Third City (Routledge Revivals)

<p><em>The Third City</em>, first published in 1982, offers an innovative response to the troubled relationship between Western philosophy, as it has been conducted since the Renaissance, and the everyday lives of the communities in which we live. Bebek contends that the model of philosophical reflection is to be found in Plato’s dialogues, which, rather than simply describing utopia through a series of abstract ‘concepts’, were instead designed to impel the learner towards a recognition of the true nature of reality – as much a ‘self-recognition’ as an understanding of the world ‘out there’. Thus, in order to revive the spirit of true philosophy, it is necessary to avoid both the false extremes of idealism and materialism, and to allow ethics once more to merge with epistemology. </p><p>This title presents an exposition of this ethically based philosophy, allowing the very human insights of Plato to illumine the diverse problems of today.</p> <p>Acknowledgements; Preface; Introduction; <b>Part I: Aspect and Concept </b>1. Dialectic 2. Errors of Positivism 3. The Critique of Concepts 4. A New Materialism 5. Plato’s <i>Parmenides; </i><b>Part II: The Third City </b>7. Law of the Heart 8. The Ideal World 9. Division of Labour 10. The Vision of the City; <b>Part III: <i>Mythos </i></b>11. The Fall 12. Curing the City 13. The City as the Temple 14. Reconciliation; Conclusion; <b>Epilogue </b>I. The Barefoot Philosopher II. Immortality III. Sentiment; Bibliography; Index</p>