The Cave and the Light Plato Versus Aristotle and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization Arthur Herman 9780553385663 Books PDF reader The%20Cave%20and%20the%20Light%20Plato%20Versus%20Aristotle%20and%20the%20Struggle%20for%20the%20Soul%20of%20Western%20Civilization%20Arthur%20Herman%209780553385663%20Books
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PDF reader The Cave and the Light Plato Versus Aristotle and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization Arthur Herman 9780553385663 Books VQJ
The definitive sequel to New York Times bestseller How the Scots Invented the Modern World is a magisterial account of how the two greatest thinkers of the ancient world, Plato and Aristotle, laid the foundations of Western culture—and how their rivalry shaped the essential features of our culture down to the present day.
Plato came from a wealthy, connected Athenian family and lived a comfortable upper-class lifestyle until he met an odd little man named Socrates, who showed him a new world of ideas and ideals. Socrates taught Plato that a man must use reason to attain wisdom, and that the life of a lover of wisdom, a philosopher, was the pinnacle of achievement. Plato dedicated himself to living that ideal and went on to create a school, his famed Academy, to teach others the path to enlightenment through contemplation.
However, the same Academy that spread Plato’s teachings also fostered his greatest rival. Born to a family of Greek physicians, Aristotle had learned early on the value of observation and hands-on experience. Rather than rely on pure contemplation, he insisted that the truest path to knowledge is through empirical discovery and exploration of the world around us. Aristotle, Plato’s most brilliant pupil, thus settled on a philosophy very different from his instructor’s and launched a rivalry with profound effects on Western culture.
The two men disagreed on the fundamental purpose of the philosophy. For Plato, the image of the cave summed up man’s destined path, emerging from the darkness of material existence to the light of a higher and more spiritual truth. Aristotle thought otherwise. Instead of rising above mundane reality, he insisted, the philosopher’s job is to explain how the real world works, and how we can find our place in it. Aristotle set up a school in Athens to rival Plato’s Academy the Lyceum. The competition that ensued between the two schools, and between Plato and Aristotle, set the world on an intellectual adventure that lasted through the Middle Ages and Renaissance and that still continues today.
From Martin Luther (who named Aristotle the third great enemy of true religion, after the devil and the Pope) to Karl Marx (whose utopian views rival Plato’s), heroes and villains of history have been inspired and incensed by these two master philosophers—but never outside their influence.
Accessible, riveting, and eloquently written, The Cave and the Light provides a stunning new perspective on the Western world, certain to open eyes and stir debate.
Praise for The Cave and the Light
“A sweeping intellectual history viewed through two ancient Greek lenses . . . breezy and enthusiastic but resting on a sturdy rock of research.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Examining mathematics, politics, theology, and architecture, the book demonstrates the continuing relevance of the ancient world.”—Publishers Weekly
“A fabulous way to understand over two millennia of history, all in one book.”—Library Journal
“Entertaining and often illuminating.”—The Wall Street Journal
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The Cave and the Light Plato Versus Aristotle and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization Arthur Herman 9780553385663 Books Reviews :
Plato came from a wealthy, connected Athenian family and lived a comfortable upper-class lifestyle until he met an odd little man named Socrates, who showed him a new world of ideas and ideals. Socrates taught Plato that a man must use reason to attain wisdom, and that the life of a lover of wisdom, a philosopher, was the pinnacle of achievement. Plato dedicated himself to living that ideal and went on to create a school, his famed Academy, to teach others the path to enlightenment through contemplation.
However, the same Academy that spread Plato’s teachings also fostered his greatest rival. Born to a family of Greek physicians, Aristotle had learned early on the value of observation and hands-on experience. Rather than rely on pure contemplation, he insisted that the truest path to knowledge is through empirical discovery and exploration of the world around us. Aristotle, Plato’s most brilliant pupil, thus settled on a philosophy very different from his instructor’s and launched a rivalry with profound effects on Western culture.
The two men disagreed on the fundamental purpose of the philosophy. For Plato, the image of the cave summed up man’s destined path, emerging from the darkness of material existence to the light of a higher and more spiritual truth. Aristotle thought otherwise. Instead of rising above mundane reality, he insisted, the philosopher’s job is to explain how the real world works, and how we can find our place in it. Aristotle set up a school in Athens to rival Plato’s Academy the Lyceum. The competition that ensued between the two schools, and between Plato and Aristotle, set the world on an intellectual adventure that lasted through the Middle Ages and Renaissance and that still continues today.
From Martin Luther (who named Aristotle the third great enemy of true religion, after the devil and the Pope) to Karl Marx (whose utopian views rival Plato’s), heroes and villains of history have been inspired and incensed by these two master philosophers—but never outside their influence.
Accessible, riveting, and eloquently written, The Cave and the Light provides a stunning new perspective on the Western world, certain to open eyes and stir debate.
Praise for The Cave and the Light
“A sweeping intellectual history viewed through two ancient Greek lenses . . . breezy and enthusiastic but resting on a sturdy rock of research.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Examining mathematics, politics, theology, and architecture, the book demonstrates the continuing relevance of the ancient world.”—Publishers Weekly
“A fabulous way to understand over two millennia of history, all in one book.”—Library Journal
“Entertaining and often illuminating.”—The Wall Street Journal
Arthur Herman,The Cave and the Light Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization,Random House Trade Paperbacks,0553385666,Civilization,History Surveys - Ancient Classical,Aristotle,Aristotle - Influence,Civilization, Western - Greek influences,Civilization, Western;Greek influences.,Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.),Philosophy, Ancient,Philosophy, Ancient.,Plato,Plato - Influence,ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY,Ancient - Greece,Classical history / classical civilisation,GENERAL,General Adult,Greece,HISTORY / Civilization,HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE (GENERAL),History,History - General History,History/Ancient - Greece,History/World,History World,Influence,Non-Fiction,PHILOSOPHY / History Surveys / Ancient Classical,PHILOSOPHY / History Surveys / General,Philosophy, Ancient,Philosophy, Ancient.,Philosophy/History Surveys - Ancient Classical,Plato,Plato - Influence,Reference / General,United States,philosophy books;history gifts;gifts for history buffs;world history;philosophy;history;aristotle;plato;ancient greece;history of philosophy;western civilization;history books;nonfiction books;historical non fiction;culture;cultural history;society;social history;non fiction;social studies;history book;historical;historical non fiction books;non fiction history books;books about history;books about history for adults;non fiction books;historic;nonfiction;reference books;reference;books for men,philosophy; history; aristotle; plato; ancient greece; history of philosophy; western civilization; history books; nonfiction books; historical non fiction; culture; cultural history; society; social history; non fiction; social studies; history book; historical; historical non fiction books; non fiction history books; books about history; books about history for adults; non fiction books; historic; nonfiction; reference books; reference; books for men; philosophy books; history gifts; gifts for history buffs; world history,Ancient - Greece,HISTORY / Civilization,History/Ancient - Greece,PHILOSOPHY / History Surveys / Ancient Classical,PHILOSOPHY / History Surveys / General,Philosophy/History Surveys - Ancient Classical,Reference / General,History - General History,Ancient Philosophy,History Of Civilization And Culture (General),Influence,History,History World,Classical history / classical civilisation
The Cave and the Light Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization [Arthur Herman] on . bbThe definitive sequel to New York Times/i bestseller How the Scots Invented the Modern World /iis a magisterial account of how the two greatest thinkers of the ancient world
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