Open Philosophy Library

Subject

Ancient Greek Philosophy

Explore the books in this Open Philosophy Library collection.

Open Philosophy LibraryGorgiasPlato

Gorgias

Plato

Plato's Gorgias begins with Socrates asking the famous rhetorician to define his art and develops into a searching debate about persuasion, power and the good life. Through exchanges with Gorgias,…

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Open Philosophy LibrarySymposiumPlato

Symposium

Plato

Plato's Symposium transforms an Athenian banquet into a sequence of speeches on love. Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes and Agathon offer competing accounts before Socrates recounts Diotima's teaching on desire, creation…

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Open Philosophy LibraryPhaedoPlato

Phaedo

Plato

Narrated by Phaedo, Plato's dialogue recounts the final day of Socrates and his discussion of philosophy, death and the soul's immortality. Socrates develops arguments from cyclical generation, recollection, affinity and…

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Open Philosophy LibraryPoliticsAristotle

Politics

Aristotle

Aristotle's Politics examines the nature and purpose of political community, household rule, citizenship, constitutional forms, political stability, revolution and public education. Across eight Books, Aristotle combines ethical argument with comparisons…

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Open Philosophy LibraryMenoPlato

Meno

Plato

Plato's Meno begins by asking whether virtue can be taught, then turns to the prior question of what virtue is. As Meno's confident definitions collapse, the dialogue examines the paradox…

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Open Philosophy LibraryCritoPlato

Crito

Plato

Set in Socrates' prison shortly before his execution, Plato's Crito examines whether an unjustly condemned person may escape the law. Crito urges his friend to flee for the sake of…

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Open Philosophy LibraryApologyPlato

Apology

Plato

Plato's Apology presents Socrates' defence at his trial in Athens in 399 BCE. Answering charges of corrupting the young and religious impiety, Socrates explains his practice of questioning supposed experts,…

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