The Bloomsbury Handbook of Plato

This well conceived and thoughtfully organized collection brings together scores of lucid and authoritative essays by many of the leading Plato scholars in the world. In this revised and updated second edition, it remains a reliable and congenial guide to the perplexities of Plato’s philosophy. * Glenn W. Most, Professor of Greek Philology (retired), Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy * This second edition of The Bloomsbury Handbook of Plato is most welcome. Some entries have been rewritten or updated, and some new well-informed entries added to offer a coherent introduction to even more aspects of Plato and his philosophy. This collection will be most helpful for beginners, but also will serve senior scholars. It is a treasure for anyone who is interested in the field of ancient philosophy. * Michael Erler, Professor Emeritus of Classic Philology, University of Würzburg, Germany * This handbook concisely introduces critical interpretations from antiquity to the present day, provides the background that sets the dialogues in context, and above all, reveals the depth and breadth of Plato’s philosophical legacy. The highly readable entries are expertly informed and refreshingly non-dogmatic, and the companion summarizes the dialogues, letters and spuria to leave the reader in a better position to interpret Plato. Highly recommended for Plato readers both novice and experienced. * Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Professor of Classics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA * (for the 1st edition) The editor has assembled a remarkably wide range of contributors, able to cover - as successfully as any team could, within the space of a single volume - the outlines of the complex and fissiparous world of Plato, Platonism, and Platonic interpretation up to the present day. The book represents a unique resource for advanced students and professional scholars alike. * Christopher Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Greek, Durham University, UK * (for the 1st edition)Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. * CHOICE * (for the 1st edition) Gerald Press and his associate editors, Harald Tarrant, Deborah Nails and Francesco Gonzalez, have given us a companion to turn (and return) to for succinct guidance about topics in Plato's philosophy, the intellectual context in which he wrote, and the many different historical and contemporary interpretations of his work . . . Both in overall conception and its individual entries this companion is much to be welcomed . . . The high standard of the contributions and the rich array of entries make this companion an excellent resource for courses on Plato or individual dialogues, while it also has much to offer to anyone who wants a concise and up-to-date introduction to aspects of Plato, his work, or his philosophy. * Albert Joosse, Universität Freiburg, Breisgau, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *