The field of ancient Greek ethics is increasingly emerging as a major branch of philosophical enquiry, and students and scholars of ancient philosophy will find this Companion to be a rich and invaluable guide to the themes and movements which characterised the discipline from the Pre-Socratics to the Neo-Platonists. Several chapters are dedicated to the central figures of Plato and Aristotle, and others explore the ethical thought of the Stoics, the Epicureans, the Skeptics, and Plotinus. Further chapters examine important themes that cut across these schools, including virtue and happiness, friendship, elitism, impartiality, and the relationship between ancient eudaimonism and modern morality. Written by leading scholars and drawing on cutting-edge research to illuminate the questions of ancient ethics, the book will provide students and specialists with an indispensable critical overview of the full range of ancient Greek ethics.

Knowledge and Ignorance of Self in Platonic Philosophy is the first volume of essays dedicated to the whole question of self-knowledge and its role in Platonic philosophy. It brings together established and rising scholars from every interpretative school of Plato studies, and a variety of texts from across Plato's corpus - including the classic discussions of self-knowledge in the Charmides and Alcibiades I, and dialogues such as the Republic, Theaetetus, and Theages, which are not often enough mined for insights about this crucial philosophical topic. The rich variety of readings and hermeneutical methods (as well as the comprehensive research bibliography included in the volume) allows for an encompassing view of the relevant scholarly debates. The volume is intended to serve as a standard resource for further research on Plato's treatment of self-knowledge, and will highlight the relevance of Plato's thought to contemporary debates on selfhood, self-reflection and subjectivity.

This collection of essays focuses on the reception of Plato and Greek political thought in the work of some major (pre)Victorian classical scholars and expands on a remarkable range of hotly debated issues on the interpretation of Greek antiquity. The central figure in this volume is the radical philosopher, utilitarian, and Platonist George Grote, whose works on the history of Greece and Plato moved away from traditional models of classical interpretation. His works and their background are critically explored in light of his philosophical commitment and political radicalism. Article IV brings to light a forgotten manuscript by Grote, "On the Character of Socrates," produced in the 1820s. Grote sought to counter the current literature on ancient Greece and its predominant motifs, which is here examined in its own right along with an independent study on Bishop Connop Thirlwall's influential History of Greece. The second half of this volume is devoted to analyzing important aspects of the revival of Platonic studies in the ideological and discursive context of early and middle Victorian times. This collection of essays presents comprehensive and illuminating contextual analyses of nineteenth-century works on classical reception, providing simultaneously a rich bibliographic guide to further research.

The Epicureans were notorious in antiquity for denigrating most forms of civic participation and for rejecting those cultural activities (such as poetry, music, and rhetoric) which are broadly labelled "paideia." In this, as in all else, they ostensibly took their cue from Epicurus and the other founders of the School. In contrast to this, the Epicurean Philodemus, who lived and wrote in Italy in the first century B.C., presents an interesting case. For a substantial portion of his surviving work is preoccupied with investigations into this "paideia" and with demonstrating how an orthodox Epicurean is to approach them. This book selects one of those investigations, the first two books of Philodemus' "On Rhetoric," An annotated translation is provided of the most recent edition of this text (Longo Auricchio 1977) which is followed by a series of essays which aim to clarify Philodemus' conception of, and approach to, the problem of rhetoric for Epicureans, and in particular the way he manages citations from the works of the founders to support his arguments against other Epicureans who take a different view. The book constitutes a very helpful guide to this fragmentary and difficult text.

This new translation presents two works, one by Epictetus and the other by Cebes, two ancient Greek philosophers of the Imperial period, in new translations of clear, straightforward English. In this book, readers will learn how to sustain emotional harmony and a 'good flow of life' whatever fortune may hold in store for them. This modern English translation of the complete Handbook is supported by and includes: * the first thorough commentary since that of Simplicius, 1500 years ago * a detailed introduction * extensive glossary * index of key terms * chapter-by-chapter discussion of themes * helpful tables that clarify Stoic ethical doctrines as a glance. Accompanying the Handbook is the Tablet of Cebes, a curious and engaging text. In complete contrast, yet complementing the Handbook's more conventional philosophical presentation, the Tablet shows progress to philosophical wisdom as a journey through a landscape inhabited by personifications of happiness, fortune, the virtues and vices.

This volume offers the most comprehensive survey available of the philosophical background to the works of early Christian writers and the development of early Christian doctrine. It examines how the same philosophical questions were approached by Christian and pagan thinkers; the philosophical element in Christian doctrines; the interaction of particular philosophies with Christian thought; and the constructive use of existing philosophies by all Christian thinkers of late antiquity. While most studies of ancient Christian writers and the development of early Christian doctrine make some reference to the philosophic background, this is often of an anecdotal character, and does not enable the reader to determine whether the likenesses are deep or superficial, or how pervasively one particular philosopher may have influenced Christian thought. This volume is designed to provide not only a body of facts more compendious than can be found elsewhere, but the contextual information which will enable readers to judge or clarify the statements that they encounter in works of more limited scope. With contributions by an international group of experts in both philosophy and Christian thought, this is an invaluable resource for scholars of early Christianity, Late Antiquity and ancient philosophy alike.

This new translation presents two works, one by Epictetus and the other by Cebes, two ancient Greek philosophers of the Imperial period, in new translations of clear, straightforward English. In this book, readers will learn how to sustain emotional harmony and a 'good flow of life' whatever fortune may hold in store for them. This modern English translation of the complete Handbook is supported by and includes: * the first thorough commentary since that of Simplicius, 1500 years ago * a detailed introduction * extensive glossary * index of key terms * chapter-by-chapter discussion of themes * helpful tables that clarify Stoic ethical doctrines as a glance. Accompanying the Handbook is the Tablet of Cebes, a curious and engaging text. In complete contrast, yet complementing the Handbook's more conventional philosophical presentation, the Tablet shows progress to philosophical wisdom as a journey through a landscape inhabited by personifications of happiness, fortune, the virtues and vices.

First published in 1925, this thoughtful volume constitutes an excellent English introduction to one of the great ancient historians. Originating from its author's re-reading of Thucydides during World War I, it sought to place Thucydides not as the production of a remote world, but instead of one instilled with present life and reality. Dealing especially well with Thucydides' method as a historian, this volume focuses less on military aspects and more on Thucydides' approach to foreign policy, democracy, imperialism and the struggle for power.

With selections of philosophers from Thales to Sextus Empiricus, this new anthology provides significant learning support and historical context for the readings along with a wide variety of pedagogical assists. Biographical headnotes, reading introductions, study questions, and special "Prologues" and "Philosophical Overviews" help students understand and appreciate the philosophical concepts under discussion. "Philosophical Bridges" discuss how the work of earlier thinkers would influence philosophers to come, and place major movements in a contemporary context showing students how the schools of philosophy interrelate and how various philosophies apply to the world today. In addition to this volume of Ancient Philosophy, a comprehensive survey of the whole of Western philosophical history and other individual volumes for each of the major historical eras are also available for specialized courses.

This five-volume set of previously out-of-print titles reissues some key works on Socrates, examining the man, his philosophy and the debates surrounding it, and his influence. With a mixture of newer and older books, this collection encompasses a wide spectrum of scholarship.

The purpose of this book, first published in 1957, is to make a critical analysis of the controversial Socratic problem. The Socratic issue owes its paramount difficulty not only to the status of available source materials, but also to the diversity of opinion as to the proper use of these materials. This volume offers a new approach to the problem, and a starting point to further investigations.

In this book, first published in 1927, the author presents us with three conversations, fables, that, beautiful in themselves, also have a direct bearing on what is being discussed: Death and the Hereafter; Justice; and the Kingdom of Heaven.

The articles in this volume deal with the four major philosophical positions of the presocratic period: The arguments of Parmenides and Zeno against earlier or contemporary pluralist theories The three pluralist responses of Empedocles, Anaxagoras and the early Atomists.

This book, originally published in 1965, discusses the political implication of the spread of science in antiquity. It reveals how the real Greek spirit of scientific research was crushed by Plato and Aristotle, long thought-of as searchers for truth. Historian such as Polybius and Livey and the poets Pinder and Virgil are seen in a new light when set against this background of social struggle.

This book studies the pilgrimage of the Ancient World in its search for moral truth. After a brief examination of the values which dominated Homeric society and the subsequent aristocracies, the central portion of the book is an account and analysis of the moral ideas which illuminated the Greek, Roman and Hebrew worlds during the classical period. The volume discusses the cardinal virtues, the place of friendship, Plato's love, philanthropia and the moral insights of the Jewish prophets and subsequently examines Christian love.

This book, first published in 1978, is a radical approach to the philosophical distinction between Being and beings, in which the life of Socrates is used as the metaphor for the theoretical life, in contrast to the continuous historical interest in that life as an object for biographical reconstruction and description. Professor Blum's main concern is to develop a story that coordinates stages of the theoretical life to practices which exemplify man's ideal relationship with language.

This book, first published in 1992, introduces some of Socrates' problems and some of the problems about him. It seeks at the same time to advance new views, arguments and information on Socrates' mission, techniques, ethics and later reception. From civil disobedience to ethics, this collection provides stimulating discussions of Socrates' life, thought and historical significance.

"Open Democracy envisions what true government by mass leadership could look like."-Nathan Heller, New Yorker How a new model of democracy that opens up power to ordinary citizens could strengthen inclusiveness, responsiveness, and accountability in modern societies To the ancient Greeks, democracy meant gathering in public and debating laws set by a randomly selected assembly of several hundred citizens. To the Icelandic Vikings, democracy meant meeting every summer in a field to discuss issues until consensus was reached. Our contemporary representative democracies are very different. Modern parliaments are gated and guarded, and it seems as if only certain people-with the right suit, accent, wealth, and connections-are welcome. Diagnosing what is wrong with representative government and aiming to recover some of the lost openness of ancient democracies, Open Democracy presents a new paradigm of democracy in which power is genuinely accessible to ordinary citizens. Helene Landemore favors the ideal of "representing and being represented in turn" over direct-democracy approaches. Supporting a fresh nonelectoral understanding of democratic representation, Landemore recommends centering political institutions around the "open mini-public"-a large, jury-like body of randomly selected citizens gathered to define laws and policies for the polity, in connection with the larger public. She also defends five institutional principles as the foundations of an open democracy: participatory rights, deliberation, the majoritarian principle, democratic representation, and transparency. Open Democracy demonstrates that placing ordinary citizens, rather than elites, at the heart of democratic power is not only the true meaning of a government of, by, and for the people, but also feasible and, today more than ever, urgently needed.

Bringing together the history of educational philosophy, political philosophy, and rhetoric, this book examines the influence of the philosopher Isocrates on educational thought and the history of education. Unifying philosophical and historical arguments, Muir discusses the role of Isocrates in raising two central questions: What is the value of education? By what methods ought the value of education to be determined? Tracing the historical influence of Isocrates' ideas of the nature and value of education from Antiquity to the modern era, Muir questions normative assumptions about the foundations of education and considers the future status of education as an academic discipline.

Since Friedrich Schleiermacher s work in the 1800s, scholars interested in the literary dimension of Plato s writings have sought to reconcile the dialogue form with the expository imperative of philosophical argument. It is now common for mainstream classicists and philosophers to attribute vital importance to literary form in Plato, which they often explain in terms of rhetorical devices serving didactic goals. This study brings the disciplines of literary and classical studies into methodological debate, questioning modern views of Plato s dialogue form.

In the first part of this book, David Schur argues that the literary features of Plato s dialogues when treated as "literary cannot be limited to a single argumentative agenda. In the second part, he demonstrates the validity of this point by considering a rhetorical pattern of self-reflection that is prominent in the Republic." He emphasizes that Plato s book consistently undermines the goal-driven conversation that it portrays. Offering a thought-provoking blend of methodological investigation and methodical close reading, Schur suggests that the Republic" qualifies the authority of its conclusions by displaying a strong countercurrent of ongoing movement."

Were the most serious philosophers of the millennium 200 A.D. to 1200 A.D. just confused mystics? This book shows otherwise. John Martin rehabilitates Neoplatonism, founded by Plotinus and brought into Christianity by St. Augustine. The Neoplatonists devise ranking predicates like good, excellent, perfect to divide the Chain of Being, and use the predicate intensifier hyper so that it becomes a valid logical argument to reason from God is not (merely) good to God is hyper-good. In this way the relational facts underlying reality find expression in Aristotle's subject-predicate statements, and the Platonic tradition proves able to subsume Aristotle's logic while at the same time rejecting his metaphysics. In the Middle Ages when Aristotle's larger philosophy was recovered and joined again to the Neoplatonic tradition which was never lost, Neoplatonic logic lived along side Aristotle's metaphysics in a sometime confusing and unsettled way. Showing Neoplatonism to be significantly richer in its logical and philosophical ideas than it is usually given credit for, this book will be of interest not just to historians of logic, but to philosophers, logicians, linguists, and theologians.

One of the most significant cultural achievements of Late Antiquity lies in the domains of philosophy and religion, more particularly in the establishment and development of Neoplatonism as one of the chief vehicles of thought and subsequent channel for the transmission of ancient philosophy to the medieval and renaissance worlds. Important, too, is the emergence of a distinctive Christian philosophy and theology based on a foundation of Greek pagan thought. This book provides an introduction to the main ideas of Neoplatonism and some of the ways in which they influenced Christian thinkers.

Socrates is one of the most influential philosophers in western civilisation, and Plato his most famous pupil. The Euthyphro, Apology of Socrates, Crito and the death scene from the Phaedo are Plato's account of Socrates' trial and execution, and together they provide the most important depiction of Socrates' ideas.
In this GuideBook, Brickhouse and Smith provide clear explanations of these texts for students coming to them for the first time. Situating the works in their historical context, the authors carefully go through each text, exploring the philosophical issues raised in an accessible way.
Plato and the Trial of Socrates is the ideal introduction to both the ideas of Socrates and the work of Plato.

Socrates is perhaps the most famous philosopher in the Western intellectual tradition. He raised fundamental questions, such as 'what is justice?' and 'does virtue produce happiness?'. Although he wrote nothing himself, he is the source of a vast literature, beginning with Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle, and continuing to the present day. In the two decades since the first Routledge Critical Assessments collection on Socrates was prepared for publication (Socrates (1996) (978-0-415-10968-0)), scholarly work has blossomed anew, not least in response to Gregory Vlastos's Socrates: Ironist and Moral Philosopher and Charles Kahn's Plato and the Socratic Dialogue. This new Routledge anthology, compiled by the editor of the first collection, takes full account of the many important developments that have taken place since the mid-1990s. Socrates II assembles in one easy-to-use resource the major works produced by established and rising scholars in this period on the topics covered in the original collection. It also gathers the very best material on additional themes, including: the possibility of Socratic Studies; Socratic irony; Socratic metaphysics; Socratic moral psychology; and Socrates on love. With a full index, together with a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Socrates II is an indispensable work of reference. It will interest not only scholars in the History of Philosophy, but also those working in Law, Political Science, and the History of Greek Religion.

This work offers the first complete reinterpretation of Empedocles - one of the founding figures of Western philosophy - since the publication of the Strasbourg papyrus in 1999 brought new fragments of his lost work to light. Simon Trépanier reconstructs a single original philosophical poem, against previous interpretations which allocate our extant fragments on two works: a religious poem, The Purifications, and a scientific poem, On Nature.
The resulting single work is best understood as a philosophical masterpiece whose function was to persuade the hearer of a radically new conception of the universe, one that combined a belief in reincarnation and afterlife judgment with a rigorous and uncompromising physics, both conceived in response to puzzles about thought and Being. While remaining sensitive to philological detail and the full range of available evidence, this study presents a revolutionary approach to a challenging author. The unity of his thought, now discernible for the first time, allows Empedocles a more coherent