What if the standard story of Western philosophy is backwards?
A book that makes you stop and rethink how you've been taught philosophy. ?Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
We are taught that philosophy moves forward?from myth to reason; from the Greeks to modern science; from Plato to progress. But The German Greeks argues the opposite: that modern German philosophy is not a break from ancient Greece, but its most sophisticated return.
Since German philosophy shaped much of modern thinking about science, politics, morality, religion, and culture, this reinterpretation challenges some of our deepest assumptions about the modern world.
Through the lives and ideas of Leibniz, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche, philosopher and psychiatrist Neel Burton traces the development of German philosophy while revealing how its greatest thinkers can be read as late Greek philosophers working in disguise.
Kant echoes Plato's limits on knowledge.
Hegel revives Aristotle's ambition to totalise reality.
Schopenhauer returns to the tragic worldview of ancient Greece.
Nietzsche replays Greek conflict, fate, and moral struggle.
If this is true, then the history of philosophy is not a straight line?but a recurring conversation whose deepest questions return in ever-new forms.
By the end, readers will see Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche not as isolated thinkers, but as participants in a single conversation spanning more than two millennia.
A provocative reinterpretation of German philosophy?and of the history of philosophy itself.
About the author
Dr Neel Burton is a philosopher and psychiatrist who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. His other books include The Gang of Three: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle; Stoic Stories: Stoicism by Its Best Stories; and Indian Mythology and Philosophy.
'As I wrote The German Greeks, I fell under the spell of each philosopher in turn, and I hope you will too.'
Editorial reviews
Neel Burton makes philosophy enjoyable for ordinary readers. There is so much packed into this book. ?Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
A fine, enjoyably readable and historically accurate book that informatively and excitingly portrays the lives of Leibniz, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche. ?Prof Robert Wicks, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Schopenhauer
Neel Burton's engaging style almost brings to life the major philosophers and their influential ideas. Rewarding reading for those wanting a brisk and essentialized tour of early modern philosophy. ?Prof Stephen R.C. Hicks, author of Explaining Postmodernism and Nietzsche and the Nazis
A fascinating, thought-provoking book. Neel Burton's approach is similar to Will Durant's, particularly in how he blends storytelling with philosophical insight. ?Carol Thompson, teacher of writing, book editor, and investigative journalist with over 50 reporting awards
I cannot imagine any of my college professors having Neel Burton's deft touch with metaphysics. With his sly asides and keen observations, he brings the long-dead German philosophers to life for those who live now. ?CR Hurst, author of biographies and teacher of writing
