Abstract

This is an excellent introductory account of Socrates’s life and thought. The most valuable aspect of the book is that his experiences and ideas are integrated in such a way that his ideas are always shown to arise in the context of some concrete event of his life. Of course, in the case of Socrates, it is not difficult to display such synthesis of what may be called theory and practice: in fact, what the present author gives us is an original translation of selected parts of 13 of the most Socratic of Plato’s dialogues, interspersed with a running commentary designed to give relevant information, to make necessary clarifications, and to convey her own interpretations. Nevertheless, it is always good to be reminded that such was the essential characteristic of the philosophy of "the father of Western philosophy." The book is beautified by 12 original drawings by Joseph Sheppard representing various faces and scenes discussed in the text; these drawings, besides making the book a pleasant and interesting work of art, bring additional life to discussions in the text, though their content and form alone would have been more than sufficient in bringing Socrates to life. There is also an introduction by George N. Shuster discussing the relevance and value of Socrates for contemporary culture.