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Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Western philosophy > Ancient Western philosophy to c 500
This book is devoted to the last part of Aristotle's collection of
short treatises known today as the Parva Naturalia, i.e. the
treatise On Youth and Old Age, on Life and Death, on Respiration.
In the three main sections of the book, the author offers a
translation, a commentary and a thorough analysis of this work. The
author argues in favour of the unity of the work and contextualises
its ideas within Aristotle's corpus and the medical tradition of
his time. After an Introduction to the nature of the work and its
significance for the history of natural philosophy and science, a
new English translation follows, along with a detailed commentary
of Chapters 1-6, which combines philosophical discussion with
philological observations. The book includes four interpretive
essays, which tackle problems related to the whole treatise on a
more philosophical basis, including questions about the structure
and unity of the work, the organisation of the material,
Aristotle's methodological principles, his aims and target audience
as well as the relevance of his selected themes to the thematic
agenda of some Hippocratic writings. This book is of interest to
students and researchers in Aristotle's psychophysiology, and his
views about the embodied mind, as well as to anyone concerned with
the history of natural philosophy and science more generally.
This book examines how ancient authors explored ideas of kingship
as a political role fundamental to the construction of civic unity,
the use of kingship stories to explain the past and present unity
of the polis and the distinctive function or status attributed to
kings in such accounts. It explores the notion of kingship offered
by historians such as Herodotus, as well as dramatists writing for
the Athenian stage, paying particular attention to dramatic
depictions of the unique capabilities of Theseus in uniting the
city in the figure of the 'democratic king'. It also discusses
kingship in Greek philosophy: the Socratics' identification of an
'art of kingship', and Xenophon and Isocrates' model of 'virtue
monarchy'. In turn, these allow a rereading of explorations of
kingship and excellence in Plato's later political thought, seen as
a critique of these models, and also in Aristotle's account of
total kingship or pambasileia, treated here as a counterfactual
device developed to explore the epistemic benefits of democracy.
This book offers a fascinating insight into the institution of
monarchy in classical Greek thought and society, both for those
working on Greek philosophy and politics, and also for students of
the history of political thought.
The Bibliotheca Teubneriana, established in 1849, has evolved into
the world's most venerable and extensive series of editions of
Greek and Latin literature, ranging from classical to Neo-Latin
texts. Some 4-5 new editions are published every year. A team of
renowned scholars in the field of Classical Philology acts as
advisory board: Gian Biagio Conte (Scuola Normale Superiore di
Pisa) Marcus Deufert (Universitat Leipzig) James Diggle (University
of Cambridge) Donald J. Mastronarde (University of California,
Berkeley) Franco Montanari (Universita di Genova) Heinz-Gunther
Nesselrath (Georg-August-Universitat Goettingen) Dirk Obbink
(University of Oxford) Oliver Primavesi (Ludwig-Maximilians
Universitat Munchen) Michael D. Reeve (University of Cambridge)
Richard J. Tarrant (Harvard University) Formerly out-of-print
editions are offered as print-on-demand reprints. Furthermore, all
new books in the Bibliotheca Teubneriana series are published as
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Edwin Hartman offers an account of his intellectual journey from
Aristotle to organization theory to business ethics to an
Aristotelian approach to business ethics. Aristotle's work in
metaphysics and psychology offers some insights into the
explanation of behavior. Central to this sort of explanation is
characteristically human rationality. Central to successful
organizations is characteristically human sociability. That human
beings are by nature rational and sociable is the basis of
Aristotle's ethics. Though a modern organization is not a polis in
Aristotle's sense, it has good reason to treat people as rational
and sociable on the whole, and thereby to preserve the organization
as a commons of people linked by something much like Aristotle's
account of strong friendship. Organizations that are successful in
this respect, particularly those that deal with a nationally
diverse workforce, may offer a far-reaching and attractive model.
The present book is the English version of a monograph 'Die
aristotelische Syllogistik', which first appeared ten years ago in
the series of Abhand 1 lungen edited by the Academy of Sciences in
Gottingen. In the preface to the English edition, I would first
like to express my indebtedness to Mr. J. Barnes, now fellow of
Oriel College, Oxford. He not only translated what must have been a
difficult text with exemplary precision and ingenuity, but followed
critically every argument and check ed every reference. While
translating it, he has improved the book. Of those changes which I
have made on Mr. Barnes' suggestion I note only the more important
ones on pages 4, 12, 24sq, 32, 39, 6lsq, and 158. Since the second
edition of the German text appeared in 1963 some further reviews
have been published, or come to my notice, which I have 2 been able
to make use of in improving the text of this new edition. I must
mention here especially the detailed critical discussions of my
results and arguments published by Professor W. Wieland in the
Philosophische Rundschau 14 (1966), 1-27 and by Professor E.
Scheibe in Gnomon 39 (1967), 454-64. Both scholars, while agreeing
with the main drift and method of my interpretation, criticise some
of my results and disagree with some of my arguments. It would not
be possible to discuss these technical matters here with the
necessary thoroughness."
This volume presents, in Syriac and English, Job of Edessa's
encyclopedic work covering all manner of scientific topics. It will
be of interest to readers interested in Aristotelianism and the
intellectual climate of the Middle East around the ninth century.
Consensus holds that Lucretius admired the literary prestige of
Homeric epos, the form that Ennius famously introduced to Latin
literature. However, some hold that Lucretius disagreed with
Ennius' quasi-Pythagorean claim to be Homer reborn, and so uniquely
qualified to adapt Homeric poetry to the Latin language. Likewise,
received wisdom holds that Lucretius followed in the path of poets
writing in the wake of Ennius' Annales, most of whom employed an
Ennian style. However, throughout the De Rerum Natura, Lucretius'
use of Ennius' Annales as a formal model for a long discursive poem
in epic meter was neither inevitable nor predictable, on the one
hand, nor meaningful in the simple way that critical consensus has
always maintained. Jason Nethercut posits that Lucretius selected
Ennius as a model precisely to dismantle the values for which he
claimed Ennius stood, including the importance of history as a
poetic subject and Rome's historical achievement in particular. As
the first book to offer substantial analysis of the relationship
between two of the ancient world's most impactful poets, Ennius
Noster: Lucretius and the Annales fills an important gap not only
in Lucretian scholarship, but also in our understanding of Latin
literary history.
Nietzsche and Classical Greek Philosophy: Beautiful and Diseased
explains Friedrich Nietzsche's ambivalence toward Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle. Daw-Nay N. R. Evans Jr. argues that Nietzsche's
relationship to his classical Greek predecessors is more subtle and
systematic than previously believed. He contends that Nietzsche's
seemingly personal attacks on his philosophical rivals hide
philosophically sophisticated disputes that deserve greater
attention. Evans demonstrates how Nietzsche's encounters with
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle reveal the philosophical influence
they exercised on Nietzsche's thought and the philosophical
problems that he sought to address through those encounters. Having
illustrated Nietzsche's ambivalence Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle,
Evans draws on Nietzsche's admiration for Heraclitus as a
counterpoint to Plato to suggest that the classical Greek
philosophers are just as important to Nietzsche's thought as their
pre-Socratic precursors. This book will appeal to those interested
in continental philosophy, ancient philosophy, and German studies.
In Friendship, Italian philosopher Claudia Baracchi explores the
philosophical underpinnings of friendship. Tackling the issue of
friendship in the era of Facebook and online social networks
requires courage and even a certain impertinence. The friendship
relationship involves trust, fidelity, and availability for
profound sharing. Sociologists assure us this attitude was never
more improbable than in our time of dramatic anthropological
reconfiguration. Research on friendship cannot therefore ignore
ancient thought: with unparalleled depth, Friendship examines the
broader implications of relationship, both emotional and political.
Today, the grand socio-political structures of the world are
trembling. The hold of valued paradigms that traditionally
positioned individuals, determined their destinies, and assigned
them their roles and reciprocal responsibilities is becoming
uncertain. In these many global shifts, previously unforeseen
possibilities for individual and collective becoming are unleashed.
Perhaps friendship has to do with worlds that are not: that are not
yet, and that should be desired all the more. Focusing on the works
of Aristotle, Baracchi explores ancient reflections on friendship,
in the belief that they have much to teach us about our
relationships in the present day.
"Parmenides is one of Plato's most challenging and interesting
dialogues. By means of a conversation with the aged philosopher
Parmenides, Plato conducts a detailed critical examination of a
central tenet of his own philosophy, the Theory of Forms.
Parmenides then introduces a series of exercises in dialectic
centered on the idea of 'the one'. Many scholars contend that this
critique and subsequent intellectual exercise is designed to pave
the way for a more mature understanding and defense of the Theory
of Forms, but it continues to be a subject of much speculation and
fascination. Despite or perhaps because of its complexity,
Parmenides is a key work illuminating the later thought of one of
the world's most influential philosophers.
AUTHORITATIVE AND ACCESSIBLE, THIS LANDMARK WORK IS THE FIRST
SINGLE-VOLUME HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY SHARED FOR DECADES 'A
cerebrally enjoyable survey, written with great clarity and touches
of wit' Sunday Times The story of philosophy is an epic tale: an
exploration of the ideas, views and teachings of some of the most
creative minds known to humanity. But there has been no
comprehensive history of this great intellectual journey since
1945. Intelligible for students and eye-opening for philosophy
readers, A. C. Grayling covers with characteristic clarity and
elegance subjects like epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, logic,
and the philosophy of mind, as well as the history of debates in
these areas, through the ideas of celebrated philosophers as well
as less well-known influential thinkers. The History of Philosophy
takes the reader on a journey from the age of the Buddha, Confucius
and Socrates. Through Christianity's dominance of the European mind
to the Renaissance and Enlightenment. On to Mill, Nietzsche,
Sartre, then the philosophical traditions of India, China and the
Persian-Arabic world. And finally, into philosophy today.
This new edition introduces the reader to the philosophy of early
Christianity in the second to fourth centuries AD, and
contextualizes the philosophical contributions of early Christians
in the framework of the ancient philosophical debates. It examines
the first attempts of Christian thinkers to engage with issues such
as questions of cosmogony and first principles, freedom of choice,
concept formation, and the body-soul relation, as well as later
questions like the status of the divine persons of the Trinity. It
also aims to show that the philosophy of early Christianity is part
of ancient philosophy as a distinct school of thought, being in
constant dialogue with the ancient philosophical schools, such as
Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, and even Epicureanism and
Scepticism. This book examines in detail the philosophical views of
Christian thinkers such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria,
Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Basil, and Gregory of Nyssa, and
sheds light in the distinct ways they conceptualized traditional
philosophical issues and made some intriguing contributions. The
book's core chapters survey the central philosophical concerns of
the early Christian thinkers and examines their contributions.
These range across natural philosophy, metaphysics, logic and
epistemology, psychology, and ethics, and include such questions as
how the world came into being, how God relates to the world, the
status of matter, how we can gain knowledge, in what sense humans
have freedom of choice, what the nature of soul is and how it
relates to the body, and how we can attain happiness and salvation.
This revised edition takes into account the recent developments in
the area of later ancient philosophy, especially in the philosophy
of Early Christianity, and integrates them in the relevant
chapters, some of which are now heavily expanded. The Philosophy of
Early Christianity remains a crucial introduction to the subject
for undergraduate and postgraduate students of ancient philosophy
and early Christianity, across the disciplines of classics,
history, and theology.
The importance of Stoicism for Gilles Deleuze's Logic of Sense and
Michel Foucault's Hermeneutics of the Subject and The Care of the
Self is well known. However, few students of either classics or
philosophy are aware of the breadth of French and Italian
receptions of Stoicism. This book firstly presents this broad field
to readers, and secondly advances it by renewing dialogues with
ancient Stoic texts. The authors in this volume, who combine
expertise in continental and Hellenistic philosophy, challenge our
understanding of both modern and ancient concepts, arguments,
exercises, and therapies. It conceives of Stoicism as a vital
strand of philosophy which contributes to the life of contemporary
thought. Flowing through the sustained, varied engagement with
Stoicism by continental thinkers, this volume covers Jean-Paul
Sartre, Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault, Julia Kristeva, Alain
Badiou, Emile Brehier, Barbara Cassin, Giorgio Agamben, and Pierre
Hadot. Stoic sources addressed range from doxography and well-known
authors like Epictetus and Seneca to more obscure authorites like
Musonius Rufus and Cornutus.
Cosmological narratives like the creation story in the book of
Genesis or the modern Big Bang are popularly understood to be
descriptions of how the universe was created. However, cosmologies
also say a great deal more. Indeed, the majority of cosmologies,
ancient and modern, explore not simply how the world was made but
how humans relate to their surrounding environment and the often
thin line which separates humans from gods and animals. Combining
approaches from classical studies, anthropology, and philosophy,
this book studies three competing cosmologies of the early Greek
world: Hesiod's Theogony; the Orphic Derveni theogony; and
Protagoras' creation myth in Plato's eponymous dialogue. Although
all three cosmologies are part of a single mythic tradition and
feature a number of similar events and characters, Olaf Almqvist
argues they offer very different answers to an ongoing debate on
what it is to be human. Engaging closely with the ontological turn
in anthropology and in particular with the work of Philippe
Descola, this book outlines three key sets of ontological
assumptions - analogism, pantheism, and naturalism - found in early
Greek literature and explores how these competing ontological
assumptions result in contrasting attitudes to rituals such as
prayer and sacrifice.
The first collection of essays devoted to the Arabic philosopher
Averroes's brilliant Commentary on Plato's "Republic," which
survived the medieval period only in Hebrew and Latin translations.
The first collection of essays devoted entirely to the medieval
philosopher Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" includes a
variety of contributors from across several disciplines and
countries. The anthology aims to establish Averroes as a great
philosopher in his own right, with special and unique insight into
the world of Islam, as well as a valuable commentator on Plato. A
major feature of the book is the first published English
translation of Shlomo Pines's 1957 essay, written in Hebrew, on
Averroes. The volume explores many aspects of Averroes's
philosophy, including its teachings on poetry, philosophy,
religion, law, and government. Other sections trace both the
inspiration Averroes's work drew from past philosophers and the
influence it had on future generations, especially in Jewish and
Christian Europe. Scholars of medieval philosophy, ancient
philosophy, Jewish studies, and the history of political thought
more generally will find important insights in this volume. The
anthology is also intended to provide the necessary background for
teachers aiming to introduce Averroes's commentary into the
classroom. With the Republic regularly appearing near the top of
lists of the most frequently taught books in the history of
philosophy, this volume shows how the most important medieval
commentary on it deserves a place in the curriculum as well.
Book 2 of the Physics is arguably the best introduction to
Aristotle's work, both because it explains some of his central
concepts, such as nature and the four causes, and because it asks
questions that are still debated today: Is chance something real?
If so, what? Can nature be explained by chance, necessity and
natural selection, or is it purposive? Philoponus' commentary is
not only a valuable guide, but also a work of Neoplatonism with its
own views on causation, the Providence of Nature, the problem of
evil and the immortality of the soul. Includes notes on the text,
and English-Greek glossary and index.
In each of Plato's "dialogues of definition" (Euthyphro, Laches,
Meno, Charmides, Lysis, Republic I, Hippias Major), Socrates
motivates philosophical discussion by posing a question of the form
"What is F-ness?" Yet these dialogues are notorious for coming up
empty. Socrates' interlocutors repeatedly fail to deliver
satisfactory answers. Thus, the dialogues of definition are often
considered negative- empty of any positive philosophical content.
Justin C. Clark resists the negative reading, arguing that the
dialogues of definition contain positive "Socratic" answers. In
order to see the positive theory, however, one must recognize what
Clark calls the "dual function" of the "What is F-ness?" question.
Socrates is not looking for a single type of answer. Rather,
Socrates is looking for two distinct types of answers. The "What is
F-ness?" question serves as a springboard for two types of
investigation- conceptual and causal. The key to understanding any
of the dialogues of definition, therefore, is to decipher between
them. Clark offers a way to do just that, at once resolving
interpretive issues in Socratic philosophy, providing systematic
interpretations of the negative endings, and generating important
new readings of the Charmides and Lysis, whilst casting further
doubt on the authenticity of the Hippias Major.
Plato is a well-known critic of rhetoric, but in the Phaedrus, he
defends the art of rhetoric, arguing that it can be perfected with
the aid of philosophy. In Reason, Rhetoric, and the Philosophical
Life in Plato's Phaedrus, Tiago Lier provides a new and
comprehensive interpretation of this important dialogue. He argues
that Plato's defense of rhetoric is based on philosophy's ethical
nature, and that philosophy is a way of life rather than a body of
knowledge. For Plato, an essential element of both rhetoric and the
philosophical life is that every use of speech, whether to persuade
or to learn, depends upon the psychology of the speaker and the
audience. Lier shows how Socrates develops a dynamic account of
this psychology over the course of the dialogue in order to help
Phaedrus understand how he is personally engaged in, and shaped by,
every act of communication. Only when we grasp the tension between
eros and logos will we discover the limitations of the art of
rhetoric and that rhetoric alone cannot show us what we truly
desire. Instead, Lier concludes, the greatest power of speech is to
reveal to ourselves our own desires and understanding of our place
in the world. This continual self-reflection is the philosophical
life around which Socrates and Plato fashion their distinctive
forms of rhetoric. The insights developed in this book will be of
particular relevance to students and scholars of ancient
philosophy, classics, and rhetorical theory, but it will also be of
interest to those working in political science, literary studies,
and communication studies.
Nelida Naveros Cordova carefully draws from a variety of texts
within the Philonic corpus to provide a complete sourcebook for an
introduction to Philo. After a general introduction, she
consolidates the major topics and themes commonly studied in Philo
into seven chapters: Philo's theology, his doctrine of creation,
his anthropology, his doctrine of ethics, his metaphorical
interpretation of biblical characters, his exposition of the Jewish
Law and the Decalogue, and Jewish worship and major observances.
For each chapter, Naveros Cordova provides a brief introduction and
overview of the topics in their cultural and religious contexts
highlighting Philo's philosophical thought and the significance of
his biblical interpretation. The sourcebook consists mostly of
fresh translations with few authorial comments with an attempt to
introduce and present Philonic texts to the introductory reader to
give broad exposure to the nature of Philo's literal and
allegorical biblical interpretations. From start to finish, the
book emphasizes the unity of the ethical character of Philo's
thought considered the basic spectrum of his biblical exegesis.
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