George James was a professor at a small black college in Arkansas during the 1950s when he wrote this book. Originally from Guyana, he was an intellectual who studied African and European classics. He soon realized something was wrong with the way the history of philosophy had been documented by Western scholars. Their biggest mistake, according to James, was they had assumed philosophy had started with the Greeks. James had found that philosophy was almost entirely from ancient Egypt and that the records of this had not only been distorted but, in many cases, deliberately falsified. His conclusion was that there was no such thing as Greek philosophy because it was stolen from the Egyptians. As a result, this was one of the first books to be banned from colleges and universities throughout North America. Although opponents have eventually found some flaws, it remains a groundbreaking book to this day. Even the famous Greek historian from the 5th century, Herodotus, admitted that the Greeks had borrowed many important ideas and concepts from the Egyptians. These ideas covered not just philosophy, but also medicine, architecture, politics and more. The purpose of this book is to restore the truth about African contributions to higher thought and culture.

Challenging the notion that civilization started in Greece, this uncompromising classic attempts to prove that the true authors of Greek philosophy were not Greeks but Egyptians. The text asserts that the praise and honor blindly given to the Greeks for centuries rightfully belong to the people of Africa, and argues that the theft of this great African legacy led to the erroneous world opinion that the African continent has made no contribution to civilization. Quoting such celebrated Greek scholars as Herodotus, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Thales, and Pythagoras, who admit to the influence of Egyptian studies in their work, this edition sheds new light on traditional philosophical and historical thought. Originally published in 1954, this book features a new introduction.

For centuries the world has been misled about the original source of the Arts and Sciences; for centuries Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have been falsely idolized as models of intellectual greatness; and for centuries the African continent has been called the Dark Continent, because Europe coveted the honor of transmitting to the world, the Arts and Sciences. It is indeed surprising how, for centuries, the Greeks have been praised by the Western World for intellectual accomplishments which belong without a doubt to the Egyptians or the peoples of North Africa.

"Stolen Legacy," by Dr. George G. M. James, is a controversial work first published in 1954. To the consternation of some, James dared to assert that the Greeks were not the authors of Greek philosophy, and that so-called Greek philosophy was in fact based upon the primary ideas and concepts borrowed-without acknowledgement-from the ancient Egyptians. Written during Dr. James tenure at the University of Arkansas, "Stolen Legacy" raises more thought-provoking questions and uncomfortable questions than it answers. Though many may disagree with James' findings, his book confirms the words of Solomon, "there is nothing new under the sun." Truth and wisdom has been in existence since time began. Greek culture learned much from the Egyptians. Alexander the Great and the Ptolemy dynasty were Greek, but they did not disturb the religion or the customs of the Egyptians, and indeed built magnificent new temples for the Egyptian gods. Ptolemy I, perhaps with advice from Demetrius of Phalerum, founded the Museum and Library of Alexandria, a key academic, literary, and scientific center which drew the top Greek scholars. In "Stolen Legacy," James shows how famous Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were heavily influenced by Egyptian culture, and how many of their teachings were what they had learned from the Egyptians.