Showing results for "Katie" in History

Socrates is an enigmatic figure, known chiefly through the accounts of others like Plato and Aristophanes. He was one of the most brilliant intellects ever, and devised what would later be called the Socratic method, which is a way of leading one's interlocutor to see his errors and contradictions through clever questioning before leading him to the truth. In ancient Athens, Socrates was widely known as a "gadfly", that is, an annoying insect buzzing at people's ears, because he kept questioning prejudices and contradictions; he was eventually tried and executed for "corrupting the minds of the youth".

Pupil of the great Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle is a massively influential figure in Western philosophy. Cicero described his literary style as "a river of gold". Modern ethics are based on his ideas about virtue; his writings literally encompassed all the scientific knowledge of the time and beyond, so much that many of his findings were still considered cutting-edge many century afterwards. Aristotle also shaped modern logic, and put his mark on all subsequent philosophy and theology.

Emile Faguet's "Initiation into Philosophy" is a lively introduction to the fundamentals of philosophy. It aims to excite curiosity, provide a clear and concise introduction to the groundbreaking discoveries of the major philosophers, and introduce the reader to the pleasures of philosophical thought. This audiobook focuses on the seventeenth century: the greatest philosophic century of modern times, and perhaps of any time. It began with René Descartes, whose system, premises and conclusions are clearly explained; what followed was marked by his influence.