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The Nicomachean Ethics (Penguin Classics)

Aristotle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Early work of social science 4 out of 5 stars.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Aristotle's Ethics by Penguin classics looks deceptively like a paperback novel. It is nothing of the kind, being a densely packed philosophical treatise on the nature of humankind and our relationships with others.

The book, a translation of the Nichomachean Ethics and not Aristotle's earlier Eudemian Ethics, may seem slightly mistitled to a modern audience. It deals primarily with analysis of character and what good character is and is not. Discussion of ethical issues and moral judgements of right and wrong are largely missing. The reader is expected to develop their behaviour towards others by perfecting their own character. For example, courage in its various forms is discussed but the practical application of courage is not. Much of Aristotle's thesis appears obvious to our modern minds but it is important to remember that Aristotle was systemetizing his description of human nature in an effort to understand it. Unfortunately this makes for a rather dry read.

The book also contains a lengthy introduction by Jonathan Barnes. While it is acessible to the general audience, a background in philosophy would be useful to really understand the issues he addresses. There is also a preface by Hugh Tredennick who explains why this new translation is needed - primarily for readability. Between J.A.K. Thompson (the translator), Barnes and Treddennick we appear to have the crème de la crème of Cambridge and Oxford Aristotaleans involved in this little book. The introduction has a substantial bibliography in its own right and the book includes 10 brief appendices which provide background on the philosophical ideas in the text. These are critical to understanding the book if you aren't widely read in the early Greek philosophers. A glossary of Greek words and an index of names proceeds a general index. Footnotes are brief and unobtrusive but usually helpful.

For couch philosophers and serious students looking for an inexpensive edition of the Nichomachean ethics, this is definitely the version for you. It has surprisingly good scholarly resources for such a slim volume. If, however, you had heard that Aristotle was Alexander the Great's tutor and are trying to conquer the business world this probably won't give you many pointers.

Editorial Review:

Of Aristotle’s works, few have had as lasting an influence on subsequent Western thought as The Nicomachean Ethics. In it, he argues that happiness consists in “activity of the soul in accordance with virtue,” defining “virtue” as both moral (courage, generosity, and justice) and intellectual (knowledge, wisdom, and insight). Aristotle also discusses the nature of practical reasoning, the different forms of friendship, and the relationship between individual virtue and the state. Featuring a lucid translation, a new introduction, updated suggestions for further reading, and a chronology of Aristotle’s life and works, this is the authoritative edition of a seminal intellectual masterpiece.

Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1

Aristotle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Where's Volume 2? 4 out of 5 stars.
51 of 53 people found this review helpful.

(This is not a review, it's just instruction for those who, like me, had trouble finding Volume 2 or the two-volume set). If you're at the "Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1" page, you can click on "Other Editions: Hardcover" to get to Volume 2. But how do you get to the two-volume set? The easiest way is to do a normal search for books by Aristotle. You will find an entry for "Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1". Neither the second volume nor the two-volume set will appear in the results! Instead, click on "Other Editions: See all (3)". Then you'll get a page listing each volume individually, plus the two-volume set. (I had to give a rating just to post this, so I just gave it a 4 for now.)

Editorial Review:

The Oxford Translation of Aristotle was originally published in 12 volumes between 1912 and 1954. It is universally recognized as the standard English version of Aristotle. This revised edition contains the substance of the original Translation, slightly emended in light of recent scholarship; three of the original versions have been replaced by new translations; and a new and enlarged selection of Fragments has been added. The aim of the translation remains the same: to make the surviving works of Aristotle readily accessible to English speaking readers.

On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse

Aristotle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The most scholarly & readable translation of the "Rhetorica" 5 out of 5 stars.
45 of 47 people found this review helpful.

Aristotle's treatise "On Rhetoric" has been the seminal work in the field since it was written. There is a very real sense in which there is nothing new under the sun since Aristotle's day, and that the rhetorical constructs of Burke, Toulmin and every other rhetorical theorist are simply Aristotle's concepts dressed up in new terms. Certainly no one has been as comprehensive in cataloguing all the available means of persuasion. The study of rhetoric begins in earnest with Aristotle's volume. While there are numerous translations of "On Rhetoric" available, this remarkable translation by George A. Kennedy is the one worth owning. Kennedy has studied classical rhetorical for over three decades and he brings his knowledge of what rhetoric meant in the time of Aristotle to his translation. By the time you get to the first sentence of this translation--"Rhetoric is an antisrophos to dialectic"--you have ample evidence that Kennedy is the ideal translator for this text. You will have gone through a Prooemion, an Introductory essay, a synopsis of the first three chapters of Book 1 before you get to that first sentence, which contains two footnotes detailing the contemporary meanings of "rhetoric" and "antistrophos." More than any other scholar to tackle this project, Kennedy is as well versed in the subject matter as he is the original language. Kennedy's translation also benefits from the fact that it is eminently readable.

Additionally, this volume includes only a glossary and bibliography, but two excellent appendixes. The first consists of Supplementary Texts: (A) Gorgias' "Encomium on Helen," the showcase speech by the leader of the Sophists; (B) Aristotle on "Art as an Intellectual Virtue" from his "Nicomachean Ethics"; (C) "An Introduction to Dialectic" from Aristotle's "Topics"; (D) Cicero's "Description of Aristotle's Synagoge Tekhnon"; (E) Aristotle on "Word Choice and Metaphor" from his "Poetics"; and (F) Kennedy's note on "The Concept of the Enthymeme as Understood in the Modern Period." The second appendix features three Supplementary Essays: (A) "The Composition of the 'Rhetoric'"; (B) "The History of the Text After Aristotle"; and (C) "The Strengths and Limitations of the 'Rhetoric.'" The supplemental works alone would make this the translation to own. Every teacher or student of rhetorical theory/criticism needs to own Kennedy's translation of Aristotle's "On Rhetoric."

Editorial Review:

The first new translation of Aristotle's Rhetoric in fifty years, based on careful study of the Greek text and informed by the best modern scholarship, this is the most faithful English version ever published of the book that first defined and organized the study of civic discourse along philosophical lines and still shapes the study of rhetoric and composition in modern times. Comprehensive introductory discussions, a detailed outline, extensive notes, and a glossary of Aristotle's rhetorical terms make the work readily accessible to modern students, while an appendix offers translations of relevant ancient texts and essays on the composition and history of the treatise, with an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. This book is essential for students and scholars of rhetoric, classics, politics, and philosophy.

Poetics (Penguin Classics)

Aristotle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Introduction is about as long as the treatise! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

No joke - the introduction written by a modern scholar is more or less neck to neck with Aristotle's 'essay' on storytelling (Poetics) as far as length is concerned. This is good because, quite honestly, the average person will have a hard time understanding the concept Aristotle is trying to get across with his archaic (no insult intended) analysis.

But first, my "credentials" as a reviewer:

I started reading Plato because I watched some movies (Truman Show, The Matrix) and some Anime (The Big O) in which the screenwriters heavily borrowed from Republic and other Platonic dialogues when shaping their plots. At first, I read just so I can understand the plot of these works of visual art a little better. After a couple of dialogues (I especially liked Phaedo and Theatetus - I still haven't finished Republic), however, I began appreciating Greek philosophy in and of itself. Having read a bit of Plato (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Cratylus, Theatetus, and part of Republic) I decided, hey, why not go in for some of Aristotle? Supposedly this 'common sensical' philosopher was the foil of the more heavenly inclined Plato - so why not compare and contrast?

That said, Poetics has been my first exposure to Aristotle.

Quite different from Plato too! For starters, Aristotle views poets, dramatists, "novelists" and fiction writers in general much more sympathetically than his 'teacher' - he sees them as humans with a talent who can put it to good purpose (as opposed to Plato's perception of them being the scum of the earth).

A point I would like to bring up - some people say 'Poetics' is universal, applicable to any time in history for any fiction writer or storyteller. Quite a few successful screenwriters have taken this position. The scholar who wrote up the introduction to this edition, however, disagrees - as do I. Most of the stuff Aristotle's mentions as being for making a story has already crossed my mind at one or time or another - in less stuffy, more conceptualized form, certainly, but the ideas have occured to me. Not only that, but his somewhat rigid formula, although he himself acknowledges that it isn't absolute, is very restrictive in 'what's good, what's bad'.

That said, Poetics contributes to literary theory. Plus, it can reinforce some writer's ideas about how their craft should work. More significantly, however, it is the thought of Aristotle, a highly influential philosopher, accessible through word that really captivates the reader - what he thinks about is important, but the way he thinks is what really makes him 'timeless'. His views on storytelling, however, are visibly from an era that no longer strongly coincides with our own.

Note - yes, yes, I've read some books on Greek history and know it is the Cradle of Western Civilization, spread by Rome and a major influence on history (including democracy) - but Greek academia is largely alien.

Editorial Review:

This is a translation of Aristotle's "Poetics", an account of Greek tragedy, which demonstrates how the elements of plot, character and spectacle combine to produce "pity and fear", and why pleasure is derived from this apparently painful process. It introduces the concepts of "mimesis" ("imitation"), "hamartia" ("error") and "katharsis", which have informed thinking about drama ever since. It examines the mythological heroes whom Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripidies brought to the stage, and explains the most effective plays rely on complication and resolution, recognitions and reversals.

Odyssey

Homer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Eminently readable and true to the original text 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Lombardo's translation of the Odyssey, as well as his Iliad and Aeneid, receive much-deserved kudos as the most readable translations available. He writes with poetic and colloquial English that makes it easy for the lay person to understand.

Unfortunately, many of these same lay readers bash Lombardo's translations because they assume the personable nature of the writing makes it inaccurate. People expect a classic to have a certain formal diction to it, in the vein of Shakespeare and the King James Bible. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The King James Bible, despite having the most formal prose, is certainly not the most accurate translation of the Bible. Similarly, verbose translations of Homer do not mean it is more true to the text. Lombardo's version of the Odyssey preserves the immediacy and hard hitting nature of Homer's original Greek poetry. You will notice in other reviews that readers disapprove based on what they imagine Homer should sound like. Trust me, they haven't read the original texts. Classical scholars, some of whom I personally work with, have given universally excellent reviews to Lombardo's translations. This translation proves you can have your cake and eat it too. It is highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Lombardo's Odyssey offers the distinctive speed, clarity, and boldness that so distinguished his 1997 Iliad. Lombardo has created a Homeric voice for his contemporaries: fresh, quick and verbally engaging to the modern ear, as the original was to the ancient. His characters come alive as real people expressing real feelings with urgency and verve. This would be very welcome for classroom use.

A History of Philosophy Vol. 2: Augustine to Scotus (History of Philosophy)

Frederick Copleston

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Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English.



Copleston, an Oxford Jesuit of immense erudition who once tangled with A.J. Ayer in a fabled debate about the existence of God and the possibility of metaphysics, knew that seminary students were fed a woefully inadequate diet of theses and proofs, and that their familiarity with most of history's great thinkers was reduced to simplistic caricatures.  Copleston set out to redress the wrong by writing a complete history of Western Philosophy, one crackling with incident and intellectual excitement - and one that gives full place to each thinker, presenting his thought in a beautifully rounded manner and showing his links to those who went before and to those who came after him.

A Manual for Living (A Little Book of Wisdom)

Epictetus

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Relevant wisdom for the 21st Century 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Sharon Lebell's paraphrases of the Roman Stoic Epictetus are convincingly presented in this little guidebook. Much of the core Stoic philosophy is translated for us in this brief but philosophically weighty interpretation: See things for what they are; guard against a false sense of self-importance; practice indifference to external conditions; the life of wisdom demands its price; speak impeccably; you become what you give your attentions to; action is what counts, not talk; practice tact and tolerance; wisdom depends upon vigilance.

Highly recommended. And a very quick read.

Epictetus also recommends the study of Heraclitus and Diogenes, his philosophical ancestors.

Parataxis

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

Editorial Review:

The essence of perennial Stoic wisdom in aphorisms of stunning insight and simplicity. The West's first and best little instruction book offers thoroughly contemporary and pragmatic reflections on how best to live with serenity and joy.

Handbook of Epictetus

Epictetus

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Great Introduction to Stoic Philosophy 5 out of 5 stars.
60 of 60 people found this review helpful.

Possibly the most famous Stoic Philosopher is Marcus Aurelius, whose "Meditations" was written, not to be read as a philosophic treatise, but rather as a personal journal, complete with seemingly random entries and no apparent structure. Moreover, it is clear from his "Meditations" that Marcus Aurelius was greatly influenced by the teachings of Epictetus. In fact, according to Aulus Gellius, Herodes Atticus (who was Marcus Aurelius' teacher at the time) told Marcus Aurelius that Epictetus was the greatest of all the Stoic philosophers, which is quite convenient for us since most of the writings of earilier Stoics (such as Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes and Chrysippus) have been lost, probably in the burning of the Library of Alexandria.

Epictetus, like Socrates, apparently never wrote anything himself; however, his students took very good notes. One student by the name of Flavius Arrian may be responsible for the composition of eight volumes, titled "The Discourses of Epictetus," of which four volumes still survive. Arrian served under Emperor Hadrian who initially choose Atticus to be Marcus Aurelius' teacher. Arrian also wrote another text, titled "The Encheiridion of Epictetus" (or "Handbook" or "Manual"), which also survives and appears to be an abstract of his "Discourses". Throughout the second century, Epictetus was regarded as the greatest of the Stoic philosophers, and became even more popular than Plato. Stoicism nevertheless lost favor in the middle ages and was not revived until 1584 when Justus Lipsius published his "De Constantia".

I would highly recommend the writings of Epictetus to anyone interested in Stoic Philosophy, or anyone at all for that matter. Epictetus should make for an excellent introduction to Stoic Philosophy, and the "Encheiridion" is an excellent introduction to Epictetus. I prefer this particular translation of "The Encheiridion of Epictetus", by Nicholas P. White, over the other translations that I have read. Oldfather's translation (Loeb Classical Library) is also very good.

Conversations of Socrates (Penguin Classics)

Xenophon

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Revelation 5 out of 5 stars.
48 of 48 people found this review helpful.

Very few extant works remain on the life of Socrates: mainly the works of Xenophon and Plato. In "Conversations of Socrates" Xenophon writes extensively on the philosophical thought of the master in a forthright and simple manner. Xenophon has not always been praised for his writing style but he covers the Socratic principles thoroughly. The subjects aren't organized particularly well with examples of Socrates' views on certain virtues scattered throughout the text. Nevertheless, since Socrates didn't write his own thoughts we are very fortunate that we have these works.

Xenophon divided his works into four books: Socrates' Defense; Memoirs of Socrates; the Dinner-Party; and the Estate-Manager. Xenophon writes in the second and third person so that we "hear" the Socratic Method throughout the text. We see how Socrates used questions of his followers to teach them to think. His method thoroughly flushed out the truth and often revealed the flaws in the arguments his opponents and followers made.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Xenophon. One could almost imagine being right there with the master as he shredded the weaknesses in faulty arguments and uncovered hidden truths. His opinions on virtues may be dated to Twentieth Century people but one must remember that it was largely his teachings that had such a great influence on Western thought and ideas.

Editorial Review:

After the execution of Socrates in 399 BC, a number of his followers wrote dialogues featuring him as the protagonist and, in so doing, transformed the great philosopher into a legendary figure. Xenophon's portrait is the only one other than Plato's to survive, and while it offers a very personal interpretation of Socratic thought, it also reveals much about the man and his philosophical views. In 'Socrates' Defence' Xenophon defends his mentor against charges of arrogance made at his trial, while the 'Memoirs of Socrates' also starts with an impassioned plea for the rehabilitation of a wronged reputation. Along with 'The Estate-Manager', a practical economic treatise, and 'The Dinner-Party', a sparkling exploration of love, Xenophon's dialogues offer fascinating insights into the Socratic world and into the intellectual atmosphere and daily life of ancient Greece.

The Essential Marcus Aurelius (Tarcher Cornerstone Editions)

Jacob Needleman, John Piazza

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This inaugural-and all new-Tarcher Cornerstone Edition presents a stunningly relevant and reliable translation of the thoughts and aphorisms of the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, properly placing the philosopher-king's writings within the vein of the world's great religious and ethical traditions.

The late antique world possessed no voice like that of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE). His private meditations on what constitutes a good life have withstood the centuries and reach us today with the same penetrating clarity and shining light as the words of Shakespeare, Emerson, or Thoreau.

In this remarkable new translation, bestselling religious philosopher Jacob Needleman and classics scholar John P. Piazza have retained the depth of Marcus's perspective on life. They have carefully selected and faithfully rendered those passages that clarify Marcus's role as someone who stood within the great religious and ethical traditions that extend throughout every culture in human history. The voice that emerges from their translation is a universal one, equally recognizable to students of Christ, Buddha, the Vedas, the Talmud, and to anyone who sincerely searches for a way of meaning in contemporary life.