“Book Descriptions: Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks is a publication of an incomplete book by Friedrich Nietzsche. Intending publication, he'd a clean copy made from notes written ca. 1873. In it he discussed five Greek philosophers of the 6-5th centuries: Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides & Anaxagoras. He'd intended to include Democritus, Empedocles & Socrates. The book ends abruptly after a discussion of Anaxagoras' cosmogony. Nietzsche stated he wanted to present the outlooks of very worthy individuals who originated in ancient Greece from 600-400 BCE. "The task is to bring to light what we must ever love & honor." He wanted future humans to be able to say, "So this has existed--once, at least--& is therefore a possibility, this way of life, this way of looking at the human scene." By selecting only a few doctrines for each philosopher, he hoped to exhibit their personalities. He felt it important to know about them because they were dedicated to finding the truth about life & the world. Their concern was with the elaboration of their unique personal point of view. The pre-Socratics existed at a time when Greece was at its height. In such a time of success, they had the independent strength to question the general worth of existence. Tragedians of that age addressed the same issue with their plays. With Plato, philosophers lost their own individual stylistic unities. Their works & personalities were combinations of previous types. They became sectarian & didn't contribute to a unified culture. They didn't live in accordance with their personal outlooks. Plato & subsequent philosophers lacked a pure, unified style.” DRIVE