Plato for Everyone

Description

Five of Plato's most famous dialogues rewritten as accessible and entertaining short stories with a modern setting. How do we decide what is good and bad? What is virtue? What constitutes a meaningful life? These are some of the intractable, still-relevant questions that the ancient Greek philosopher Plato grappled with 2,500 years ago. Unfortunately, Plato's dialogues, featuring his famous mentor Socrates, often prove too difficult to understand for many contemporary readers. "Plato for Everyone" remedies this problem by recasting five of Plato's dialogues into accessible and entertaining short stories in modern settings. Author Aviezer Tucker, who has taught philosophy for many years, captures the tone, wit, and philosophical essence of Plato's dialogues in a modern English translation that both enlightening and enjoyable to read.

Aviezer Tucker has taught philosophy at universities around the world, he currently teaches at the University of Texas.

""Plato for Everyone is a refreshing and relevant transposition of Plato's dialogues to contemporary times. Tucker has done a masterful job of recasting Socrates in current contexts, which today's students can readily grasp. This book is both accessible and instructive, illustrating why love of wisdom has no expiry date." - Lou Marinoff, PhD, professor of philosophy, the City College of the City University of New York; author of Plato Not Prozac "In Plato for Everyone Aviezer Tucker ingeniously rewrites ancient texts for a twenty-first-century audience. The result is a provocative and fresh introduction to philosophy, where old ideas are put to new use and Socrates speaks English with only a slight Greek accent. Philosophy is notoriously a nut hard to crack, but this book may just do the job." - Costica Bradatan, PhD, author of Dying for Ideas: The Dangerous Lives of the Philosophers "Aviezer Tucker brings Socrates to life in this sparkling collection of revised, updated versions of Plato's most influential dialogues. Tucker's prose is clear, brisk, witty, and poignant. His staging of the dialogues in contemporary settings places their central teachings in sharp, vibrant relief. This is the perfect first book for aspiring philosophers, thoughtful minds, and precocious souls of any predilection. I look forward to reading this book with my own children." - Daniel Conway, PhD, professor of philosophy, Texas A&M University "Profound and full of humor, Plato for Everyone is a peerless introduction to Plato for today's reader - student and philosopher alike. Tucker preserves Plato's spirit and philosophical complexity in stories that breathe new life into the most famous Platonic dialogues. Tucker's unique presentation of Plato is perfect for the classroom and beyond." - Seth Rogoff, history instructor, Southern Maine Community College