Socrates

In this book Christopher Taylor explores the relationship between the historical Socrates and the engaging and infuriating figure who appears in Plato s dialogues and examines the enduring image of Socrates as the ideal exemplar of the philosophic life a thinker whose moral and intellectual integrity permeated every detail of his life even in the face of betrayal and execution by his fellow Athenians About the Series Combining authority with wit accessibility and style Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life s most interesting topics Written by experts for the newcomer they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics from philosophy to Freud quantum theory to Islam Oxford s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects from Islam to Sociology Literary Theory to History and Archaeology to the Bible Not simply a textbook of definitions each volume provides trenchant and provocative yet always balanced and complete discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question demonstrating how the subject developed and how it influenced society Eventually the series will encompass every major academic discipline offering all readers an accessible and abundant reference library Whatever area of study one deems important or appealing whatever topic fascinates the general reader the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable Niccolo Machiavelli taught that political leaders must be prepared to do evil that good may come of it and his name has been a byword ever since for duplicity and immorality Is his sinister reputation deserved In answering this question Quentin Skinner focuses on three major works The Prince the Discourses and The History of