Abstract

Book synopsis: The towering figures of Plato and Aristotle tend to overshadow their philosophical and scientific precursors, such as Protagoras and Heraclitus. However, it was these earlier thinkers who created the climate in which they could flourish. Recent scholarhip has emphasized the originality of these pioneers of rationalism, and this book shows how Plato's whole career, and especially his most famous work, should be seen as a response to their dynamic challenge.