Prof. Houlgate understands that it is impossible to understand the Western philosophical tradition without having at least a basic understanding of Plato. It is written clearly and responsibly; I would recommend it for anyone seeking a better understanding of the Western philosophical tradition. It would also be useful for any introductory course in Philosophy- and I have taught my share of these. Indeed I plan to recommend it to my upper division Ancient Philosophy students next year.
Plato Unwound: Professor Laurence Houlgate has written an excellent elucidation of the arguments comprising the quintessence of Plato’s philosophy as articulated in the dialogues. Houlgate’s characterization of the structure of Plato’s arguments not only clarifies and analyzes the structure of those arguments, he provides the reader with a detailed explanation of the criteria by which different types of argument, e.g., deductive, inductive, analogical, etc. are evaluated in terms of their rational coherence and soundness. In so doing Prof. Houlgate gives the reader the basic logically analytic tools for the assessment of philosophical arguments and scientific theories whatever the subject matter. This is the stuff of philosophical analysis tout court and therein lies the added value of Houlgate’s volume. It’s more than a companion to Plato’s Dialogues (and, as he stresses, not a replacement or substitute for the original texts.) It is in itself an excellent introduction to the concepts that comprise and motivate logically analytic philosophy.
