40 pages 1 hour read

Transl. Paul Woodruff, Thucydides

On Justice Power and Human Nature

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1874

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

Published in 1993, Paul Woodruff’s Thucydides: On Justice, Power, and Human Nature, Selections from The History of the Peloponnesian War is a curated collection of translations from Thucydides’s work about the Peloponnesian War. Woodruff includes key speeches and debates such as Pericles’s Funeral Oration, the Mytilenean debate, and the Melian dialogue, and his summaries and excerpts explore themes of justice, power, and human nature. Topics covered include war, plague, and civil unrest.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

On Justice Power and Human Nature by Paul Woodruff and Thucydides is praised for its accurate translation and insightful commentary, offering a profound understanding of Thucydides' work on political philosophy and human behavior. Some readers find it dense and challenging, but the intellectual rewards are widely recognized by scholars.

Who should read this

Who Should Read On Justice Power and Human Nature?

A reader fascinated by classical history, political philosophy, and the ethical dimensions of power would relish On Justice, Power, and Human Nature. Comparable works include Machiavelli's The Prince and Hobbes's Leviathan, ideal for those who appreciate profound insights into human behavior and governance.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Period

Ancient Greece

Topics

Philosophy

Military / War

Social Justice

Themes

Society: Community

Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos