Luis E. Navia, professor of philosophy and chair of the Social Sciences Department at New York Institute of Technology, is the author of many books on ancient philosophy, including Socrates: A Life Examined, Socratic Testimonies, Diogenes The Cynic, Antisthenes of Athens, The Adventure of Philosophy, and Ethics and the Search for Values.
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Reviews
""A scholar of ancient Greek philosophy, Navia contributes to the immense body of commentary about Socrates with this tour of the historical man-about-Athens. All of the material about Socrates derives from four works that survived the wreck of Greco-Roman civilization: Aristophanes' comedy Clouds; Xenophon's dialogues; Plato's dialogues; and Aristotle's tracts.... Quoting extensively from these writers' works, Navia shows where biographical agreement exists and where inference and speculation begin, as in the story of the oracle of Delphi proclaiming Socrates the wisest of men. An assessment of Socrates' essential philosophical precepts culminates Navia's pursuit of the living Socrates, and his hunt could attract readers with a Platonic dialogue or two under their belts." Booklist "[A] vivid account of Socrates's life and ideas....The carefully documented research provides a valuable resource for those interested in the man and his ideas. Students researching philosophy will benefit from the author's accessible connections between the beliefs of Socrates and those of many modern thinkers." School Library Jo