Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy Books

Book SynopsisEmotions are the focus of intense debate both in contemporary philosophy and psychology and increasingly also in the history of ideas. Simo Knuuttila presents a comprehensive survey of philosophical theories of emotion from Plato to Renaissance times, combining rigorous philosophical analysis with careful historical reconstruction. The first part of the book covers the conceptions of Plato and Aristotle and later ancient views from Stoicism to Neoplatonism and, in addition, their reception and transformation by early Christian thinkers from Clement and Origen to Augustine and Cassian. Knuuttila then proceeds to a discussion of ancient themes in medieval thought, and of new medieval conceptions, codified in the so-called faculty psychology from Avicenna to Aquinas, in thirteenth century taxonomies, and in the voluntarist approach of Duns Scotus, William Ockham, and their followers. Philosophers, classicists, historians of philosophy, historians of psychology, and anyone interested in emTrade ReviewThe book offers a comprehensive, accurate, and textually supported description of the philosophical views of emotion from the fifth century BC to the fifteenth century AD. The wealth of references to primary sources, coupled with the consciousness in the presentation of numerous theoretical accounts, makes the monograph an ideal point of reference for the study of ancient and medieval approaches to emotion ... the book is, I believe, of interest to anyone currently working in the philosophy of emotions * Anthony Hatzimoysis, Mind *Knuutilla's book steers with a sure hand over the rough waters of the philosophical debates of ancient and medieval thought. * Anthony Hatzimoysis, Mind *Knuuttila has done an immense amount of research, covering an extraordinarily wide variety of sources ... it will be a fine resource for any who wish to see how ideas of the soul, and the place of emotions and other faculties and powers in it, evolved from classical antiquity to the high Middle Ages. It is the work of a scholar very much at home in the mediaeval scholastic tradition, who brings to the task a deep understanding of the kinds of reasoning in which these thinkers were engaged. Knuuttila's book will be an excellent starting point for any future investigations of the history of the emotions. * David Konstan, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Emotions in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy; 2. Emotions and the Ancient Pursuit of Christian Perfection; 3. Medieval Conceptions of Emotions from Abelard to Aquinas; 4. Emotions in Fourteenth-Century Philosophy; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisSt. Maximus the Confessor (580-662), was a major Byzantine thinker, a theologian and philosopher. He developed a philosophical theology in which the doctrine of God, creation, the cosmic order, and salvation is integrated in a unified conception of reality. Christ, the divine Logos, is the centre of the principles (the logoi ) according to which the cosmos is created, and in accordance with which it shall convert to its divine source. Torstein Tollefsen treats Maximus'' thought from a philosophical point of view, and discusses similar thought patterns in pagan Neoplatonism. The study focuses on Maximus'' doctrine of creation, in which he denies the possibility of eternal coexistence of uncreated divinity and created and limited being. Tollefsen shows that by the logoi God institutes an ordered cosmos in which separate entities of different species are ontologically interrelated, with man as the centre of the created world. The book also investigates Maximus'' teaching of God''s activities or energies, and shows how participation in these energies is conceived according to the divine principles of the logoi. An extensive discussion of the complex topic of participation is provided.Trade ReviewThis eminently thorough monograph provides a fine account of the cosmology of St Maximus, rightly christening it Christocentric yet remaining alive to its Trinitarian dimentions. ... This book does a great service in deepening and expanding our understanding of Maximus' well-known doctrine of the logoi. ... Readers with interests in later Byzantine and Orthodox theology will be fascinated by the presentation of Maximus' teaching on divine essence and energies as being firmly set on a Palamite trajectory. This is a careful and illuminating study of arguably the greatest Byzantine theologian. * Marcus Plested, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. The divine Ideas and the creation of the Cosmos ; 3. The Logos, the logoi and created beings ; 4. The divine activity ; 5. The concept of participation ; Conclusion ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Introduction to philosophy written by Porphyry at the end of the second century AD is the most successful work of its kind ever to have been published. It was translated into most respectable languages, and for a millennium and a half every student of philosophy read it as his first text in the subject. Porphyry''s aim was modest: he intended to explain the meaning of five terms, ''genus'', ''species'', ''difference'', ''property'', and ''accident'' - terms which he took to be important to Aristotelian logic and metaphysics, and hence to philosophy in general. Thus in principle the Introduction is simple and elementary. In fact, there are sometimes difficulties and doubts on the surface of the text - and beneath the surface there are frequent depths or profundities. The work raises, directly or indirectly, a number of perennial philosophical questions. In addition, the Introduction became, in Boethius''s Latin translation, the point of reference for one of the longest-lasting of phTrade Review...it should soon become essential reading for every scholar in medieval and renaissance studies. * Alan R. Perreiah, Transcendent Philosophy *... notable contribution to the scholarship on post-classical philosophy ... shed[s] valuable light on what philosophy would have meant to the church fathers ... a fundamental text in logic from the ancient world. * Sobornost *Jonathan Barnes has done us a considerable service in his translation of Porphyry's brief but enormously important overview of the basic categories of philosophy, the Introduction ... in this book Barnes has produced a masterful commentary that elucidates the text in terms of philosophy, history and philology. * Sobornost *The commentary achieves much more than mere elucidation of Porphyry's words. It analyses his arguments, tracks down their (mostly Aristotelian) origins, and vigorously pursues their logical and metaphysical implications. Barnes' mastery of the field is breathtaking. * RHIZAI *A full-scale English commentary has been long overdue on this text of immense historical importance. What Barnes provides us with is more than that - it is the most complete and authoritative modern work on Porphyry's Introduction to date. * RHIZAI *All through, Barnes gives a refreshing sense of cleaning off the layers of varnish on a cherished heirloom. * Michael Trapp, Times Literary Supplement *... an excellent piece of work. * Michael Trapp, Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; TRANSLATION ; COMMENTARY

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Book SynopsisDeterminism and Freedom in Stoic Philosophy is the first comprehensive study of one of the most important intellectual legacies of the ancient Greek world: the Stoic theory of causal determinism. The book identifies the main problems that the Stoics addressed and reconstructs the theory, and explores how they squared their determinism with their conceptions of possibility, action, freedom, and moral responsibility, and how they defended it against objections and criticism by other philosophers. It shows how the Stoics distinguished their causal determinism from ancient theories of logical determinism, fatalism, and necessitarianism. Along the way an authoritative account is given of many other related aspects of Stoic thought, including their views on the predictability of the future, the role of empirical sciences, the determination of character, and moral freedom. Bobzien''s study of these central doctrines of Stoicism reveals the considerable philosphical richness and power that theTrade ReviewThis is a work of magnificent scope and superb execution ... Suzanne Bobzien brings to her huge exegetical agenda an exceptional combination of clarity, independence of mind, knowledge of the sources, skill and judgement in using them, and logical expertise. As well as teaching us a great deal about Stoicism, this book is an education in how to deal with ancient philosophical texts ... Suzanne Bobzien has given us a marvellous aid for understanding and appreciating the Stoic doctrine of fate. * Sarah Broadie, Mind *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Determinism and Fate ; 2. Two Chrysippean Arguments for Causal Determinism ; 3. Modality, Determinism, and Freedom ; 4. Divination, Modality,and Universal Regularity ; 5. Fate, Action, and Motivation: The Idle Argument ; 6. Determinism and Moral Responsibility: Chrysippus's Compatibilism ; 7. Freedom and that which Depends on us: Epictetus and Early Stoics ; 8. A Later Stoic Theory of Compatibilism ; Bibliography; Indexes

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Book SynopsisWhat is the relation between time and change? Does time depend on the mind? Is the present always the same or is it always different? Aristotle tackles these questions in the Physics, and Time for Aristotle is the first book in English devoted to this discussion.Aristotle claims that time is not a kind of change, but that it is something dependent on change; he defines it as a kind of ''number of change''. Ursula Coope argues that what this means is that time is a kind of order (not, as is commonly supposed, a kind of measure). It is universal order within which all changes are related to each other. This interpretation enables Coope to explain two puzzling claims that Aristotle makes: that the now is like a moving thing, and that time depends for its existence on the mind. Brilliantly lucid in its explanation of this challenging section of the Physics, Time for Aristotle shows his discussion to be of enduring philosophical interest.Trade Review...elegantly-written...I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Aristotle, ancient metaphysics, or the philosophy of time... * Tony Roark, MIND *Table of ContentsI. INTRODUCTORY PUZZLES AND THE STARTING POINTS OF INQUIRY ; II. TIME'S DEPENDENCE ON CHANGE ; III. TIME AS A NUMBER AND TIME AS A MEASURE ; IV. THE SAMENESS AND DIFFERENCE OF TIMES AND NOWS ; V. TWO CONSEQUENCES OF ARISTOTLE'S ACCOUNT OF TIME

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Book SynopsisThe Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought series presents critical examinations of the work of major political philosophers and social theorists, assessing both their initial contribution and their continuing relevance to politics and society. Each volume provides a clear, accessible, historically informed account of a thinker''s work, focusing on a reassessment of the central ideas and arguments. The series encourages scholars and students to link their study of classic texts to current debates in political philosophy and social theory.In this authoritative general account of Plato''s political thought, a leading scholar of ancient Greek philosophy explores its key themes: education, democracy and its shortcomings, the role of knowledge in government, utopia and the idea of community, money and its grip on the psyche, ideological uses of religion. Between them these define what Plato considered to be the fundamental challenges for politics. All remain live issues. On all of Trade Review...intriguing... * TLS *Malcolm Schofield has written an outstanding overview and critical assessment of Plato's political philosophy. As befits a volume meant to be accessible to non-specialists, he ranges widely over many topics and emphasizes the ways in which Plato is still able to engage a contemporary reader committed to open-minded reflection on the norms that should govern the modern nation-state. At the same time, Schofield brings to this work a deep understanding of Plato's embeddedness in the culture of fifth and fourth century Athens * Richard Kraut, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Schofield is also thoroughly immersed in the enormous literature that has gathered around Plato's political writings, and he is unfailingly fair-minded in his treatment ... of other authors. There is no better way to enter this aspect of Plato's thought than to read this fine contribution to the series, Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought, edited by Mark Philp... It will endure as an indispensable guide not only to its principal subject - the Republic - but to all of Plato's political writings, and to their enduring interest today. * Richard Kraut, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Republic: contexts and projects ; 2. Athens, democracy, and freedom ; 3. Problematizing democracy ; 4. The rule of knowledge ; 5. Utopia ; 6. Money and the soul ; 7. Ideology ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisAristotle''s Prior Analytics marks the beginning of formal logic. For Aristotle himself, this meant the discovery of a general theory of valid deductive argument, a project that he had described as either impossible or impracticable, probably not very long before he actually came up with syllogistic reasoning. A syllogism is the inferring of one proposition from two others of a particular form, and it is the subject of the Prior Analytics. The first book, to which this volume is devoted, offers a fairly coherent presentation of Aristotle''s logic as a general theory of deductive argument.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; 1. TRANSLATION ; 2. COMMENTARY ; NOTES ON THE TEXT ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; GLOSSARY ; INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED ; GENERAL INDEX

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Book SynopsisJohn Palmer presents a new and original account of Plato''s uses and understanding of his most important Presocratic predecessor, Parmenides. Adopting an innovative approach to the appraisal of intellectual influence, Palmer first explores the Eleatic underpinnings of central elements in Plato''s middle-period epistemology and metaphysics. He then shows how in the later dialogues Plato confronts various sophistic appropriations of Parmenides while simultaneously developing his own deepened understanding. Along the way Palmer gives fresh readings of Parmenides'' poem in the light of the Platonic reception, and discusses Plato''s view of Parmenides'' relation to such key figures as Xenophanes, Zeno, and Gorgias. By tracing connections among the uses of Parmenides over the course of several dialogues, Palmer both demonstrates his fundamental importance to the development of Plato''s thought and furthers understanding of central problems in Plato''s own philosophy.Trade ReviewPalmer presents detailed and convincing readings of some of the most difficult passages in the Platonic corpus. * Owen Goldin, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Palmer has found a new angle from which to tell the story of the development of the metaphysics of the later dialogues. His analyses of Plato's arguments are careful and sober, and his tracing of their antecedents in Plato's reading of Parmenides is innovative and valuable. * Owen Goldin, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *challenging and interesting ... every serious student of ancient philosophy will want to read it. * Heythrop Journal *This excellent and extensive survey is valuable reading for scholars and graduate students interested in Plato's metaphysics and epistemology. * N. D. Smith, Choice *This is a learned book and there is much that is both new and valuable. The discussion of the sight-lovers of Republic 5 ... is very good, and the accounts of Gorgia's influence on the arguments of the Parmenides and the Sophist are particularly insightful. Palmer has read widely and critically, and he engages with much modern and contemporary scholarship. * Patricia Curd, The Classical Review *Table of Contents1. Plato's Middle-Period Reception of Parmenides ; 2. Plato and the Sophisti Appropriations of Parmenides ; 3. Plato's Parmenides in the Later Dialogues ; Appendices; Bibliography; Index locorum; General Index

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Book SynopsisRichard Sorabji presents a ground-breaking study of ancient Greek views of the emotions and their influence on subsequent theories and attitudes, pagan and Christian. The central focus of the book is the Stoics, but Sorabji draws on a vast range of texts to give a rich historical survey of how Western thinking about this central aspect of human nature developed.Stoicism is not, Sorabji makes clear, about gritting your teeth. It can successfully banish stress by showing you how to assess your situation differently. But there were rival views, that emotional stress depends on irrational forces in the mind, or, as modern brain research explains, physical forces in the body, so that changing your assessment is only sometimes effective. The debate also concerns the different roles of philosophy, music, and the arts in calming stress.Orthodox Stoics marginalized as mere side-effects the initial agitations which they could not treat. In Christianity we see how one culture can transform anotheTrade Review'another brilliant, astounding production, exciting in the breadth of its coverage, terrifying in the scope of its learning . . . rich, provocative, varied, and entertaining' * Tad Brennan, Philosophical Books *Table of Contents1. EMOTION AS COGNITIVE AND ITS THERAPY ; 11. THE ROLE OF ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY IN STOIC COGNITIVE THERAPY ; 20. EMOTIONAL CONFLICT AND THE DIVIDED SELF ; 22. FIRST MOVEMENTS AS BAD THOUGHTS: ORIGEN AND HIS LEGACY

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Book SynopsisIn Ennead II.1 (40) Plotinus is primarily concerned to argue for the everlastingness of the universe, the heavens, and the heavenly bodies as individual substances. Here he must grapple both with the philosophical issue of personal identity through time and with the rich tradition of cosmology which pitted the Platonists against the Aristotelians and Stoics. What results is a historically informed cosmological sketch explaining the constitution of the heavens as well as sublunar and celestial motion. This book contains an extensive introduction aimed at providing the necessary background in Platonic, Aristotelian, and Stoic cosmology, the text itself, and a line-by-line commentary designed to elucidate its philosophical, philological and historical details.Trade ReviewWilberding happily does not get drowned en detail, but masters it and subordinates it to lucid questions and transparent historical perspectives. A praiseworthy trait of Wilberding English-written commentary is his acquaintance with and his judicious use of secondary literature written not only in English, but also in German and French or even modern Greek. * Filip Karfik, Rhizai *a book that displays remarkable erudition, solid proficiency in both classical and contemporary languages. * Ermanno Bencivenga, Mind Journal *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; The Text of Ennead II.1 ; Translation ; Commentary

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Book SynopsisPart of the "Hegel Lectures" series, this work offers one of the best points of entry to Hegel's philosophical system. This second volume (dating from 1825-6) covers a thousand years of ancient Greek philosophy. It sets forth what Hegel actually said.Table of ContentsEditorial Introducion ; I. FROM THALES TO ARISTOTLE ; A. The Presocratics: From Thales to Anaxagoras ; B. The Sophists, Socrates, and the Socratic Schools ; C. The Great Systems: Plato and Aristotle ; II. DOGMATIC AND SCEPTICAL PHILOSOPHY ; A. Dogmatic Philosophy ; B. Scepticism and the New Academy ; III. NEOPLATONIC PHILOSOPHY ; A. General Characteristics ; B. The Philosophers ; Appendices

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Book SynopsisPlotinus (205-269 AD) is considered the founder of Neoplatonism, the dominant philosophical movement of late antiquity, and a rich seam of current scholarly interest. Whilst Plotinus'' influence on the subsequent philosophical tradition was enormous, his ideas can also be seen as the culmination of some implicit trends in the Greek tradition from Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Emilsson''s in-depth study focuses on Plotinus'' notion of Intellect, which comes second in his hierarchical model of reality, after the One, unknowable first cause of everything. As opposed to ordinary human discursive thinking, Intellect''s thought is all-at-once, timeless, truthful and a direct intuition into ''things themselves''; it is presumably not even propositional. Emilsson discusses and explains this strong notion of non-discursive thought and explores Plotinus'' insistence that this must be the primary form of thought.Plotinus'' doctrine of Intellect raises a host of questions that EmilTrade ReviewA few years ago it would have been neccessary to begin this review by explaining, even to an erudite philosophical audience, who Plotinus was and why he had any important contribution to make to modern philosophy. Times are changing: recent discursive histories of the subject... all acknowledge Plotinus' historical significance and his charm. Emilsson's study will be of interest both to those already acquainted with his work and to those attracted to the topic by such recommendations... this is a welcome addition to the literature, much of which will be intelligible even to undergraduate student. * Stephen Clark, The Philosophical Quarterly *Emilsson's thoughtful discussion is expressed in language that is, if not exactly colloquial, relaxed... This friendly and unassuming voice mitigates the fact that the topic is thorny even for a reader familiar with ancient philosophy and basics of the Neoplatonic worldview. Emilsson's study will hopefully, in time, soildify a statis as a classic work to refer by scholars writing not just on Plotinus, but on late ancient views on thinking, intellection, and knowledge. * Paulina Remes, Mind *All Neoplatonic scholars will derive great benefit from E.'s thoughtful and mature treatment of some of the most intractable topics in Plotinus' philosophy. * John Bussanich, The Classical Review *His work will no doubt be for many years to come a basic tool for all students of Plotinus' metaphysics and epistemology, but also for those interested in Neoplatonism as a philosophical set of doctrines articulated on a rational basis of occasionally gripping insightfulness. The book is well-produced and provided with useful and conveniently structure indices. * Paul Kalligas RHIZAI *an extraordinary stimulating analysis of what is probably the most central and engaging aspect of Plotinus' metaphysics. * Andrew Smith, Bryn Mawr Classical Reviews *Plotinian studies are currently flourishing...To this growing body of literature, E. K. Emilsson's Plotinus on Intellect is a most valuable addition. It addresses a main question in Plotinus' ontology, and it does so in the language of philosophy. Rather than remaining locked within the intricacies of Plotinus' system, in the manner of many a scholar working in the field, Emilsson is not afraid to stand back from the system...Emilsson is much to be congratulated for so seeking to extend Plotinus' appeal to a wider philosophical readership...The thesis itself and its varied ramifications are painstaking and lucidly argued for...Plotinus on Intellect is a well-produced book; typos are rare, references accurate and indices helpfully comprehensive...a fine work which deserves to become a point of reference for anyone working in the field. * Suzanne Stern-Gillett, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *...an extraordinarily stimulating analysis... * Bryn Mawr Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Emanation and activity ; 2. The genesis of Intellect ; 3. Intellect and Being ; 4. Discursive and non-discursive thought

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Book SynopsisSpace, Time, Matter, and Form collects ten of David Bostock''s essays on themes from Aristotle''s Physics, four of them published here for the first time. The first five papers look at issues raised in the first two books of the Physics, centred on notions of matter and form, and the idea of substance as what persists through change. They also range over other of Aristotle''s scientific works, such as his biology and psychology and the account of change in his De Generatione et Corruptione. The volume''s remaining essays examine themes in later books of the Physics, including infinity, place, time, and continuity. Bostock argues that Aristotle''s views on these topics are of real interest in their own right, independent of his notions of substance, form, and matter; they also raise some pressing problems of interpretation, which these essays seek to resolve.Trade ReviewThis is a very useful publication. There is clearly a unity of vision which underlies these different studies, and it is good to have them collected in a book. Both the choice of topics and the high quality of discussion make it indispensible reading for all serious students of Aristotle. * Inna Kupreeva, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *This timely collection of essays by David Bostock, written over a twenty year period, will help to reorient the reader of this classic of the history of philosophy and science...I found every essay in this volume deepened my appreciation of Aristotle's natural philosophy and challenged me to reconsider its foundations. * James Lennox, Mind *Table of Contents1. Aristotle on the principles of change in Physics I ; 2. Transmutation of the Elements in De Generatione et Corruptione 1.1-4 ; 3. Aristotle's Theory of Matter ; 4. Aristotle on Teleology in Nature ; 5. Aristotle's Theory of Form ; 6. Aristotle on the Eleatics in Physics I, 2-3 ; 7. Aristotle, Zeno, and the Potential Infinite ; 8. Note on Aristotle's Account of Place ; 9. Aristotle's Account of Time ; 10. Aristotle on Continuity in Physics VI

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Book SynopsisKnowing Persons is an original study of Plato''s account of personhood. For Plato, embodied persons are images of a disembodied ideal. The ideal person is a knower. Hence, the lives of embodied persons need to be understood according to Plato''s metaphysics of imagery.For Gerson, Plato''s account of embodied personhood is not accurately conflated with Cartesian dualism. Plato''s dualism is more appropriately seen in the contrast between the ideal disembodied person and the embodied one than in the contrast between mind or soul and body.This study argues that Plato''s analysis of personhood is intended to cohere with his two-world metaphysics as well as a radical separation of knowledge and belief. Gerson demonstrates that Plato''s account of persons plays a key role not just in his theory of mind, but in his theory of knowledge, his metaphysics, and his ethics. A proper understanding of Plato''s account of persons must therefore place it in the context of his doctrines in these areas. Trade ReviewReview from previous edition for those scholars interested in the concepts of subjectivity, person, and human being in Plato's works, Knowing Persons is an excellent account and resource on these topics * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *... an interesting reading of Plato on persons and on knowledge. * Lesley Brown, Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. SOULS AND PERSONS ; 2. IMMORTALITY AND PERSONS IN PHAEDO ; 3. DIVIDED PERSONS: REPUBLIC AND PHAEDRUS ; 4. KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF IN REPUBLIC ; 5. THEAETETUS: WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE? ; 6. PERSONHOOD IN THE LATER DIALOGUES ; 7. CONCLUDING REMARKS

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Book SynopsisThe Introduction to philosophy written by Porphyry at the end of the second century AD is the most successful work of its kind ever to have been published. It was translated into most respectable languages, and for a millennium and a half every student of philosophy read it as his first text in the subject. Porphyry''s aim was modest: he intended to explain the meaning of five terms, ''genus'', ''species'', ''difference'', ''property'', and ''accident'' - terms which he took to be important to Aristotelian logic and metaphysics, and hence to philosophy in general. Thus in principle the Introduction is simple and elementary. In fact, there are sometimes difficulties and doubts on the surface of the text - and beneath the surface there are frequent depths or profundities. The work raises, directly or indirectly, a number of perennial philosophical questions. In addition, the Introduction became, in Boethius''s Latin translation, the point of reference for one of the longest-lasting of phTrade Review...it should soon become essential reading for every scholar in medieval and renaissance studies. * Alan R. Perreiah, Transcendent Philosophy *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; TRANSLATION ; COMMENTARY

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Book SynopsisNine leading scholars of ancient philosophy from Europe, the UK, and North America offer a systematic study of Book Beta of Aristotle''s Metaphysics. The work takes the form of a series of aporiai or ''difficulties'' which Aristotle presents as necessary points of engagement for those who wish to attain wisdom. The topics include causation, substance, constitution, properties, predicates, and generally the ontology of both the perishable and the imperishable world. Each contributor discusses one or two of these aporiai in sequence: the result is a discursive commentary on this seminal text of Western philosophy.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Aporia Zero (Metaphysics, Beta 1, 995a24-995b4) ; 2. Aporia 1-2 ; 3. Aporia 3-5 ; 4. Aporia 6 and 7 ; 5. Aporia 8 ; 6. Aporia 9-10 ; 7. Aporia 11 ; 8. Aporia 12 ; 9. Aporia 13 -14 ; Bibliography ; Index locorum ; Index nominum ; General index

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Book SynopsisRelativism, the position that things are for each as they seem to each, was first formulated in Western philosophy by Protagoras, the fifth-century BC Greek orator and teacher. Mi-Kyoung Lee examines the challenge to the possibility of expert knowledge posed by Protagoras, together with responses by the three most important philosophers of the next generation, Plato, Aristotle, and Democritus. In his book Truth, Protagoras made vivid use of two provocative but imperfectly spelled out ideas: first, that we are all ''measures'' of the truth and that we are each already capable of determining how things are for ourselves, since the senses are our best and most credible guides to the truth; second, given that things appear differently to different people, there is no basis on which to decide that one appearance is true rather than the other. Plato developed these ideas into a more fully worked-out theory, which he then subjected to refutation in the Theaetetus. In his Metaphysics AristotleTrade ReviewReview from previous edition Anyone interested in those texts will learn something from this book and, it is to be hoped, will be encouraged to consider their place in a wider philosophical discussion. * James Warren, The Classical Review *a balanced book, well-argued, rich in references to the secondary literature, with fresh and challenging readings of important issues in Greek epistemology * Damir Maric, Rhizai ' *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Protagoras' Aletheia ; 3. Protagoras and relativism ; 4. Self-refutation and contradiction ; 5. The Secret Doctrine in Plato's Theaetetus ; 6. Aristotle on Protagoras and the Theaetetus ; 7. Aristotle on Protagoras and early conceptions of thinking and perceiving ; 8. Democritus on appearances and perception: the early sources ; 9. Democritus on knowledge and the senses: the late sources ; 10. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisWhat is the relation between time and change? Does time depend on the mind? Is the present always the same or is it always different? Aristotle tackles these questions in the Physics, and Time for Aristotle is the first book in English devoted to this discussion.Aristotle claims that time is not a kind of change, but that it is something dependent on change; he defines it as a kind of ''number of change''. Ursula Coope argues that what this means is that time is a kind of order (not, as is commonly supposed, a kind of measure). It is universal order within which all changes are related to each other. This interpretation enables Coope to explain two puzzling claims that Aristotle makes: that the now is like a moving thing, and that time depends for its existence on the mind. Brilliantly lucid in its explanation of this challenging section of the Physics, Time for Aristotle shows his discussion to be of enduring philosophical interest.Table of ContentsI. INTRODUCTORY PUZZLES AND THE STARTING POINTS OF INQUIRY; II. TIME'S DEPENDENCE ON CHANGE; III. TIME AS A NUMBER AND TIME AS A MEASURE; IV. THE SAMENESS AND DIFFERENCE OF TIMES AND NOWS; V. TWO CONSEQUENCES OF ARISTOTLE'S ACCOUNT OF TIME

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Book SynopsisA distinguished international team of scholars under the editorship of Carlo Natali have collaborated to produce a systematic, chapter-by-chapter study of one of the most influential texts in the history of moral philosophy. The seventh book of Aristotle''s Nicomachean Ethics discusses weakness of will in its first ten chapters, then turns in the last four chapters to pleasure and its relation to the supreme human good.Trade ReviewEach essay provides a detailed commentary on the relevant part of Book VII... the chapters are uniformly of a high quality, and each has something fresh to say about a text on the whole has received a great deal of attention * Robert Mayhew, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *an illuminating set of discussions on exegetical and philosophical themes from the different but complementary perspectives of prominent scholars in the field. * Paula Gottlieb, Polis *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Nicomachean Ethics VII. 1-2: Introduction, Method, and Puzzles ; 2. Nicomachean Ethics VII. 3: Varieties of akrasia ; 3. Nicomachean Ethics VII. 4: Plain and qualified akrasia ; 4. Nicomachean Ethics VII, 1148b15-1150a8: Beastliness, irascibility and akrasia ; 5. Nicomachean Ethics VII, 1150a9-1150b28: Akrasia and self-control, and softness and endurance ; 6. Nicomachean Ethics VII, 1150b29-1151b22: Akrasia, enkrateia, and some look-alikes ; 7. Nicomachean Ethics VII. 11: (In) Continence in Context ; 8. Nicomachean Ethics VII. 11-12: Pleasure: The antihedonists' challenge ; 9. Nicomachean Ethics VII. 14, 1153b1-1154a21 : Pleasure and eudaimonia ; 10. Nicomachean Ethics NE VII. 14, 1154a 22-b34: The pain of the living and divine pleasure

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Book SynopsisThis landmark study examines the role played by the rediscovery of the writings of the ancient atomists, Epicurus and Lucretius, in the articulation of the major philosophical systems of the seventeenth century, and, more broadly, their influence on the evolution of natural science and moral and political philosophy. The target of sustained and trenchant philosophical criticism by Cicero, and of opprobrium by the Christian Fathers of the early Church, for its unflinching commitment to the absence of divine supervision and the finitude of life, the Epicurean philosophy surfaced again in the period of the Scientific Revolution, when it displaced scholastic Aristotelianism. Both modern social contract theory and utilitarianism in ethics were grounded in its tenets. Catherine Wilson shows how the distinctive Epicurean image of the natural and social worlds took hold in philosophy, and how it is an acknowledged, and often unacknowledged presence in the writings of Descartes, Gassendi, HobbeTrade ReviewBy pointing us to the Epicurean flavor of many of the ideas that pervaded seventeenth- and eighteenth-century metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and natural and political philosophy - Catherine Wilson's work offers a great opportunity to improve our understanding of what was involved in the transformation of Scholastic doctrines into modern philosophy. * Anik Waldow, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Wilson's book is learned, judicious, and full of subtle observations. * Eric Schiliesser, Mind 119 d *lucid and engagingly written... I find the argument entirely compelling... [this] is really a beautiful book. Epicureanism at the Origins of Modernity says true and original things in a pleasing manner. It is worth reading for anyone with even a passing interest in seventeenth-century philosophy. * Antonia LoLordo, Metascience *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Revival of Ancient Materialism ; 1. Atomism and Mechanism ; 2. Corpuscular Effluvia: Between Imagination and Experiment ; 3. Order and Disorder ; 4. Mortality and Metaphysics ; 5. Empiricism and Mortalism ; 6. Three Critics of Epicureanism ; 7. Politics and Community ; 8. The Problem of Materialism in the New Essays ; 9. Some Motives and Incentives to the Study of Nature: The Case of Robert Boyle ; 10. Happiness, Welfare, and Morality ; AFTERWORD ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisActivity and Participation in Late Antique and Early Christian Thought is an investigation into two basic concepts of ancient pagan and Christian thought. The study examines how activity in Christian thought is connected with the topic of participation: for the lower levels of being to participate in the higher means to receive the divine activity into their own ontological constitution. Torstein Theodor Tollefsen sets a detailed discussion of the work of church fathers Gregory of Nyssa, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, and Gregory Palamas in the context of earlier trends in Aristotelian and Neoplatonist philosophy. His concern is to highlight how the Church Fathers thought energeia (i.e. activity or energy) is manifested as divine activity in the eternal constitution of the Trinity, the creation of the cosmos, the Incarnation of Christ, and in salvation understood as deification.Trade ReviewTorstein Theodor Tollefsen's contribution is truly remarkable * Sotiris Mitralexis, Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie *... T. is successful in showing that echoes of Palamas's distinction between the essence and energies of God can be dated to Late Antiquity... T.'s work will be helpful to anyone seeking to comprehend difficult and important philosophical concepts as adapted by Christian theologians. This book is a welcome step in our understanding of how philosophy has contributed to the explication of Christian theology. * Theological Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Activity and Participation in non-Christian Thought ; 2. St Basil and Anomoean Theology ; 3. The Internal Activity of the Godhead ; 4. The External Activity of the Godhead: Cosmology ; 5. The External Activity of the Godhead: Incarnation ; 6. The Road to Salvation ; 7. The Theology of St Gregory Palamas ; 8. Concluding Remarks

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Book SynopsisApart from using our eyes to see and our ears to hear, we regularly and effortlessly perform a number of complex perceptual operations that cannot be explained in terms of the five senses taken individually. Such operations include, for example, perceiving that the same object is white and sweet, noticing the difference between white and sweet, or knowing that one''s senses are active. Observing that lower animals must be able to perform such operations, and being unprepared to ascribe any share in rationality to them, Aristotle explained such operations with reference to a higher-order perceptual capacity which unites and monitors the five senses. This capacity is known as the ''common sense'' or sensus communis. Unfortunately, Aristotle provides only scattered and opaque references to this capacity. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the exact nature and functions of this capacity have been a matter of perennial controversy. Pavel Gregoric offers and extensive and compelling trTrade ReviewReview from previous edition a learned, lucidly written, and compellingly argued treatment of its subject, one that surveys and helpfully synthesizes the immense ancient and modern literature on the topic. It also proposes some novel solutions to a number of long-standing textual and interpretative problems ... Students should begin their work on this issue here and experts should attend to it, as an undeniably original and important contribution to the scholarly conversation on this subject. * Sean D. Kirkland, Ancient Philosophy *There has been little extended work devoted to the common sense, the faculty by which Aristotle thinks we coordinate and process the input of the five senses. The lacuna has now been filled by Pavel Gregoric's commendable monograph. This nuanced and original study represents a significant advance in our understanding of Aristotle's common sense. * Thomas K. Johansen, Mind *Gregoric has produced a valuable contribution to our understanding both of Aristotle's philosophical terminology and of his theory of perception. Some of the texts he discusses in the book, such as De Sensu 7, have long been neglected, even though they provide substantive additions to and clarifications of Aristotle's theory. In discussing those and other texts, Gregoric provides us with well informed, detailed, and lucid interpretations, which, it should be added, are for the most part clearly correct and helpful. All serious students of ancient psychology should read this book. It will inform, illuminate, and stimulate. * Hendrik Lorenz, Rhizai *Gregoric is no doubt right that this power deserves extended study, and his Part III accounts of its various functions are genuinely illuminating. * Jennifer Whiting, Classical Review *Table of ContentsPreface ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; PART I: THE FRAMEWORK ; 1. Aristotle's project and method ; 2. The perceptual capacity of the soul ; 3. The sensory apparatus ; 4. The common sense and the related capacities ; PART II: THE TERMINOLOGY ; 1. Overlooked occurrences of the phrase 'common sense' ; 2. De Anima III.1 425a27 ; 3. De Partibus Animalium IV.10 686a31 ; 4. De Memoria et Reminiscentia 1 450a10 ; 5. De Anima III.7 431b5 ; 6. Conclusions on the terminology ; PART III: FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMON SENSE ; 1. Simultaneous perception and cross-modal binding ; 2. Perceptual discrimination ; 3. Waking, sleep, and control of the senses ; 4. Perceiving that we see and hear, and monitoring of the senses ; 5. Other roles of the common sense ; Conclusion ; Appendix ; Bibliography ; General Index ; Index of Passages

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents a series of essays published by Charles Kahn over a period of forty years, in which he seeks to explicate the ancient Greek concept of Being. He addresses two distinct but intimately related problems, one linguistic and one historical and philosophical. The linguistic problem concerns the theory of the Greek verb einai, ''to be'': how to replace the conventional but misleading distinction between copula and existential verb with a more adequate theoretical account. The philosophical problem is in principle quite distinct: to understand how the concept of Being became the central topic in Greek philosophy from Parmenides to Aristotle. But these two problems converge on what Kahn calls the veridical use of einai. In the earlier papers he takes that connection between the verb and the concept of truth to be the key to the central role of Being in Greek philosophy. In the later papers he interprets the veridical in terms of a more general semantic function of the verb,Trade ReviewReview from previous edition always engaging and often provocative * Jonathan Barnes, Mind *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Greek verb 'to be' and the concept of Being ; 2. The terminology for copula and existence ; 3. Why existence does not emerge as a distinct concept in Greek philosophy ; 4. Some philosophical uses of 'to be' in Plato ; 5. A return to the verb 'to be' and the concept of Being ; 6. The thesis of Parmenides ; 7. Being in Parmenides and Plato ; 8. Parmenides and Plato once more ; Postscript on Parmenides: Parmenides and physics. The direction of the chariot ride in the proem. The epistemic preference for Fire.

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Book SynopsisJohn Palmer develops and defends a modal interpretation of Parmenides, according to which he was the first philosopher to distinguish in a rigorous manner the fundamental modalities of necessary being, necessary non-being or impossibility, and non-necessary or contingent being. This book accordingly reconsiders his place in the historical development of Presocratic philosophy in light of this new interpretation. Careful treatment of Parmenides'' specification of the ways of inquiry that define his metaphysical and epistemological outlook paves the way for detailed analyses of his arguments demonstrating the temporal and spatial attributes of what is and cannot not be. Since the existence of this necessary being does not preclude the existence of other entities that are but need not be, Parmenides'' cosmology can straightforwardly be taken as his account of the origin and operation of the world''s mutable entities. Later chapters reassess the major Presocratics'' relation to Parmenides Table of Contents1. Parmenides' Place in Histories of Presocratic Philosophy ; 2. Parmenides' Three Ways ; 3. The Way of the Goddess and the Way of Mortals ; 4. What Must Be and What Is and Is Not ; 5. Zeno, Melissus, and Parmenides ; 6. Anaxagoras and Parmenides ; 7. Empedocles' Element Theory and Parmenides ; 8. Parmenides' Place in the History of Presocratic Philosophy ; Appendix: The Fragments of Parmenides' Poem ; Bibliography ; Index locorum ; General index

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Book SynopsisMaximus the Confessor (c.580-662) has become one of the most discussed figures in contemporary patristic studies. This is partly due to the relatively recent discovery and critical edition of his works in various genres, including On the Ascetic Life, Four Centuries on Charity, Two Centuries on Theology and the Incarnation, On the ''Our Father'', two separate Books of Difficulties, addressed to John and to Thomas, Questions and Doubts, Questions to Thalassius, Mystagogy and the Short Theological and Polemical Works. The impact of these works reached far beyond the Greek East, with his involvement in the western resistance to imperial heresy, notably at the Lateran Synod in 649. Together with Pope Martin I (649-53 CE), Maximus the Confessor and his circle were the most vocal opponents of Constantinople''s introduction of the doctrine of monothelitism. This dispute over the number of wills in Christ became a contest between the imperial government and church of Constantinople on the one Trade Reviewthis Handbook is a monumental and much-needed publication, which will definitely mark the field of Maximian studies for the next generations of scholars. * Dr Sotiris Mitralexis, Vigiliae Christianae *Table of ContentsPART ONE. HISTORICAL SETTING; PART TWO. THEOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL INFLUENCES; PART THREE. WORKS AND THOUGHT; PART FOUR. RECEPTION

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Book SynopsisGeorge Karamanolis breaks new ground in the study of later ancient philosophy by examining the interplay of the two main schools of thought, Platonism and Aristotelianism, from the first century BC to the third century AD. From the time of Antiochus and for the next four centuries Platonists were strongly preoccupied with the question of how Aristotle''s philosophy compared with the Platonic model. Scholars have usually classified Platonists into two groups, the orthodox ones and the eclectics or syncretists, depending on whether Platonists rejected Aristotle''s philosophy as a whole or accepted some Peripatetic doctrines. Karamanolis argues against this dichotomy. He argues that Platonists turned to Aristotle only in order to discover and elucidate Plato''s doctrines and thus to reconstruct Plato''s philosophy, and they did not hesitate to criticize Aristotle when judging him to be at odds with Plato. For them, Aristotle was merely auxlilary to their accessing and understanding Plato.Trade Reviewan excellent scholarly survey ... he examines an impressive amount of evidence and his investigation provides what will certainly be the standard treatment of the topic for many years to come ... [his] remarkable discussion sheds new light on the extant evidence. * Archiv fur Geschichte d. Philosophie *a thoughtful book, itself a fertile garden of arguments and positions, rich in historical and linguistic detail * The Classical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Antiochus of Ascalon ; 2. Plutarch ; 3. Numenius ; 4. Atticus ; 5. Ammonius Saccas ; 6. Plotinus ; 7. Porphyry ; Appendix I: The Platonism of Aristotle and of the early Peripatetics ; Appendix II: Lists of works by Platonists on Aristotle's philosophy

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Book SynopsisThe Development of Ethics is a selective historical and critical study of moral philosophy in the Socratic tradition, with special attention to Aristotelian naturalism, its formation, elaboration, criticism, and defence. It discusses the main topics of moral philosophy as they have developed historically, including: the human good, human nature, justice, friendship, and morality; the methods of moral inquiry; the virtues and their connexions; will, freedom, and responsibility; reason and emotion; relativism, subjectivism, and realism; the theological aspect of morality. This volume examines ancient and medieval philosophy up to the sixteenth century; Volumes 2 and 3 will continue the story up to Rawls''s Theory of Justice. The present volume begins with Socrates, the Cyrenaics and Cynics, and Plato, and then offers a fuller account of Aristotle, stressing the systematic naturalism of his position. The Stoic position is compared with the Aristotelian at some length; Epicureans and SceptTrade ReviewReview from previous edition A remarkable work of scholarship. Very few philosophers could produce a work of such scale and such erudition. Professor Irwin has studied his chosen authors with minute precision, and has read exhaustively in the secondary literature. Sources are conscientiously recorded and ample quotations provided in footnotes. The treatment of controversial issues is always balanced, and the eventual verdicts are always judicious ... This book is a monument of erudition and patience, and gives promise of similar virtues in the forthcoming successor volume. * Anthony Kenny, Times Literary Supplement *For it truly is a great book, and I doubt that we will see a history of ethics similar in scope and ambition for some time to come. * Mark Eli Kalderon, Ethics *Para concluir, é preciso enfatizar a erudição, a clareza, a elegância com que os argumentos são apresentados e, sobretudo, a excepcional fecundidade que eles possuem para o debate sobre os destinos da ética como disciplina filosófica. Os estudos acadêmicos em ética e, em geral, em filosofia encontrarão nesta obra uma referência segura e uma fonte importante de freeiração e direção. * Marco Zingano, Journal of Ancient Philosophy *Development ... provides the novice in ethics with a challenging introduction to moral philosophical thinking and the more experienced scholar with a host of bold yet clear positions that invite philosophical consideration and reflection. We can look forward to more of the same in the upcoming volumes that continue and conclude Irwin's extensive project. * Dimitrios Dentsoras, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsPreface ; Abbreviations ; I. Introduction ; II. Socrates ; III. Cyrenaics ; IV. Cynics ; V. Plato ; VI. Aristotle: Happiness ; VII. Aristotle: Nature ; VIII. Aristotle: Virtue ; IX. Aristotle: Virtue and Morality ; X. Scepticism ; XI. Epicurus ; XII. Stoicism: Action, Passion, and Reason ; XIII. Stoicism: Virtue and Happiness ; XIV. Christian Theology and Moral Philosophy ; XV. Augustine ; XVI. Aquinas: Will ; XVII. Aquinas: Action ; XVIII. Aquinas: Freedom ; XIX. Aquinas: The Ultimate End ; XX. Aquinas: Moral Virtue ; XXI. Aquinas: Natural Law ; XXII. Aquinas: Practical Reason and Prudence ; XXIII. Aquinas: The Canon of Virtues ; XXIV. Aquinas: Sin and Grace ; XXV. Scotus: Will, Freedom, and Reason ; XXVI. Scotus: Virtue and Practical Reason ; XXVII. Ockham ; XXVIII. Machiavelli ; XXIX. The Reformation and Scholastic Moral Philosophy ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. a new kind of thinker appeared in Greek city-states, dedicated to finding the origins of the world and everything in it, using observation and reason rather than tradition and myth. We call these thinkers Presocratic philosophers, and recognize them as the first philosophers of the Western tradition, as well as the originators of scientific thinking. New textual discoveries and new approaches make a reconsideration of the Presocratics at the beginning of the twenty-first century especially timely.This handbook brings together leading international scholars to study the diverse figures, movements, and approaches that constitute Presocratic philosophy. More than a survey of scholarship, this study presents new interpretations and evaluations of the Presocratics'' accomplishments, from Thales to the sophists, from theology to science, and from pre-philosophical background to their influence on later thinkers. Many positions presented here challenge acTable of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. The Sources of Presocratic Philosophy, David T.Runia ; 3. Prehistory of Presocratic Philosophy in an Orientalizing Context, Walter Burkert ; 4. Milesian Measures: Time, Space, and Matter, Stephen A. White ; 5. The Cloud-Astrophyics of Xenophanes and Ionian Material Monism, Alexander P. D. Mourelatos ; 6. Heraclitus: Flux, Order, and Knowledge, Daniel W. Graham ; 7. Signs and Arguments in Parmenides B8, Richard McKirahan ; 8. Anaxagoras and the Theory of Everything, Patricia Curd ; 9. Empedocles: Physical Divinity and Allegorical Myth, Oliver Primavesi ; 10. Two Problems in Pythagoreanism, Carl Huffman ; 11. Atomism's Eleatic Roots, David Sedley ; 12. Leucippus's Atomism, Daniel W. Graham ; 13. Speculating about Diogenes of Appolonia, Andre Laks ; 14. The Sophists, Michael Gagarin and Paul Woodruff ; 15. The Role of Hippocratic Medicine in the Formation of Early Greek Thought, Philip van der Eijk ; 16. Presocratic Cosmologies, R. J. Hankinson ; 17. Reason, Cause, and Explanation in Presocratic Philosophy, J. H. Lesher ; 18. Presocratic Theology, T. M. Robinson ; 19. Aristotle's Account of the Origins of Philosophy, Michael Frede ; 20. Classical Representations and Uses of the Presocratics, John Palmer

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Book SynopsisAre the just happier than the unjust? In Plato'' s Republic, Thrasymachus argues that they aren''t, that justice is simply the advantage of the stronger. Though Socrates apparently refutes him, Plato''s brothers, Glaucon and Adeimantus, take up his argument anew, challenging Socrates to show them that justice really does better further happiness than injustice. The nature of this renewed challenge and the reason for it are hotly debated problems. Equally problematic is the question of whether Socrates succeeds in meeting the challenge in the crucial case of the philosopher-kings, whom he claims are happiest of all. Central to his attempt is a complex tripartite psychology and the yet more complex the metaphysics and epistemology of transcendent Platonic forms. But just how these are to be understood or how knowledge of such forms could help the philosopher-kings with the practical business of governing a city also remain deeply problematic issues. Beginning with a discussion of Socrates in the Apology, and his portrait by Alcibiades in the Symposium, and proceeding to topics more directly within the Republic itself, Blindness and Reorientation develops not just powerful new solutions to these problems, but a new understanding of Plato''s conception of philosophy, its relationship to craft-knowledge, and the roles of dialectic and experience within it. Written in a clear and vivid style, C. D. C. Reeve''s new book will be accessible to any committed reader of Plato.Trade Review... it is evident that the book is full of first-rate Plato scholarship, and that its readers are more likely to be the specialist scholars ... Nevertheless, I have no doubt that this book deserves a place among books that all serious students of Plato should consultI am convinced, moreover, that Reeves love of the Republic, which has intensified over the intervening years since he wrote the Philosopher-Kings, has led to greater insight and not blindness, even though love can have the reverse effect too (p. xiii). * POLIS, The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Acknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Chapter 1: Human Wisdom ; Chapter 2: Alcibiades and the Socratic Craft of Love ; Chapter 3: Cephalus, Odysseus, and the Importance of Experience ; Chapter 4: Glaucon's Thrasymachean Challenge ; Chapter 5: Souls, Soul-Parts, and Persons ; Chapter 6: Beauty and Goodness, Politics and Genitals ; Chapter 7: Education and the Acquisition of Knowledge ; Chapter 8: Craft, Dialectic, and the Form of the Good ; Chapter 9: The Happiness of the Philosopher-Kings

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Book SynopsisCicero''s speech on behalf of L. Lucinius Murena, newly elected to the consulship of 62 BCE but immediately prosecuted for electoral bribery, is especially famous for its digressions and valuable for its insights into the complex political wrangles of the late 60s. It is, however, a speech more commonly excerpted and cited than read in its entirety, though whether the absence of an English-language commentary is a cause or effect of that situation remains uncertain. In short, a pedagogical commentary on this important and strange speech is long overdue. Distinguished Latinist Elaine Fantham''s commentary is noteworthy for its ability to elucidate not only the rhetorical structure of this speech but the rationale behind Cicero''s strategic decisions in creating that structure. It also calls attention to the stylistic features like word choice, rhetorical figures, and rhythmic effects that make the speech so effective, and explains with care and precision the political, social, and histoTrade Review[I]t contains much that will be of use and interest to advanced students and scholars * Katherine A. Liong, Exemplaria Classica *Table of ContentsMap ; Introduction ; Commentary ; Appendix: Related Texts ; Bibliography ; Index of Names and Places

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Book SynopsisDespite the flood of self-help guides and our current therapeutic culture, feelings of alienation and spiritual longing continue to grip modern society. In this book, Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn offers a fresh solution: a return to classic philosophy and the cultivation of an inner life.The ancient Roman philosopher Cicero wrote that philosophy is ars vitae, the art of living. Today, signs of stress and duress point to a full-fledged crisis for individuals and communities while current modes of making sense of our lives prove inadequate. Yet, in this time of alienation and spiritual longing, we can glimpse signs of a renewed interest in ancient approaches to the art of living. In this ambitious and timely book, Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn engages both general readers and scholars on the topic of well-being. She examines the reappearance of ancient philosophical thought in contemporary American culture, probing whether new stirrings of Gnosticism, Stoicism, EpicureaniTrade Review"[Lasch-Quinn] is a gifted scholar whose examination of ancient works, their modern scholarly reception, and the appearance of big ideas in popular culture is consistently brilliant. . . . She manages to cover over two thousand years of philosophical development in under four hundred pages, and while those pages are dense in content, they are charmingly readable. The introduction, ‘Therapeia,’ is worth the price of the book.” —Front Porch Republic”In her profoundly insightful and thought-provoking work, Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn . . . notes, ‘the problems with contemporary culture stem in part from its inability, even in the event that basic needs are met, to provide adequate resources for the living of everyday life.’ . . . Lasch-Quinn’s work not only informs but urges the reader to seek a deeper understanding of the current problems we face.” —Journal of Sociology and Christianity"Lasch-Quinn has set out in Ars Vitae to embody the best of what true philosophical writing has to offer. She writes in a way that makes her readers better thinkers, more reflective and self-aware, and she does so by showing the development of her own thinking—who her influences are, the sources from which she draws her wisdom, and how philosophy informs her understanding of herself, the culture, and the world in which she lives." —Los Angeles Review of Books"Lasch-Quinn turns to the ancients to persuade her readers that living, contra postmodernism, can bring us to 'the heights of awe, love, and wholeness,' even in the face of great pain and evil. . . . Many of us go through days, weeks, and even years of being beaten down, but suffering, Lasch-Quinn’s book tells us, can be transfigured into beauty, even holiness. " —City Journal"This is what makes Ars Vitae such vital reading. It provides both a thorough-going critique of the therapeutic, self-obsessed ethos so dominant today, and a way beyond it, through the potential development of those inner, moral resources on which true selfhood and a moral community rest." —spiked"Ars Vitae is a remarkable book. . . . The prose feels intensely personal, and even intimate, engaging the reader in the author’s search for meaning with an approach that feels consequential without being personally needy." —Law and Liberty“Lasch-Quinn’s forward-looking vision, developed through an impressive range of learning, ties wholeness, flourishing, selfhood, and health to goodness, truth, and beauty, which remain attainable through the most basic impulses and features of human life. That she makes her argument through accessible and upbeat engagements with everyday realities like literature, film, architecture, and coffee mugs (for which she has a real fondness) only proves her point.” —The Christian Century“Ars Vitae doesn’t just stir the imagination—it stirs the scholarly imagination. It makes one think not simply about its subject but also how one might approach any subject. It is thus an example of both innovation and intervention.” —Christian Scholar’s Review“The book is not a manual but instead a glimpse into, and an invitation to join, a conversation about what is good and how to live. . . . In the end, those who take up Ars Vitae may find themselves, as I did, most grateful to Lasch-Quinn for giving them grounds for hope.” —VoegelinView"Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn’s engaging and learned Ars Vitae: The Fate of Inwardness and the Return of the Ancient Arts of Living is an intellectual tour de force that expounds various branches of ancient philosophy, assesses the scholarly debate around them, and critiques much of the modern appropriation of the classical heritage." —First ThingsTable of ContentsMajor Abbreviations and Sources Acknowledgements Introduction: Therapeia 1. The New Gnosticism 2. The New Stoicism 3. The New Epicureanism 4. The New Cynicism 5. The New Platonism Conclusion: Philosophia Epilogue: Once Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAmong Plato's later dialogues "The Parmenides" is considered one of the most significant. This book provides a translation of the text along with a structural analysis.

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Book SynopsisPresents a support resource for students being introduced to philosophical texts and to philosophy in general. This work contains a glossary of terms relating to the philosopher's use of terms.

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Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization takes us on a journey through the landmarks of art and bloodshed that defined Greek culture nearly three millennia ago. “A triumph of popularization: extraordinarily knowledgeable, informal in tone, amusing, wide ranging, smartly paced.” —The New York Times Book Review In the city-states of Athens and Sparta and throughout the Greek islands, honors could be won in making love and war, and lives were rife with contradictions. By developing the alphabet, the Greeks empowered the reader, demystified experience, and opened the way for civil discussion and experimentation—yet they kept slaves. The glorious verses of the Iliad recount a conflict in which rage and outrage spur men to action and suggest that their “bellicose society of gleaming metals and rattling weapons” is not so very distant from more recent campaigns of “shock and awe.” And, centuries before Zorba, Greece was a land where music, dance, and freely flowing wine were essential to the high life. Granting equal time to the sacred and the profane, Cahill rivets our attention to the legacies of an ancient and enduring worldview.

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Book SynopsisMore than two thousand years ago, Aristotle established unique standards of philosophic inquiry, observation, and judgment. This book offers a contemporary reevaluation of the philosophy of the master of Western thought, and shows his vital, continuing influence in our modern world.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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