How they changed the world, and how they can change it again.

This is the best book on philosophy I have ever read, and I have four master's degrees. -- Philip van Heusen for Readers' Favorite

For better or worse, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle engineered the Western mind.

Above all, they formed part of a movement that stood at the crossroads of mythological and scientific-rational thought, at the crossroads of mythos and logos. Although the path of logos had already been beaten by the pre-Socratics, and would be paved by the Stoics, it is they, the Gang of Three, who forced the chariot to turn.

This book sets out to do three things: trace the journey from mythos to logos; outline the lives and thought of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; and consider their legacy, and what can still be gained from them, especially in the universal fields of mental health and human flourishing.

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were not philosophers in the narrow sense that we understand today, but in the broader, historical, etymological sense of being lovers of wisdom. They knew logic and dialectic, but they also knew how to live, and how to die -- and it is in this, perhaps, that their greater strength lies.

About the author

Dr Neel Burton FRSA is a psychiatrist and philosopher. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the recipient of several book prizes including, most recently, a BIBA (2024). His work has featured in the likes of Aeon and Psychology Today, and been translated into several languages.

Editorial reviews

Anyone who loves philosophy, history, and the history of ideas will thoroughly enjoy reading Burton's book. -- The US Review of Books

Burton offers abundant insights, and effectively connects the work of three famous philosophers to the struggles of modern-day readers. -- The BookLife Prize

Precise and profound without being pedantic... A government of the wise and virtuous that seeks the happiness of all seems as far away as ever. This book brings us near the philosophers who troubled to think through these things. -- Relibro

As humanity faces deepening crises, Burton is increasingly turning to the wisdom of the ancients for answers. Through his work, he seeks to bridge the gap between ancient philosophy and modern challenges, offering insights that resonate deeply in today's troubled world. -- Plato's Academy Centre, Athens

Contents list

Preface
Introduction

Part I: The Presocratics and Sophists

1. The Pre-Socratic Movement
2. The Milesian School: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes
3. The Second Pre-Socratic Phase: Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Parmenides
4. The Third Pre-Socratic Phase: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
5. The Sophists: Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias

Part II: Socrates

6. History of Athens up to the Time of Socrates
7. The Socratic Question
8. Socrates at First
9. Socrates on a Mission
10. Socrates at War
11. Socrates in Love
12. Socrates on Trial

Part III: Plato

13. Life and Works
14. Meno
15. Phaedo
16. Phaedrus
17. Republic
18. Theaetetus

Part IV: Aristotle

19. Life, Biology, and Works
20. Practical Sciences: Ethics and Politics
21. Organon: Logic and Dialectic
22. Productive Sciences: Rhetoric and Poetics
23. Theoretical Sciences: Physics and Metaphysics

Conclusion: The Gang of Three

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