Tuesday 17 August 2010

[S356.Ebook] Free Ebook Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas

Free Ebook Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas. What are you doing when having leisure? Chatting or browsing? Why do not you aim to check out some e-book? Why should be reading? Checking out is one of enjoyable and satisfying task to do in your leisure. By reading from lots of resources, you can find brand-new info and also experience. The books Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas to review will certainly be various beginning with clinical publications to the fiction books. It means that you could review guides based upon the need that you wish to take. Certainly, it will certainly be different and also you can review all publication types any kind of time. As below, we will certainly reveal you a publication must be read. This e-book Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas is the choice.

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas



Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas

Free Ebook Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas

Superb Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas publication is always being the most effective friend for spending little time in your office, night time, bus, and anywhere. It will certainly be a good way to just look, open, and also review the book Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas while in that time. As known, encounter and also skill don't constantly come with the much money to obtain them. Reading this publication with the title Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas will let you know much more things.

It is not secret when connecting the creating skills to reading. Checking out Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas will certainly make you obtain more sources as well as resources. It is a manner in which can enhance exactly how you ignore and also understand the life. By reading this Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas, you can more than exactly what you obtain from other publication Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas This is a prominent publication that is published from renowned publisher. Seen kind the writer, it can be relied on that this book Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas will certainly offer several inspirations, about the life as well as encounter and every little thing within.

You may not need to be question concerning this Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas It is simple way to get this book Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas You could just see the established with the link that we offer. Here, you could purchase guide Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas by on the internet. By downloading Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas, you can discover the soft data of this publication. This is the local time for you to begin reading. Even this is not published book Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas; it will precisely give more perks. Why? You could not bring the published book Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas or only stack guide in your home or the workplace.

You could finely include the soft documents Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas to the gizmo or every computer hardware in your office or house. It will certainly aid you to constantly continue reviewing Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas every single time you have extra time. This is why, reading this Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas does not give you troubles. It will give you essential sources for you who want to start creating, writing about the similar publication Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, By Julia Annas are different publication field.

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas

The tradition of ancient philosophy is a long, rich and varied one, in which the notes of discussion and argument constantly resound. This book introduces ancient debates, engaging us with the ancient developments of their themes. Moving away from the presentation of ancient philosophy as a succession of great thinkers, the book gives readers a sense of the freshness and liveliness of ancient philosophy, and of its wide variety of themes and styles.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

  • Sales Rank: #203426 in Books
  • Published on: 2001-01-18
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 4.30" h x .40" w x 6.70" l, .26 pounds
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 144 pages

About the Author

Julia Annas is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona and author of several books for OUP, including An Introduction to Platos Republic and The Morality of Happiness. She is also series editor for the Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy.

Most helpful customer reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Annas gets right to the central questions of ancient philosophers
By Martin H. Dickinson
How should you introduce a country? With an abstract map of its terrain? Or would it be better to show a beautiful picture (or several) to stand for the whole--say the Taj Majal for India--something to lure and enchant the would-be traveler?

Julia Annas chooses the latter strategy. Her introduction leads the reader right to the heart of some of the most important questions of early philosophy: the dichotomy between passion and reason; the nature of the self; whether or not there is a goal to life; what logic is and why it is desirable and necessary; whether knowing is possible; the ways in which we explore the nature and pattern of the universe through science.

Annas' strength is her ability to express the fundamental questions of early philosophy with great clarity and to follow-up with very succinct descriptions of how they were treated by Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and a range of other early philosophers.

Her treatment of The Republic (Penguin Classics) is especially strong. She shows us how from Jowett onwards it came te be regarded primarily as a political work. However, she shows that the work takes up a much broader question, the relation between virtue and happines. Plato sketches the structure of an ideal society as a model for the structure of the soul. Annas provides a good, quick overview of the work itself while demonstrating the ways in which interpretations have varied during different historical periods.

Readers looking for a broader survey might choose Frederick Copleston's History of Philosophy, Volume 1 (History of Philosophy). Those looking for an in-depth view showing how the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers elevated DOING philosophy (rather than studying it as an academic subject) specifically for the purpose of achieving happiness in this life should see Pierre Hadot's very interesting treatment What Is Ancient Philosophy?.

Even the non-beginner will find a very clear and interesting treatment of the major philosophic questions of the ancients in this compact 100-page book.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Not a Quick Reference Guide, but an Outstanding Eye-Opener
By Daniel R. Sanderman
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 provide 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 provide 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 provide references and suggestions for further reading.

Julia Annas's _A Very Short Introduction to Ancient Philosophy_ is a very lively book that immerses the reader into the world of ancient philosophy without assuming any prior knowledge of the topic. Annas throws aside the standard "march through history" account of these thinkers and chooses instead to engage the reader with the problems and concerns these ancient thinkers puzzled over. Many readers have faulted her for this decision for she does not provide a quick & easy reference to names and ideas. But her point is that such a reference guide is, in many ways, impossible to construct. Therefore, we should be aware of how we "create" these thinkers according to our own interests and bias.

Chapter One concerns the battle between reason and emotion in our souls, a discussion that leads right into her treatment of Plato's _Republic_. What is interesting about Annas's account of the _Republic_ is that she chooses to focus upon the ways in which Plato's work has been received by generations of scholars instead of purely focusing on the philosophical merit of the work. While I would have liked a bit more philosophy in this chapter, her analysis helps to reveal the ways in which our understanding of the _Republic_ is influenced (and perhaps even dictated) by our own philosophical interests. Thus, perhaps Annas does not provide a thorough philosophical examination of the _Republic_ because her own interpretation would be hampered by such influence. However, I also suspect that, being a short introduction, there was simply no time to get too heavily involved in it.

Annas's remaining sections are devoted to eudaimonism and virtue, reason and scepticism, and logic and reality. It is the final chapter, however, that I found particularly interesting, perhaps because it deals a bit more with chronology than Annas has chosen to use in the rest of the book. In this chapter, Annas tries to provide some grounds for grouping "ancient philosophy" as a whole, and discusses the ways that thinkers reacted to one another, the dividing influence of Plato, and the status of ancient philosophy after Plato and Aristotle. In general, I enjoy chronological accounts of these thinkers, but Annas does a wonderful job keeping me interested and engaging these thinkers in a slightly different way than I am accustomed to. I would recommend this introduction to anyone thinking of exploring ancient philosophy further.

31 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Quite Useless
By Parker Benchley
Every once in a great while comes a book that takes what can be a difficult subject matter and melts it into a coherent, readable whole that can be enjoyed by both student and intelligent reader alike, whether in the classroom or on the commuter train to work.
Unfortunately, this book is not one of them.
To be effective, a "short introduction" must not only be concise, but also reader friendly, keeping to the subject as close as possible in langauge terms designed to enlighten and entertain with an eye toward expanding the reader's interest in the subject covered.
Annas conveys none of the above, mainly because she hardly sticks to the subject matter at hand: philosophy. Instead we get a historical-political-sociological treatise that fails on every level to meet the expectations a reader has coming into the book.
Actually, when one applies common sense, this is too large a subject to fit into too small a format. For a couple of dollars more, there is an excellent title called "Greek Philosophy" by the same publisher. Also, for a few dollars more, are the works of popularizers Bryan Magee, Roger Scruton, and Robert Solomon, each of whom will give you way more than your money's worth. Try them; your wallet won't feel used and abused.

See all 14 customer reviews...

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas PDF
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas EPub
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas Doc
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas iBooks
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas rtf
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas Mobipocket
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas Kindle

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas PDF

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas PDF

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas PDF
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas PDF

No comments:

Post a Comment