One of the questions I'm most commonly asked is "What books should I read first?" There are many different approaches you could take. So bear in mind this is just my typical recommendation and it might not suit everyone. It's geared toward a
One of the questions I'm most commonly asked is "What books should I read first?" There are many different approaches you could take. So bear in mind this is just my typical recommendation and it might not suit everyone. It's geared toward a more balanced appreciation of Socrates rather than Plato's philosophy.
- Diogenes Laertius, chapter on Socrates from Lives and Opinions
- The Apology of Plato, and Apology of Xenophon
- The Symposium of Plato, and Symposium of Xenophon
- Plato's Euthyphro and Crito – portraying the last days of Socrates, before and after his trial
- The Memorabilia of Xenophon
- Either more of the early dialogues of Plato or Book 1 of The Republic
We have three main ancient sources for the life and philosophy of Socrates: Plato, Xenophon, and Diogenes Laertius. There's a lot to read by Plato, especially as his most famous work, The Republic, spans ten "books" (or chapters). We also have surviving Socratic dialogues attributed to Xenophon. In addition, we have short biographies of Socrates and his most famous students written some 500 years later by Diogenes Laertius. Diogenes is less reliable than Plato and Xenophon but nevertheless valuable because he probably had access to other ancient texts, which are lost to us today.
Most people probably try to read Plato's Republic first but that can be a daunting task. I would normally recommend starting with the chapter on Socrates in Diogenes Laertius because it's easier to read, and provides a good introduction. I created a special e-book containing the relevant excerpts, which you can download free of charge.
The Life and Opinions of Socrates
Next, I'd normally recommend reading Plato's Apology because it's also quite short and one of his best known works. I'd also recommend comparing it to Xenophon's Apology. You'll get a good sense of Socrates' character from these two texts, and become familiar with the similarities and differences between our two main sources. Those texts provide a fascinating vignette depicting one of the most important events in Socrates' life but they only deal lightly with his philosophy.
I'd suggest that the next thing you read should be Plato's Symposium. This is a longer text but one of Plato's most famous and most accessible dialogues. It depicts Socrates at a drinking party engaging in philosophical banter about the nature of love but it also adds several vivid details about his life and character. Most people find it easier to read than The Republic so it makes a good starting point. Conveniently, we also have Xenophon's Symposium, so you can read that next for comparison. Xenophon's Symposium will als