This book is a specific piece of intellectual history. Petros Vrailas-Armenes, a 19th-century Greek scholar and diplomat, presents the French philosopher Alfred Fouillée's interpretation of Socrates to a Greek-speaking audience. Fouillée saw Socrates not just as a questioner, but as a thinker whose ideas about conscious freedom and morality could address modern problems. Vrailas-Armenes translates and adapts this view, creating a bridge between French academic thought and Greek cultural revival.

Why You Should Read It

Don't expect a simple biography of Socrates. The value here is in the layers of interpretation. You get Fouillée's 19th-century French take on ancient philosophy, filtered through the mind of a Greek patriot who believed these ideas mattered for his nation's future. It's a snapshot of how ideas were repackaged and reused across borders. The writing is academic for its time, but you can feel the author's conviction that these philosophical concepts about duty and society had real, urgent application.

Final Verdict

This is a niche but rewarding read. It's perfect for readers interested in the history of ideas, especially how classical philosophy was revived and debated in the 1800s. If you enjoy seeing how different cultures reinterpret foundational thinkers, this book is a compelling case study. It's not a light introduction to Socrates, but rather a short, deep dive into one particular moment in his long intellectual afterlife.