Book description
Words of Wisdom brings together 360 of Philosophy s most famous
quotations, explaining their meaning and telling the stories behind
them. Western philosophy may be said to have begun in ancient Greece,
where, inscribed in his temple at Delphi, the words of the god Apollo
commanded those who sought wisdom to first know thyself . From here, we
trace this quest through the first lovers of wisdom - Thales,
Pythagoras, Zeno - through some of its early greats - Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle - and into modern times. Along the way, we discover the
riddles of Heraclitus ( You cannot step into the same river twice ), the
military strategy of Sun Tzu ( To win without fighting is best ), the
stoicism of Seneca ( Life is long if you know how to live it ), and the
faith of St Augustine ( do not seek to understand in order to believe,
but believe that you may understand ). We find out why Thomas Hobbes
thought that life is nasty, brutish and short , why Leibniz considered
this to be the best of all possible worlds , but how Schopenhauer
disagreed, thinking the world more resembled a penal colony ! From the
famous paradoxes of Zeno, to the no-less-puzzling pronouncements of
postmodernism, through almost every philosophical movement and school of
thought that has shaped human history, the author provides a
whistle-stop tour of the wise words of the great and the good - and, as
well, the not so great and the downright naughty. We find out whether
Machiavelli s reputation for wickedness was fully deserved, how the
Marquis de Sade gave his name to some very dubious practices, why
Nietzsche thought a whip an essential aid to marital relations, and
precisely why LSD guru Timothy Leary wanted us to Turn on, tune in and
drop out .Words of Wisdom covers all this and more. With the author s
usual humour and clarity of style, the whole 2,500 year history of
philosophy is laid bare. Each quote is set in the context of its
cultural background, author biography and general outlook; trends are
highlighted, links established, and influences traced, all in a way that
is entertaining, thought-provoking, and even fun! Words of Wisdom is the
perfect book for those who always wanted to ask what philosophy was
about, but were afraid they might not understand the answer. Words of
Wisdom brings together 360 of Philosophy s most famous quotations,
explaining their meaning and telling the stories behind them. Western
philosophy may be said to have begun in ancient Greece, where, inscribed
in his temple at Delphi, the words of the god Apollo commanded those who
sought wisdom to first know thyself . From here, we trace this quest
through the first lovers of wisdom - Thales, Pythagoras, Zeno - through
some of its early greats - Socrates, Plato, Aristotle - and into modern
times. Along the way, we discover the riddles of Heraclitus ( You cannot
step into the same river twice ), the military strategy of Sun Tzu ( To
win without fighting is best ), the stoicism of Seneca ( Life is long if
you know how to live it ), and the faith of St Augustine ( do not seek
to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand
). We find out why Thomas Hobbes thought that life is nasty, brutish and
short , why Leibniz considered this to be the best of all possible
worlds , but how Schopenhauer disagreed, thinking the world more
resembled a penal colony ! From the famous paradoxes of Zeno, to the
no-less-puzzling pronouncements of postmodernism, through almost every
philosophical movement and school of thought that has shaped human
history, the author provides a whistle-stop tour of the wise words of
the great and the good - and, as well, the not so great and the
downright naughty. We find out whether Machiavelli s reputation for
wickedness was fully deserved, how the Marquis de Sade gave his name to
some very dubious practices, why Nietzsche thought a whip an essential
aid to marital relations, and precisely why LSD guru Timothy Leary
wanted us to Turn on, tune in and drop out .Words of Wisdom covers all
this and more. With the author s usual humour and clarity of style, the
whole 2,500 year history of philosophy is laid bare. Each quote is set
in the context of its cultural background, author biography and general
outlook; trends are highlighted, links established, and influences
traced, all in a way that is entertaining, thought-provoking, and even
fun! Words of Wisdom is the perfect book for those who always wanted to
ask what philosophy was about, but were afraid they might not understand
the answer.
