Everybody's always saying "Start with the Greeks" - but how exactly do I start...

Everybody's always saying "Start with the Greeks" - but how exactly do I start? I obviously don't want to dig through every piece of literature, but much rather read some secondary literature on Greek philosophy, that provides commentary, context and explanations to the concepts that have been introduced and had influences on the philosophers in the future. Can anybody recommend such works?

Other urls found in this thread:

docs.google.com/document/d/1y8_RRaZW5X3xwztjZ4p0XeRplqebYwpmuNNpaN_TkgM/edit
historyofphilosophy.net/
plato.stanford.edu/index.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_of_the_Orders
twitter.com/SFWRedditVideos

Just read the primary sources, you pussy. Plato and Aristotle, off you go.

Don't start with the Greeks tbh

install gentoo

docs.google.com/document/d/1y8_RRaZW5X3xwztjZ4p0XeRplqebYwpmuNNpaN_TkgM/edit

historyofphilosophy.net/

Follow this guide alongside the History of Philosophy podcast. Should give you a better grasp of the subject than all the pseudo-intellectual faggots here.

But if you are here and a pseudo-intellectual faggot, why should I trust you?

Why not start with communists?

You don't have to. The guide directs you to read the source material from most major western philosophers. If you think you know better you should find your own way, but don't think wikipedia or secondary sources are worth shit unless you want to be a pseudo-intellectual faggot like all the philosophy posters here.

Most of the greeks were basic bitches. Read the German idealist and young Hegelians.

"Start with the Greeks" is a stupid, harmful meme

Start with any Beginner's Guide To Philosophy, and go from there

Ignore the pretentious twats who tell you to start with the greeks, they are all pseuds

Start with Plato specifically and get your hands on this book if possible it contains all his works and will introduce you to a lot of Greek philosophical ideas.

If you think Plato was right in the dialogues as voice boxed through (Socrates, Athenian Stranger and Parmenides) Then try early roman and christian philosophy.

If you thought the Sophists were right, try the presocratics and Aristotle's book on rhetoric. Once done with those go on to modern philosophy. Sophistry only recently became fashionable again.

If you thought Plato wasn't autistic enough or not scientific enough. Go with Democritus first and then Aristotle.

If you thought the Athenian aristocrats were right. Rest easy we live in the same type of corrupt democracy.

If you thought the old man was right at the start of the Republic, stop reading and start fucking.

I can't even read this shit in a year

If an ancient dude could write it, you can read it easily. Besides no one told you to read it all at once.

You actually should start with the Greeks, but you don't have to go into too much depth. Guide I posted is for people that want to go into it hardcore. You need to know the Greeks some before you get into the later material and secondary sources are generally shit.

The SEP has great articles, too.

plato.stanford.edu/index.html

I feel like if you took philosophy 101 and 102 in college like I did, you don't really need to read the greeks that much. I understand most of their basic concepts.

Pretty good

Bumping for interest

If you want to understand western civilization you start with the greek philosophers, also read the bible.
Of course philosophy has moved on way past the greeks, but thats were it all starts.
Also "start with the greeks" is a dumb meme /lit/ invented

Plato (/ˈpleɪtoʊ/;[a][1] Greek: Πλάτων[a] Plátōn, pronounced [plá.tɔːn] in Classical Attic; 428/427 or 424/423[b] – 348/347 BCE) was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He is widely considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy, especially the Western tradition.[2] Unlike nearly all of his philosophical contemporaries, Plato's entire œuvre is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years.[3]

Along with his teacher, Socrates, and his most famous student, Aristotle, Plato laid the very foundations of Western philosophy and science.[4] Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."[5] In addition to being a foundational figure for Western science, philosophy, and mathematics, Plato has also often been cited as one of the founders of Western religion and spirituality.[6] Friedrich Nietzsche, amongst other scholars, called Christianity, "Platonism for the people."[7] Plato's influence on Christian thought is often thought to be mediated by his major influence on Saint Augustine of Hippo, one of the most important philosophers and theologians in the history of Christianity.

I majored in philosophy, obviously Greek thought isn't at the forefront of what people are doing currently, but without learning at least Plato and Aristotle you would be missing a lot of context and background arguments. I only know of one successful western philosopher who ignored learning about the Greeks entirely and that was Wittgenstein. Let me tell you something your average reader aint motherfucking Wittgenstein not even fucking close, they aren't even a Bertrand Russel on his worse day and he made some absolutely stupid mistakes. Their asses better read whatever can give themselves a fuller understanding of the context and ideas in which they're trying to understand.

That is of course if your main aim is to learn about philosophy in general. If you only want to read about philosophy to have a better understanding of social theorists and political arguments obviously only read the ancient texts that might shed some light on those. Also a lot of these "works" are a third the size of a modern novel, if you can read three hundred pages of erotic fan fiction before you wank off in one sitting, you can read Plato's republic easily.

...

...

Yeah it's really going to cut into your shitposting time.

Not greek but The uprising of Spartacus was considered one of the first times the lowerclass went against the upperclass

In modern times, Spartacus became an icon for communists and socialists. Karl Marx listed Spartacus as one of his heroes and described him as "the most splendid fellow in the whole of ancient history" and a "great general (though no Garibaldi), noble character, real representative of the ancient proletariat".[52] Spartacus has been a great inspiration to left-wing revolutionaries, most notably the German Spartacus League (1915–18), a forerunner of the Communist Party of Germany.[53] A January 1919 uprising by communists in Germany was called the Spartacist uprising.[50]

Spartacus's name was also used in athletics in the Soviet Union and communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. The Spartakiad was a Soviet bloc version of the Olympic games.[54] This name was also used for the mass gymnastics exhibition held every five years in Czechoslovakia. Numerous sports clubs in the Soviet and the Eastern bloc were named Spartak, such as the Spartak sport society, FC Spartak Moscow,[55] PFC Spartak Varna, PFC Spartak Pleven, FC Spartak Plovdiv (Bulgaria), FC Spartak Trnava (Slovakia).

.

Don't even bother with philosophy,it's really a bunch of bullshit.

The greeks are boring and lame. Start with Thomas Aquinas. That's a propper philosopher.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_of_the_Orders

Nice try Holla Forums.

Fine, but you should read some. I would recommend Homer (either Iliad or the Odyssey), Sophocles' Three Theban Plays, either Herodotus or Thucydides, the Presocratics, Plato, and Aristotle at a minimum.

Again this is fine but even reading just the works/authors I mentioned above will deepen your experience and understanding immensely. Hamilton's Mythology and Magee's History of Philosophy are two good complementary texts. Kagan also wrote a book about Thucydides, though I can't remember what it was called, but I really enjoyed it.

Don't listen to the "start with the Greeks is a meme" posters ITT, it might be a meme but it's a smart one.