Book Review: Socrates' Children Vol. 1 by Peter Kreeft

Socrates' Children Volume 1: Ancient Philosophers by Peter Kreeft

Unable to find a satisfactory introduction to philosophy text for beginners, Peter Kreeft wrote his own four-volume work. His idea was to have a text that covers the history of philosophy by discussing the one hundred greatest philosophers. The text has four volumes, covering (1) the ancient philosophers (roughly 1000 BC to AD 400s), medieval philosophers (500s to 1300s), modern philosophers (1400s to 1700s), and contemporary philosophers (1800s to present). Most books that cover all this range are too long or too dry or too simplistic (or some combination of the three) for someone first learning about philosophy. Kreeft argues that the best thing is to read these authors in their original texts, but sometimes that is not easy. Like Netflix or YouTube, there are too many options to choose from without some sort of guide. This series provides that sure start to further investigation.

He calls the book "Socrates' Children" because Socrates is both the prime example of what a philosopher should be like and it can be argued that every thinker after him grappled with one or more ideas Socrates philosophized about. Twentieth-century philosopher Alfred North Whitehead is famous for saying that European philosophy is "a series of footnotes to Plato." Plato was the student of Socrates and wrote extensively about his teacher, though at some point in Plato's works he switched from presenting Socrates' ideas to using Socrates as a mouthpiece for Plato's own ideas. Socrates never wrote anything, so we rely on Plato and other authors. Since they were contemporaries of each other and of Socrates, they surely would have ratted each other out if they misrepresented the Socratic method.

Socrates did not claim to be wise but to be a lover (philia) of wisdom (sophia). He went about asking questions of people, trying to clarify their thoughts and ideas, which were often muddled and imprecise. This method leads to a deeper understanding even when it didn't come to a decisive conclusions. He used logic and common sense to get to the bottom of things, or as close as he could come. This method, which tends to point out errors and misjudgments, was not very popular with people on the receiving end of a Socratic conversation. Socrates was tried for impiety (he taught the Greek gods (Zeus, Hera, Ares, etc.) were not true gods) and for corrupting youth (he passed on his "impiety" to others). Found guilty by the court, Socrates was executed, a martyr for the truth.

Subsequent philosophers (and the handful before Socrates) all looked for truth, even if it was hard to find. This volume starts with the pre-Socratic philosophers and even goes back further to the ancient sages like Solomon, Zoroaster, Shankara, Confucius, and Jesus, who provide great insights and have had substantial influences on intellectual life the world over. After Socrates, Kreeft presents Greek and Roman philosophers, working his way through skeptics, cynics, hedonists, and ending with Plotinus, the founder of neo-Platonism. Well, that's the end of the ancient philosophers.

Kreeft presents brief overviews of each philosopher (though Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are much longer than others because they had much more to say and much more impact). He recommends key texts and secondary sources for learning more. And he tells their stories, often humorous incidents that show their beliefs in action. A reader can easily skip to people of interest (or come back to them) and branch out into other works to get an even better understanding. Kreeft's style is very readable and accessible. This book is an excellent start to learn more about philosophy and how it grew.

Highly recommended. I am looking forward to the other three volumes.