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bluestarfish's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting to read about Socrates and about philosophical life in ancient Greece. I wasn't entirely enthralled by this reading experience but I'm glad I've read it nonetheless as he has such an important place in Western civilization.
sokhiengtim's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this book, I could learn more from Socrates' ideas. Even he lived in the year of BC, but his ideas still make scene to modern world. However some part in the book, it seemed hard for me to get into it.
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
3.0
This was an okay read.
I wasn’t too impressed with it.
I didn’t find it the best philosophy in my opinion.
3.4/5
I wasn’t too impressed with it.
I didn’t find it the best philosophy in my opinion.
3.4/5
maiada's review against another edition
4.0
this is a pretty good self-help book, especially if you're a philosophy nerd.
also, who knew socrates was such a sassy asshole?
also, who knew socrates was such a sassy asshole?
bookwaffle's review against another edition
3.0
To be honest, this is "Socrates Defence" by Plato, only with a bunch more pages and lots of different stories surrounding The State, loyalty, family, friendship, politics and military.
But I DO LOVE Xenophon`s love for Socrates, and how he keeps admiring him.
But I DO LOVE Xenophon`s love for Socrates, and how he keeps admiring him.
lectoribenevolo's review against another edition
3.0
Xenophon's Socratic dialogues are among the only writings featuring Socrates besides those of Plato to survive antiquity. They are also of far less philosophical interest. Truth be told, I found this book to be rather boring. The editor and translator warns the reader of the boredom level in advance--Xenophon reads like the recording secretary of the Athenian Lions Club, all boosterism and platitudes about leadership--but as an artifact about elite attitudes in ancient Athens, it is useful.
theyoungveronica's review against another edition
4.0
"Seeing that Epigenes, one of his companions, was in poor physical condition for a young man, he said, 'You're out of training, Epigenes.'
'I don't do physical training, Socrates,' he replied."
If somebody carves this conversation onto my gravestone after I die, I will be satisfied for all of eternity.
"Socrates at first replied: 'Don't you think that my whole life has been a preparation for my defense?'
'How?'
'Because I have consistently done no wrong, and this, I think, is the finest preparation for a defence.'"
"A philosopher's job is above all to learn."
"When [Anaxagoras] said that fire and sun were identical, he was failing to take into account the fact that men can easily look at fire...exposure to fire does not...when he said that the sun was a red-hot stone, he also failed to appreciate the fact that, if a stone is placed in a fire, it neither shines nor persists for any length of time, whereas the sun remains all the time the brightest of all things."
Persuasive, and yet I still feel inclined to take Anaxagoras' side in this matter. I think of Paracelsus' "If a man thinks he is a fire then he is a fire." It is hard to argue with this kind of reasoning, no?
"Those who have no self-discipline are absolutely slavish."
"There is every reason to suppose, Socrates, that the gods show great concern for human beings...he can be seen to be carrying out the greatest works, but in the detailed administration he is invisible to our eyes. Reflect that the sun, which is supposed to be manifest to all, does not permit human beings to regard him directly; anyone who attempts to observe him without due respect is deprived of sight. Even the agents of the gods, you will find, are invisible...there is the human mind, which partakes of divinity if anything else human does; that it is the ruling part of us is evident, but even it cannot be seen."
"There is a middle path which I am trying to follow: the path not through rule nor through servitude, but through liberty, which is the surest road to happiness."
The Greek phrase for 'truly good' is kalos kagathos. (kalos fine and agathos good, the phrase literally meaning 'fine and good'.)
"Apollo didn't liken me to a god, although he thought I by far outshone the rest of mankind." (As noted in the introduction, what distinguishes the Platonic Socrates from that of Xenophon is his arrogance, quite different from though 'I know that I know nothing' formulation.)
Good company will edify you; bad
Will rob you even of the wits you had.
Theognis
"Naturally," said Socrates, "because it's obvious, isn't it, that animals too are born and reared for the benefit of mankind?" Wrong.
"On another occasion when Euthydemus was present, Socrates noticed that he was withdrawing from the group and taking care not to seem impressed by Socrates' wisdom. 'Gentlemen,' he said, 'it is easy to see from the way in which our friend Euthydemus spends his time that, when he is old enough, he won't refrain from advising the State on any political issue that comes up. And it seems to me that by carefully avoiding the appearance of learning anything from anybody, he has provided himself with a splendid preface to his public speeches. Evidently, when he begins to speak, he will introduce what he has to say like this: 'Gentlemen of Athens, I have never learned anything from anybody, nor have I sought the company of any person whose abilities in speech and action I had never heard of, nor have I troubled to acquire a teacher from among those who understand these matters. On the contrary, I have consistently avoided not only learning from anybody, but even giving the impression of doing so. However, I shall offer you whatever advice occurs to me of its own accord."
Whether this passage is more a reflection of Xenophon or Socrates I cannot be sure. Either way, I must laud whomever is responsible for the extraordinarily vituperative sarcasm.
'I don't do physical training, Socrates,' he replied."
If somebody carves this conversation onto my gravestone after I die, I will be satisfied for all of eternity.
"Socrates at first replied: 'Don't you think that my whole life has been a preparation for my defense?'
'How?'
'Because I have consistently done no wrong, and this, I think, is the finest preparation for a defence.'"
"A philosopher's job is above all to learn."
"When [Anaxagoras] said that fire and sun were identical, he was failing to take into account the fact that men can easily look at fire...exposure to fire does not...when he said that the sun was a red-hot stone, he also failed to appreciate the fact that, if a stone is placed in a fire, it neither shines nor persists for any length of time, whereas the sun remains all the time the brightest of all things."
Persuasive, and yet I still feel inclined to take Anaxagoras' side in this matter. I think of Paracelsus' "If a man thinks he is a fire then he is a fire." It is hard to argue with this kind of reasoning, no?
"Those who have no self-discipline are absolutely slavish."
"There is every reason to suppose, Socrates, that the gods show great concern for human beings...he can be seen to be carrying out the greatest works, but in the detailed administration he is invisible to our eyes. Reflect that the sun, which is supposed to be manifest to all, does not permit human beings to regard him directly; anyone who attempts to observe him without due respect is deprived of sight. Even the agents of the gods, you will find, are invisible...there is the human mind, which partakes of divinity if anything else human does; that it is the ruling part of us is evident, but even it cannot be seen."
"There is a middle path which I am trying to follow: the path not through rule nor through servitude, but through liberty, which is the surest road to happiness."
The Greek phrase for 'truly good' is kalos kagathos. (kalos fine and agathos good, the phrase literally meaning 'fine and good'.)
"Apollo didn't liken me to a god, although he thought I by far outshone the rest of mankind." (As noted in the introduction, what distinguishes the Platonic Socrates from that of Xenophon is his arrogance, quite different from though 'I know that I know nothing' formulation.)
Good company will edify you; bad
Will rob you even of the wits you had.
Theognis
"Naturally," said Socrates, "because it's obvious, isn't it, that animals too are born and reared for the benefit of mankind?" Wrong.
"On another occasion when Euthydemus was present, Socrates noticed that he was withdrawing from the group and taking care not to seem impressed by Socrates' wisdom. 'Gentlemen,' he said, 'it is easy to see from the way in which our friend Euthydemus spends his time that, when he is old enough, he won't refrain from advising the State on any political issue that comes up. And it seems to me that by carefully avoiding the appearance of learning anything from anybody, he has provided himself with a splendid preface to his public speeches. Evidently, when he begins to speak, he will introduce what he has to say like this: 'Gentlemen of Athens, I have never learned anything from anybody, nor have I sought the company of any person whose abilities in speech and action I had never heard of, nor have I troubled to acquire a teacher from among those who understand these matters. On the contrary, I have consistently avoided not only learning from anybody, but even giving the impression of doing so. However, I shall offer you whatever advice occurs to me of its own accord."
Whether this passage is more a reflection of Xenophon or Socrates I cannot be sure. Either way, I must laud whomever is responsible for the extraordinarily vituperative sarcasm.
teenoli's review against another edition
3.0
This was a surprisingly quick read. Lots of questions and not enough answers, good food for thought.