had the time and didn’t know any better. I don’t know where to get the best of both worlds. Perhaps eurydike has an answer for a text that would contain the complete fragments (just absolutely essential, I cannot overstate this) and an honest interpretation. Interpretation is another area that presents the sorts of issues that eurydike refers to. Poor translation lead to poor understanding and mis-guided ideas. Certain carefully crafted and phrased (mis) interpretations (might) support certain academic agendas. I have not read the books eurydike refers to, particularly whether one book contains all of the fragments, the veracity of the interpretations or their timelines…….

⭐I got what a need it. The fragments and the commentaries. It is a valuable book for an ambitious non specialist reader. The printing maybe to dense. More space in between paragraph helps to read it more comfortable.

⭐I purchased this book out of curiosity. I haven’t been a student for longer than I’d like to admit, but this book welcomed me home like I’d never left academia. The writing is superb. The analyses and time lines are expertly done. And, there is more than enough appropriate authorial humor. Edith Hamilton would have recommended this work of art.

⭐Good Philosphy book. I needed it for a Philosophy course. Good to have if intereste din Philosophy. Easy to understand

⭐Indispensable for an understanding of the presocratics.

⭐The most standard book compiling the Greek fragments of Presocratics with very clear commentary.

⭐41 years ago we used this text in a seminar on Philosophy of Biology, which I took in my first year in grad school. Now, I seem to be teaching the same course as part of History & Philosophy of Biology, and wanted to see if there was anything new on Empedocles. There is. Quick comparison with passages from the first edition shows extensive revision and reinterpretation, as advertised, and new scholarship. I particularly like the parallel Greek text and English rendering, which quells the compulsion to order the Loeb volume. Highly recommended as an antecedent (as planned) to Aristotle’s natural history, Galen on medicine, and some of the Islamist writers on medicine.

⭐This is an extremely thorough and well-informed book covering almost everything you might need to know about pre-socratic philosophy. However, it is EXTREMELY scholarly and text-book in it’s format. If you need something to use for studying then it would be fine. If you want to actually read a book cover to cover then it’s not for you. Also, it it is heavily biased towards the protoscientific aspects of pre-socratic philosophy, and is very light on areas such as existence; being and such like.I have given it 3 stars because it didn’t suit my needs, but that’s not to say it’s not a good book for different needs.

⭐Ceci est une oeuvre classique dans la philosophie presocratique et le volume est tres elabore et complet.

⭐

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