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Augustus: Invitation to Philosophy
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
5 days and 17:10:15
100 copies available
U.S. only
Enter the mind of Rome’s greatest emperor.
Ingenious and fascinating … Neel Burton rivals the greats. All those who love history and philosophy should read this book.
— Readers’ Favorite
According to the historian Suetonius, the emperor Augustus wrote an invitation (or exhortation) to philosophy. If this is true, it would have been inspired by Cicero’s famous Hortensius, which was, in turn, informed by Aristotle’s Protrepticus. Tragically, all three protreptics have been lost, depriving us of antiquity’s most popular, inspiring, and potentially life-changing genre of philosophy.
This concise, readable work is an imaginative reconstruction of the first Roman emperor’s invitation to philosophy, based on arguments and anecdotes gleaned from other ancient authors, including Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Cicero, Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. It features Augustus in conversation with his two young grandsons (who were also his adopted sons and heirs), Gaius and Lucius, in the forlorn hope that they might one day rise into philosopher-kings, or, even, philosopher-emperors.
At his trial, Socrates declaimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. But what are the arguments behind this slogan, and why should we, today, take up the study of philosophy?
Among the arguments, you will
How to feel more alive.When to disobey your parents.The dangers of teaching the wrong person.The key differences between man, animal, plant, and god.Why money could never buy happiness.Why people never consult a philosopher.Why death is your second-best friend.How best to participate in eternity.And much, much more.
A paean to the life of the mind. If you enjoyed the Stoic Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, you will absolutely love this book.
—Charles Mauleverer, composer
What a lovely idea, to reconstruct the emperor Augustus’s lost Invitation to Philosophy. Neel Burton has done so with admirable scholarship and imagination.
—Prof Armand d'Angour, classical scholar and author of Socrates in Love
Ingenious and fascinating … Neel Burton rivals the greats. All those who love history and philosophy should read this book.
— Readers’ Favorite
According to the historian Suetonius, the emperor Augustus wrote an invitation (or exhortation) to philosophy. If this is true, it would have been inspired by Cicero’s famous Hortensius, which was, in turn, informed by Aristotle’s Protrepticus. Tragically, all three protreptics have been lost, depriving us of antiquity’s most popular, inspiring, and potentially life-changing genre of philosophy.
This concise, readable work is an imaginative reconstruction of the first Roman emperor’s invitation to philosophy, based on arguments and anecdotes gleaned from other ancient authors, including Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Cicero, Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. It features Augustus in conversation with his two young grandsons (who were also his adopted sons and heirs), Gaius and Lucius, in the forlorn hope that they might one day rise into philosopher-kings, or, even, philosopher-emperors.
At his trial, Socrates declaimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. But what are the arguments behind this slogan, and why should we, today, take up the study of philosophy?
Among the arguments, you will
How to feel more alive.When to disobey your parents.The dangers of teaching the wrong person.The key differences between man, animal, plant, and god.Why money could never buy happiness.Why people never consult a philosopher.Why death is your second-best friend.How best to participate in eternity.And much, much more.
A paean to the life of the mind. If you enjoyed the Stoic Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, you will absolutely love this book.
—Charles Mauleverer, composer
What a lovely idea, to reconstruct the emperor Augustus’s lost Invitation to Philosophy. Neel Burton has done so with admirable scholarship and imagination.
—Prof Armand d'Angour, classical scholar and author of Socrates in Love
92 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2024
8 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Neel Burton
45 books260 followersDr Neel Burton is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the winner of several book prizes including, the feather in his cap, a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work features regularly in the likes of Aeon and Psychology Today and has been translated into several languages. When he is not reading or writing, or imbibing, he enjoys cooking, gardening, skiing, learning languages, visiting museums and gardens, and travelling, especially to wine regions.
His books include:
- The Meaning of Myth (Ancient Wisdom 1)
- Stoic Stories (Ancient Wisdom 2)
- The Meaning of Madness (Ataraxia 1)
- Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ataraxia 2)
- Heaven and Hell: The Psychology of the Emotions (Ataraxia 3)
- For Better for Worse: Essays on Sex, Love, Marriage, and More (Ataraxia 4)
- Hypersanity: Thinking Beyond Thinking (Ataraxia 5)
- The Art of Failure: The Anti Self-Help Guide (Ataraxia 6)
- Growing from Depression
- The Secret to Everything: How to Live More and Suffer Less, and
- The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting
www.neelburton.com
His books include:
- The Meaning of Myth (Ancient Wisdom 1)
- Stoic Stories (Ancient Wisdom 2)
- The Meaning of Madness (Ataraxia 1)
- Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ataraxia 2)
- Heaven and Hell: The Psychology of the Emotions (Ataraxia 3)
- For Better for Worse: Essays on Sex, Love, Marriage, and More (Ataraxia 4)
- Hypersanity: Thinking Beyond Thinking (Ataraxia 5)
- The Art of Failure: The Anti Self-Help Guide (Ataraxia 6)
- Growing from Depression
- The Secret to Everything: How to Live More and Suffer Less, and
- The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting
www.neelburton.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 1, 2025
What a beautiful, creative and readable book Neel Burton has written. Augustus: Invitation to Philosophy, is a brilliant reconstruction of a conversation Emperor Augustus may of had with his two grandsons Gaius and Lucius about the wonders and importance of living a philosophical life. This short book reads like a play.
Burton created this book based on fragments of works from Augustus himself and from other ancient philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus and Cicero) Such a unique piece of work! I raise my glass of Cabernet to you Neel Burton!
Burton created this book based on fragments of works from Augustus himself and from other ancient philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus and Cicero) Such a unique piece of work! I raise my glass of Cabernet to you Neel Burton!
November 2, 2024
Excellent primer for Plato
This accessible dialogue will whet your appetite for climbing (or re-climbing in my case) the steeper mountains of Plato. It’s filled with allusions that would delight those familiar with Stoicism, Cicero, and Roman history. But even without that background, you will still gain a wealth of wisdom.
This accessible dialogue will whet your appetite for climbing (or re-climbing in my case) the steeper mountains of Plato. It’s filled with allusions that would delight those familiar with Stoicism, Cicero, and Roman history. But even without that background, you will still gain a wealth of wisdom.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews