Plato Complete Works (Volume II)

Author: [Ancient Greek] Plato Wang Xiaozhao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Renowned philosopher Zhou Guoping said, "In the realm of classical books, what deserves praise is The Collected Works of Plato. Plato was the greatest philosopher of Ancient Greece and the originator of Western philosophy, but his translated works have always been incomplete. Translator Wang Xiaozhao is a scholar specializing in Plato, who translated this entire collection directly from the Greek, filling the gap and making an immeasurable contribution. Plato's dialogues are undoubtedly a treasure left by Greek culture. They not only present one of the earliest, and for over two thousand years the most influential, rationalist philosophical systems in the history of Western philosophy; but they are also exceptionally beautiful works in literary history, especially in his early and middle dialogues, which are filled with witty and humorous conversations, interspersed with many moving myths and fables. His dialogues can be compared to the epic poems, famous tragedies, and comedies of ancient Greece, making them immortal literary masterpieces in the world. Therefore, they are not only essential reading for those studying philosophy and literature but also beloved by many people around the world. Professor Wang Xiaozhao's four-volume Collected Works of Plato is based on the Plato Anthology from the Loeb Classical Library edition of Greek texts. The translation is fluent and highly readable, and in terms of content arrangement, it draws inspiration from the internationally recognized authoritative English translation—The Collected Dialogues of Plato, edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. It adopts the short prefaces to each dialogue in that version as summaries for the corresponding dialogues in the Chinese translation, helping readers to better understand the main text. This volume includes the following dialogues: Euthydemus, Cratylus, Phaedrus, Symposium, Republic, Teaetetus, and Parmenides. Plato's dialogues are undoubtedly a treasure left by Greek culture. They not only present one of the earliest, and for over two thousand years the most influential, rationalist philosophical systems in the history of Western philosophy; but they are also exceptionally beautiful works in literary history, especially in his early and middle dialogues, which are filled with witty and humorous conversations, interspersed with many moving myths and fables. His dialogues can be compared to the epic poems, famous tragedies, and comedies of ancient Greece, making them immortal literary masterpieces in the world. Therefore, they are not only essential reading for those studying philosophy and literature but also beloved by many people around the world.