New copy - delivered FREE to any NZ address in 7-9 business days

This is a book about the invention of Western philosophy- and the first thinkers to explore ideas about the nature of reality- time- and the origin of the universe. It begins with the finding of the new papyrus fragment of Empedocles poem- and uses the story of its discovery and interpretation to highlight the way our understanding of early philosophers is marked by their presentation in later sources. Generations of philosophers- both ancient and modern- have traced their inspiration back to the presocratics- even though we have very few of their writings left. In this book- Catherine Osborne invites her readers to dip their toes into the fragmentary remains of thinkers from Thales to Pythagoras- Heraclitus to Protagoras- to try to fill in the bits of a jigsaw that has been rejigged many times and in many different ways. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.Our expert authors combine facts- analysis- perspective- new ideas- and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable....