by Paul Johnson (2011)
Socrates is often called the father of philosophy. Yet he left no writings, so what we know of his life and ideas comes from the works of his contemporaries. Socrates taught--and strove to embody--that how each of us chooses to live and die has great meaning. By constantly examining one's life and actions, a philosophy of ethics is born. As Plutarch observed, "He was the first person to demonstrate that life is open to philosophy at all times, in every part, among all kinds of people, and in every experience and activity." In this biography, historian Paul Johnson situates Socrates in the life of fifth-century B.C. Athens, and his wide range of acquaintances, from the local grocer to the leading politicians, dramatists, and scholars. By studying his life and times, we benefit from his philosophy, for as Cicero said, "Socrates was the first to call Philosophy down from the skies ... and introduce her into people's homes, and force her to investigate ordinary life, ethics, good and evil."--From publisher description.
Thomas Hobbes
This first of two volumes contains the letters of Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), supplemented with explanatory notes, and full biographical and bibliographical information. This publication sheds new light on the intellectual life of a major European thinker.
Flavius Philostratus translated by F.C. Conybeare
"In the Life of Apollonius, the Athenian author Philostratus, a sophist who lived from c.170 to c.247, tells the story of Apollonius of Tyana, a charismatic teacher and miracle worker from the first century CE who belonged to the school of Pythagoras. It is an apologetic work, in which Philostratus tries to show that Philostratus was a man with divine powers, but not a magician. He also pays attention to Apollonius' behavior as a sophist"--Publisher's website.
Jacques Maritain
Jacques Maritain (18 November 1882 - 28 April 1973) was a French Catholic philosopher. Raised as a Protestant, he converted to Catholicism in 1906. An author of more than 60 books, he helped to revive St. Thomas Aquinas for modern times and is a prominent drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dominique Suriano
Disciple de Descartes, ayant des vues sur tout, l'abbé de Saint-Pierre multiplia les propositions de réforme dans les domaines les plus variés de la vie sociale et politique. Ses interventions plus ou moins heureuses constituent un véritable "corpus utopique" annonçant, avec près d'un demi-siècle d'avance, la philosophie des lumières. L'histoire a retenu essentiellement sa présence en 1712 au traité d'Utrecht qui lui inspira un " Projet de paix perpétuelle" (1713), dans lequel il propose la création d'une Confédération des Etats Européens.