Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy Books
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Aristotle's Theology: The Primary Texts
Book Synopsis"Even those already familiar with Aristotle may be surprised to learn that discussions of theological topics can be found in so many of his works. Reeve's idea of packaging these texts sequentially along with commentary and notes is brilliant. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in Aristotle's theology."—S. Marc Cohen,Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, University of WashingtonTrade Review“Based on comprehensive knowledge of the Aristotelian corpus, Reeve’s book is a transformative addition to the literature.”—David Sedley, Emeritus Laurence Professor of Ancient Philosophy, University of Cambridge“Aristotle’s profound but scattered insights into divinity and the gods have never before been so expertly gathered together, nor rendered with more precision and grace into English.”—David K. O’Connor, Professor of Philosophy and Classics, University of Notre Dame
£20.69
Princeton University Press Open Democracy
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the North American Society for Social Philosophy Book Award""Open Democracy envisions what true government by mass leadership could look like. Her model is based on the simple idea that, if government by the people is a goal, the people ought to do the governing."---Nathan Heller, New Yorker"A great defence of both sortition and deliberation as complements to representative democracy."---Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Open Magazine"A bold exploration of how we can move beyond a purely electoral conception of democratic representation. Using normative democratic theory and real-world examples of innovations in citizen representation, Hélène Landemore argues for a vision of democracy that is more faithful to popular rule, more likely to tap into democratic reason, and more stable and durable than electoral democracy."---Erica Yu, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics"Ambitious. . . . A scheme that breaks with two liberal-democratic institutions that are usually taken for granted: elections and political parties."---Jan-Werner Mueller, Project Syndicate"[Landemore] argues that we need a new, more inclusive system of governance that is less elitist and more participatory to cure what ails democracy." * The Nation *"A fascinating, wide-ranging book."---Rachael Walsh, International Journal of Constitutional Law"Important."---Christopher Kutz, Los Angeles Review of Books
£37.80
Princeton University Press How to Say No
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This fascinating, well-translated selection admirably exemplifies the multi-faceted nature of the cynic way of life and is thoroughly recommended."---Peter Jones, Classics For All Reviews"The Cynics, observes Usher, ‘were not scholars or writers.’ Like Jesus, Socrates or Buddha, they were ‘oralists whose memorable utterances and actions were transmitted to posterity by admirers (and detractors).’ And it’s precisely this that explains their endurance, both during and beyond their lifetime… the vivid anecdotes in which they appear have kept them not just alive, but in excellent philosophical shape."---Costica Bradatan, Times Literary Supplement
£14.24
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc The Trial and Death of Socrates
Book SynopsisThe third edition of The Trial and Death of Socrates presents G. M.A. Grube's distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with a Select Bibliography.
£11.67
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc A Presocratics Reader: Selected Fragments and
Book SynopsisBuilding on the virtues that made the first edition of A Presocratics Reader the most widely used sourcebook for the study of the Presocratics and Sophists, the second edition offers even more value and a wider selection of fragments from these philosophical predecessors and contemporaries of Socrates.With revised introductions, annotations, suggestions for further reading, and more, the second edition draws on the wealth of new scholarship published on these fascinating thinkers over the past decade or more, a remarkably rich period in Presocratic studies.At the volume's core, as ever, are the fragments themselves--but now in thoroughly revised and, in some cases, new translations by Richard D. McKirahan and Patricia Curd, among them those of the recently published Derveni Papyrus.
£15.19
Oxford University Press Classical Philosophy
Book SynopsisIn 43 lively chapters Peter Adamson tells the story of philosophy from its beginnings to Plato and Aristotle. Most histories jump from one famous name to another, but Adamson shows that the people and ideas in between, usually overlooked, are fascinating and significant. Based on his popular podcasts, this is serious history with a light touch.Trade Review[Adamson] sets out to achieve the impossible and does a great job of it ... ideal for introducing readers ... to the delights and the fascination of Greek philosophy * John Godwin, Classics for All *Table of ContentsEARLY GREEK PHILOSOPHY; SOCRATES AND PLATO; ARISTOTLE
£12.34
Oxford University Press The Nature of the Gods Oxford Worlds Classics
Book SynopsisCicero's philosophical works are now exciting renewed interest, in part because he provides vital evidence of the views of the (largely lost) Greek philosophers of the Hellenistic age, and partly because of the light he casts on the intellectual life of first century Rome. This edition uses the 1997 Clarendon text by the acclaimed translator P.G. Walsh.Trade ReviewThe translation is both lively and accurate; the introduction is judicious and informative. The notes are especially strong on the identification of the many historical references in the work. * Phronesis *
£10.44
Oxford University Press Epictetus
Book SynopsisThe philosophy of Epictetus, a freed slave in the Roman Empire, has been profoundly influential on Western thought: it offers not only stimulating ideas but practical guidance in living one''s life. A. A. Long, a leading scholar of later ancient philosophy, gives the definitive presentation of the thought of Epictetus for a broad readership. Long''s fresh and vivid translations of a selection of the best of Epictetus'' discourses show that his ideas are as valuable and striking today as they were amost two thousand years ago. The translations are organized thematically within the framework of an authoritative introduction and commentary, which offer a way into this world for those new to it, and illuminating interpretations for those who already know it. Epictetus is known as one of the great Stoic thinkers. But he took the life and conversation of Socrates as his educational model. His Socratic allegiance, scarcely examined before, is a major theme of this ground-breaking book. Long shows how Epictetus offered his students a way of life premised on the values of personal autonomy and integrity. Never a sermonizer, Epictetus engages his students in brilliantly challenging dialogue; Long offers the first accessible study of his argumentative and rhetorical methods. This is a book for anyone interested in what we can learn from ancient philosophy about how to live our lives.Trade ReviewThis book is a tour de force, encapsulating a profound reading of a major source for Stoic ethics within the framework of a highly accessible introduction. The full significance of Long's powerful hypothesis about Socratic basis of Epictetus' version of the Stoic project and about the nature of Epictetus' originality will provide material for scholarly debate for many years. Long has also underlined how this work of Roman Stoic practical ethics can speak to our thought-world as powerfully as it has spoken to previous eras of Western culture. * Christopher Gill, Archiv fur Geschichte der Philosophie *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Epictetus in his Time and Place ; 2. The Discourses ; 3. The Socratic Paradigm ; 4. Philosophy and Pedagogy ; 5. Reading Epictetus ; 6. Natures: Divine, Human, Animal ; 7. From Theology to Ethics ; 8. Autonomy and Integrity ; 9. Appropriate Actions and Feelings ; Epilogue: The afterlife of Epictetus ; Glossary ; Who's Who: Stoics and Others ; Index of passages/general index
£31.49
The University of Chicago Press Aristotles Politics
Book SynopsisPresents an account of the author's life in relation to political events of his time; the character and history of his writings and of the Politics in particular; his overall conception of political science; and his impact on subsequent political thought from antiquity to the present.Trade Review"This revised edition of Aristotle's 'Politics' easily establishes it as the best available in English. By offering a longer introductory essay that grapples with the substance of Aristotle's argument, a new index, revamped notes, and - most important - by revising and correcting the text, Carnes Lord has substantially improved what was already a fine rendering of Aristotle's classic account of political science. A great service to students and scholars alike." (Robert C. Bartlett, cotranslator of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics") "Carnes Lord's translation is clearly the best available." (Claremont Review of Books)"
£14.00
Harvard University Press Augustines Soliloquies in Old English and in
Book SynopsisIn the tenth century, an anonymous scholar crafted an Old English version of Saint Augustine’s Soliloquia, which explores the nature of truth and immortality of the soul. This volume presents the first English translation of the complete Old English Soliloquies to appear in more than a century accompanied by a unique edition of Augustine’s work.Trade Review[An] elegant, readable, and accurate translation of the Latin text…This work will prove a boon both to scholars and students of Old English literature. -- Justin Lake * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
£26.96
Focus Publishing/R Pullins & Co Symposium or Drinking Party
Book Synopsis
£13.29
Princeton University Press The Therapy of Desire
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Martha C. Nussbaum, Recipient of the 2012 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences""Nussbaum writes as an advocate [of the Hellenistic philosophers], though not an uncritical one, for even while she admires the seriousness and subtlety with which these philosophers analyze the passions, she allows that there is an unresolvable conflict between the detachment and the intense engagement entailed by their philosophies. The sense that these philosophers still matter, that we can wrangle with them and learn from them, is invigorating."---Richard Jenkyns, New York Times Book Review"Few modern books have done as much as this one promises to do in raising the profile of Hellenistic philosophy. It is constantly gripping and absorbing, written with rare eloquence and containing long stretches of almost lyrical intensity. A literary as well as a philosophical tour de force."---David Sedley, Times Literary Supplement"By turns wise and witty, silly and Socratic, critical and compassionate, Nussbaum proves to be an extraordinarily addictive literary companion…. This is a book to live with."---Peter Green, New Republic"[T]his is a wonderful book, of interest to scholars of ancient philosophy, but also to those interested in medical philosophy and philosophy of mind. It would also be of great interest to those interested in the conception of philosophy as therapy that has grown from studies on Wittgenstein. I can heartily recommend it."---Michael Gillan Peckitt, Metapsychology Online Reviews
£20.90
Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd All Things Natural
Book SynopsisFicino's commentary on Plato's Timaeus offers the English reader, for the first time, an opportunity to share the insights of this highly influential Renaissance philosopher into one of Plato's most important works. It provides rich source material for those interested in philosophy, the history of cosmic theory, Platonic and Renaissance studies.
£18.00
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc On Academic Scepticism
Book SynopsisThe aim of this translation of the "Academica" is to render Cicero's treatise on Academic scepticism into readable English for a philosophical audience. To this end, the translator has attempted to preserve consistency in the principal technical terms where English allows it. An English-Latin glossary and an index are included.Trade ReviewBrittain's On Academic Scepticism is more than a translation. It is a thorough introduction to the study of one of Cicero's most important philosophical dialogues, a work which is the key to understanding Hellenistic scepticism and a great deal of the Latin philosophical tradition shaped by Cicero. The translation is sharp and philosophically sensitive without betraying Cicero's elegant style; the Introduction (historical, philosophical, and philological) is compact, lucid, and authoritative. At last this important work is accessible to those who do not read Latin; even those who do will turn to Brittain's book as a fundamental resource for years to come.--Brad Inwood, Canada Research Chair in Ancient Philosophy, University of TorontoA splendid volume. Brittain's translation of the Academica is among the very best recent translations of an ancient philosophical text. This translation, together with the wealth of supplementary material Brittain provides, will allow readers who do not know Latin but are interested in the philosophical problems under discussion in the Academica to engage with Cicero's difficult text.--Casey Perin, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
£17.09
Harvard University Press Commentaries on Plato Volume 2 Parmenides Part I
Book SynopsisMarsilio Ficino, the Florentine scholar-philosopher-magus, was largely responsible for the Renaissance revival of Plato. His commentaries remained the standard guide to the philosopher’s works for centuries. Vanhaelen’s new translation of Parmenides makes this monument of metaphysics accessible to the modern student.Trade ReviewFicino’s focus was on the writings of Plato, which were the subject of his study, his translation, and his extensive commentary. One of the most extensive of those commentaries—on Plato’s Parmenides—is now one of the most recent additions to Harvard’s superb ongoing I Tatti Renaissance Library. In a two-volume accomplishment all the more astounding for being conducted so unassumingly, Maude Vanhaelen has taken Ficino’s 1496 edition of the commentary on Parmenides, regularized its usages, combed out its typos, modernized its spellings, and thereby produced the single finest scholarly version of this long and problematic work yet made… Thanks to Maude Vanhaelen and the I Tatti Library, we can now study Ficino’s epic Parmenides commentary as it should be studied: with a clear, nailed-down text, a fine English translation, and some wide-ranging, hard-working notes. Renaissance scholars—that tiny, hard-drinking enclave—will rightly rejoice. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *
£26.96
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Politics: A New Translation
Book SynopsisThis new translation of Aristotle's Politics is a model of accuracy and consistency and fits seamlessly with the translator's Nicomachean Ethics, allowing the two to be read together, as Aristotle intended. Sequentially numbered endnotes provide the information most needed at each juncture, while a detailed Index of Terms indicates places where focused discussion of key notions occurs. A general Introduction prepares the reader for the work that lies ahead, explaining what sort of work it is and what sort of evidence it relies on.Trade Review"David Reeve's new translation of the Politics is certain to become the primary and indispensable tool for anyone undertaking a careful study of Aristotle's great work. Newcomers to this treatise as well as advanced scholars will learn enormously from the Introduction, extensive notes, and detailed index." —Richard Kraut, Northwestern University"C. D. C. Reeve's study of Aristotle's Politics (translation with introduction, hundreds of notes, and a detailed index of terms) does justice to Aristotle's practical philosophy as a whole in an exceptional way. . . . [Far] from being a simple revision of his previous work (Hackett, 1998) [it] provides us with a totally fresh English text in harmony with his recent translation of the Nicomachean Ethics (Hackett, 2014). . . . Among the merits of the edition is Reeve's philosophically illuminating Introduction [which] attempts to situate politics within the framework of Aristotelian sciences. . . . It is a great merit of Reeve's Translation and Commentary that his own views are confined to his Introduction. In his sequentially numbered endnotes we most often hear Aristotle's own voice and not a commentary that might have promoted partial interpretations. Apart from the quotation of a wide range of passages from the Aristotelian corpus, the reader will also find clarifications providing her with the assistance necessary to find her own way in the text. . . . In general, comparing the new translation to the Greek text one can hardly fail to recognize that it attains an admirable balance between fidelity and smoothness: though following the syntax of the Greek text, it remains fluent and readable. . . . In a nutshell, Reeve's new translation and commentary is a masterful work. Both students who wish to study the Politics and advanced scholars will greatly profit from it." —Vasia Vergouli, University of Patras, in Bryn Mawr Classical Review
£22.79
Oxford University Press On Obligations
Book SynopsisOn Obligations (De officiis) was written by Cicero in late 44 BC after the assassination of Julius Caesar to provide principles of behaviour for aspiring politicians. It explores the apparent tensions between honourable conduct and expediency in public life, and the right and wrong ways of attaining political leadership. The principles of honourable behaviour are based on the Stoic virtues of wisdom, justice, magnanimity, and propriety; in Cicero''s view the intrinsically useful is always identical with the honourable. Cicero''s famous treatise has played a seminal role in the formation of ethical values in western Christendom. Adopted by the fourth-century Christian humanists, it beame transmuted into the moral code of the high Middle Ages. Thereafter, in the Renaissance from the time of Petrarch, and in the Age of Enlightenment that followed, it was given central prominence in discussion of the government of states. Today, when corruption and conflict in political life are the focus of so much public attention, On Obligations is still the foremost guide to good conduct. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
£9.49
Oxford University Press Ancient Philosophy
Book SynopsisSir Anthony Kenny tells the fascinating story of the birth of philosophy and its remarkable flourishing in the ancient Mediterranean world. This is the first of four volumes in which he unfolds a magisterial new history of Western philosophy. Specially written for a broad popular readership, but serious and deep enough to offer a genuine understanding of the great philosophers, Kenny''s lucid and stimulating history will become the definitive work for anyone interested in the people and ideas that shaped the course of Western thought.Trade ReviewBertrand Russell apparently wrote his History of Western Philosophy in a hurry to raise funds. Although this reamins a popular work, it is a patchy and unreliable source. By contrast, Kenny's history of philosophy is the product of a lifetime of scholarship and this is manifest on every page. The other celebrated history of philosophy is that of Frederick Copleston, which runs to twelve volumes. Although this contains a wealth of detail and remains a valuable resource, Kenny is by far the better philosopher and writer. * James Ladyman, Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of Contents1. Beginnings: From Pythagoras to Plato ; 2. Schools of Thought: From Aristotle to Augustine ; 3. Argument and Reason: Logic ; 4. Knowledge and its Limits ; 5. How Things Happen: Physics ; 6. What There Is: Metaphysics ; 7. Soul and Mind ; 8. How to Live: Ethics ; 9. God
£12.59
Oxford University Press Medieval Philosophy
Book SynopsisSir Anthony Kenny continues his magisterial new history of Western philosophy with a fascinating guide through more than a millennium of thought from 400 AD onwards, charting the story of philosophy from the founders of Christian and Islamic thought through to the Renaissance.The middle ages saw a great flourishing of philosophy, and the intellectual endeavour of the era reaches its climax in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, with the systems of the great schoolmen such as Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus. Specially written for a broad popular readership, but serious and deep enough to offer a genuine understanding of the great philosophers, Kenny''s lucid and stimulating history will become the definitive work for anyone interested in the people and ideas that shaped the course of Western thought.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition This wonderful book . . . is not only an authoritative guide to the history of philosophy but also a compelling introduction to every major area of philosophical inquiry. . . . Kennys prose is exceptionally clear . . . He conveys his rich subject matter with a light touch of which only the greatest of writers are capable. . . . This, combined with his breadth and depth of learning and philosophical sophistication, make reading this book hugely rewarding. It is also worth mentioning that the book is beautifully illustrated . . . One is left eager for subsequent volumes and convinced that the intellectual cosmos is, indeed, boundlessly rich. * James Ladyman, Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of ContentsMap; Introduction; 1. Philosophy and Faith: Augustine to Maimonides; 2. The Schoolmen: From the Twelfth Century to the Renaissance; 3. Logic and Language; 4. Knowledge; 5. Physics; 6. Metaphysics; 7. Mind and Soul; 8. Ethics; 9. God; Chronology
£15.29
The University of Chicago Press Hardship and Happiness
Book SynopsisLucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BCE-65 CE) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, dramatist, statesman, and advisor to the emperor Nero, all during the Silver Age of Latin literature. This is a series of new English-language translations of his works helps restore Seneca to his rightful place among the classical writers most widely studied in the humanities.
£76.00
Little, Brown Book Group A Brief History of Atlantis
Book SynopsisThe Atlantis story remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic tales from antiquity, and one that still resonates very deeply with the modern imagination. But where did Atlantis come from, what was it like, and where did it go to?Atlantis was first introduced by the Greek philosopher Plato in two dialogues the Timaios and Kritias, written in the fourth century BC. As he philosophises about the origins of life, the Universe and humanity, the great thinker puts forward a stunning description of Atlantis, an island paradise with an ideal society. But the Atlanteans degenerate and become imperialist aggressors: they fight against antediluvian Athens, which heroically repels their mighty forces, before a cataclysmic natural disaster destroys the warring states. His tale of a great empire that sank beneath the waves has sparked thousands of years of debate over whether Atlantis really existed. But did Plato mean his tale as history, or just as a parable toTrade ReviewAtlantis has been adapted to countless ideologies and agendas over time, serving the needs of every sort of reader - "harmless hippies or Heinrich Himmler", in Mr Kershaw's memorable phrase . . . Mr Kershaw closes this chilling chapter [on 'the white-supremacist thread in the Atlantis story'] with a quote from Hannah Arendt suggesting the larger importance of his topic. "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule," Arendt wrote, is "people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction . . . and the distinction between true and false . . . no longer exist." The tortured moves that Mr. Kershaw documents, by which the Atlantis myth has been recast as fact and willfully misread, remind us of how vital such distinctions are for a society striving to stay free. -- James Romm * Wall Street Journal *
£12.34
Clarendon Press Ancient Philosophy Mystery and Magic
Book SynopsisEmpedocles played a crucial role in the development of western culture; yet little is known or understood about this man, who lived in Sicily in the fifth-century BC. This is mainly becuase his teaching has been reconstructed by modern shcolars first and formost on the basis of Aristotle''s hostile reports - producing a picture which is disconnected and lacking in depth. Using material never exploited before, Peter Kingsley presents the first full-scale study of Empedocles to situate his fragmentary writings in their original context of philosophy as a way of life, mystery religion and magic, and of the struggle to realize one''s own divinity. This study also explores fresh evidence which proves Empedocles was not an isolated figure and reveals new links between his work and ancient Pythagoreanism. The process of establishing these links now makes it possible to demonstrate, in detail, the Pythagorean origin of Plato''s myths. Kingsley re-examines problems regarding the connections betTrade ReviewHighly polemical new book ... The thesis is argued with immense learning. * Times Higher Education Supplement *An original, lucid and intriguing narrative on Empedocles. * Phronesis *a remarkable, indeed pioneering, book which will compel scholars not only to re-examine the paradigms and traditional sources of evidence upon which they have hitherto relied, but also perhaps to question the category of philosophy itself as a viable notion outside the orbit of mystery, magic and myth ... Kingley's Ancient Philosophy is a brilliant, provocative, occasionally quirky, but gripping, urgent and important story which is bound to delight some and offend others. On these terms, it is a unique pioneering work which has all the ingredients to fall under Meyerhold's definition of a masterpiece. * Kevin Corrigan, University of Saskatchewan, European Review of History *a remarkable achievement: challenging, learned, and at the same time enthralling to read ... A consequence of K.'s approach, and one of the impressive things about his book, is that it is not just a book for the specialist in ancient philosophy. K.'s work will also be important for students of ancient religion and magic and for anyone interested in what made Sicilian and Western Greek culture distinctive in the fifth century. K. writes with elegance and vigour ... anyone with a serious interest in early Greek philosophy should read this book. * Anne Sheppard, Royal Holloway, University of London, The Classical Review, Vol. XLVI, No. 2, '96 *an original, lucid and intriguing narrative on Empedocles ... he has put forward a powerful, wide-ranging and coherent case that deserves a hearing, and at the least, a reassessment of the role of the western Presocratics in the history of philosophy. * Phonesis: A Journal for Ancient Philosophy, Vol. XLI, No. 1 1996 *Reading Kingsley's Ancient Philosophy, Mystery, and Magic is like walking into the middle of a rarefied discussion that has been going on for thousands of years. * Bruce Nelson, Parabola *a remarkable achievement: challenging, learned, and at the same time enthralling to read. ... A consequence of K.'s approach, and one of the impressive things about his book, is that it is not just a book for the specialist in ancient philosophy. K.'s work will also be important for students of ancient religion and magic and for anyone interested in what made Sicilian and Western Greek culture distinctive in the fifth century. ... Despite its learning, the book is one of the most readable academic works I have encountered. K. writes with elegance and vigour. ... anyone with a serious interest in early Greek philosophy should read this book. * The Classical Review *a remarkable, indeed pioneering, book which will compel scholars not only to re-examine the paradigms and traditional sources of evidence upon which they have hitherto relied, but also perhaps to question the category of philosophy itself as a viable notion outside the orbit of mystery, magic and myth. The work amasses, for the first time in this form, a truly impressive array of textual, archaeological, and papyrological evidence. ... Kingsley contrives to do this in such an interesting way that the reader is drawn artfully into the process of detection itself as into the unravelling of an urgent mystery. ... it is a unique pioneering work which has all the ingredients to fall under Meyerhold's definition of a masterpiece. * European Review of History, vol.3, no.2 *In this work Kingsley has brought a vast amount of scholarship to bear on the subject. ... Kingsley's work, while firmly rooted in the academic tradition, is unique in teasing out new insights from texts that have been studied but misunderstood for decades. Kingsley's scholarship is wide-ranging and impeccable ... provides a storehouse of new insights and expands our understanding of the complex background of Greek philosophical thought. Without doubt, its central arguments are compelling and backed up with an intimidatingly vast scholarly apparatus. ... this is without question an important volume that will stimulate discussion for many years to come. * Gnosis Magazine, Winter 1997 *This work is without doubt the most important book on Empedocles in recent years and one of the most significant in early Greek thought since the writings of F. Cornford saw the light of day. This book is of great significance for the study of early Greek thought and presents a major transformation of view as far as Empedocles and Pythagoras as well as the relation of Pythagoreanism to Plato are concerned ... the book of Kingsley is of singular importance in the study of the Islamic intellectual tradition, while being of an even greater singificance for the field of Greek and Western philosophy, since it challenges the commonly held view of the whole foundation of Western philosophical thought. * Seyyed Hossein Masr, George Washington University, The Journal of Islamic Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2 '97 *Dramatic and provocative. He presents a stimulating, learned, and wide-ranging interpretation of Empedocles and Pythagoreanism ... this book provides a great deal of information in a thoroughly original package. * Religious Studies Review *The author has successfully accumulated fairly extensive material and convincing arguements to make his point! * The Journal of Indo-European Studies *Remarkable book...it is good to have his researches gathered in one volume...there can be no doubt that Kingsley's book, precisely in cutting across the narrow boundries of classical studies and departing from the well-worn avenues by which we approach the history of ancient philosophy, poses a serious challenge for most future work in the field...Kingsley's book will be a hard act to follow...I cannot think of many scholars in ancient philosophy who could afford to ignore this book without peril; it is not recommended but required reading! * Ancient Philosophy *In this work Kingsley has brought a vast amount of scholarship to bear on the subject...Kingsley's work...is unique in teasing out new insights from texts that have been studied but misunderstood for decades. Kingsley's scholarship is wide-ranging and impeccable...provides a storehouse of new insights and expands our understanding of the complex background of Greek philosopical thought. Without doubt, its central arguements are compelling, and backed up with an intimidatingly vast scholarly apparatus...this is without question an important volume that will stimulate discussion for many years to come. * Gnosis Magazine *This is a most remarkable book, learned, discursive, but yet sharply focussed, on a subject which might seem to lend itself readily to various sorts of intemperate speculation ... this is splendid book, and one that should generate much discussion. * John Dillon, Trinity College, Dublin, Hermathena, no 164, summer 98 *
£68.40
Harvard University Press Early Greek Philosophy Volume III
Book SynopsisVolume III of the nine-volume Loeb edition of Early Greek Philosophy includes the early Ionian thinkers Xenophanes and Heraclitus.Trade ReviewIn brief, André Laks and Glenn Most give us a brilliant and beautiful reference work that can, at the same time, be easily enough read straight through. And spending a few months doing so gives the reader almost all that she needs (perhaps along with Loeb #258, Greek Elegiac Poetry) to reconstruct for herself the origins of the discipline of philosophy. I should want any graduate student or colleague in ancient philosophy or intellectual history to acquire and make their way through it. -- Christopher Moore * Classical Journal *The publication of the Loeb Classical Library’s nine-volume set, Early Greek Philosophy, gives us a new edition of the original texts, with fresh translations. It is a monumental achievement—the result of many years of dedicated work on the part of the two editors/translators André Laks and Glenn W. Most… We owe a profound debt of gratitude to the editors/translators for their thorough and impeccable scholarship, and to the publishers for their usual high standards of production. If you can afford them, don’t hesitate: you will be all the richer for having these volumes on your shelves. -- Jeremy Naydler * Minerva *André Laks and Glenn W. Most have made available to the world of scholarship in early Greek philosophy a resource of immense value. Every study of a thinker or of an issue within the thematic ambit of Early Greek Philosophy must henceforth start by canvassing and taking into account the appropriate selections in the Loeb set. -- Alexander P. D. Mourelatos * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *The publication of a Loeb Classical Library edition of the evidence for early Greek philosophy is a major event in classical scholarship…The editors and their assistants are to be commended for their exemplary execution of such a vast and difficult task. They have succeeded in producing what is far and away the best available edition of the texts of the early Greek philosophers with accompanying English translation…More than that, their edition effectively supersedes Hermann Diels and Walter Kranz’s Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, which has long held sway as the standard edition of the Presocratics, but it only does so because Laks and Most have respectfully taken Diels-Kranz as their model…Laks and Most have set such a high standard with this work that it is hard to imagine that we will see a better general collection on early Greek philosophy in our lifetimes…Laks and Most’s philological acumen, judiciousness as editors, and excellence as translators is evident on every page. -- John Palmer * Arion *
£23.70
Harvard University Press Early Greek Philosophy Volume IV
Book SynopsisVolume IV of the nine-volume Loeb edition of Early Greek Philosophy presents Pythagoras and the Pythagorean School, including Hippasus, Philolaus, Eurytus, Archytas, Hicetas, and Ecphantus, along with chapters on doctrines not attributed by name and reception.Trade ReviewIn brief, André Laks and Glenn Most give us a brilliant and beautiful reference work that can, at the same time, be easily enough read straight through. And spending a few months doing so gives the reader almost all that she needs (perhaps along with Loeb #258, Greek Elegiac Poetry) to reconstruct for herself the origins of the discipline of philosophy. I should want any graduate student or colleague in ancient philosophy or intellectual history to acquire and make their way through it. -- Christopher Moore * Classical Journal *The publication of the Loeb Classical Library’s nine-volume set, Early Greek Philosophy, gives us a new edition of the original texts, with fresh translations. It is a monumental achievement—the result of many years of dedicated work on the part of the two editors/translators André Laks and Glenn W. Most… We owe a profound debt of gratitude to the editors/translators for their thorough and impeccable scholarship, and to the publishers for their usual high standards of production. If you can afford them, don’t hesitate: you will be all the richer for having these volumes on your shelves. -- Jeremy Naydler * Minerva *André Laks and Glenn W. Most have made available to the world of scholarship in early Greek philosophy a resource of immense value. Every study of a thinker or of an issue within the thematic ambit of Early Greek Philosophy must henceforth start by canvassing and taking into account the appropriate selections in the Loeb set. -- Alexander P. D. Mourelatos * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *The publication of a Loeb Classical Library edition of the evidence for early Greek philosophy is a major event in classical scholarship…The editors and their assistants are to be commended for their exemplary execution of such a vast and difficult task. They have succeeded in producing what is far and away the best available edition of the texts of the early Greek philosophers with accompanying English translation…More than that, their edition effectively supersedes Hermann Diels and Walter Kranz’s Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, which has long held sway as the standard edition of the Presocratics, but it only does so because Laks and Most have respectfully taken Diels-Kranz as their model…Laks and Most have set such a high standard with this work that it is hard to imagine that we will see a better general collection on early Greek philosophy in our lifetimes…Laks and Most’s philological acumen, judiciousness as editors, and excellence as translators is evident on every page. -- John Palmer * Arion *
£23.70
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Symposium
Book SynopsisA translation that offers an introduction presenting both basic information and a sense of scholarly opinion.Trade ReviewA fantastic book. Translation is graceful and elegant yet uncannily accurate. Footnotes very useful, especially for teaching purposes, and the price is surprisingly low. --Eve Browning Cole, University of Minnesota
£11.39
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Republic
Book SynopsisThe revised edition of Grube's classic translation follows and furthers Grube's noted success in combining fidelity to Plato's text with natural readability, while reflecting the fruits of new scholarship and insights into Plato's thought since publication of the first edition in 1974.Trade ReviewC.D.C. Reeve has taken the excellent Grube translation and, without sacrificing accuracy, rendered it into a vivid and contemporary style. It is intensity that is often lost in translation, but not here. This is not just a matter of style. The Republic is full of brilliant thoughts, and one needs to preserve brilliance to capture them. In the cave of translations, Reeve’s revision of Grube's Republic is closest to the sun. --Jonathan Lear, University of ChicagoReeve has reworked the Grube translation thoroughly, raising the level of philosophical accuracy and updating the language, all the while retaining--and indeed enhancing--the celebrated readability of the Grube original. For a long time to come, Grube-Reeve will deservedly be the first choice of scholars and students alike. --John Cooper, Princeton University
£34.19
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc The People of Plato
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA treasure-house of vital information, exhaustively and meticulously researched, presented with clarity and verve. Students of Plato's dialogues--and other Socratic writings--will no longer be frustrated by wading through dispersed and difficult to use scholarly tomes to find out about Meno's family and career or Plato's brothers or uncles or who Thucydides son of Melesias was, and his relation to the historian. With philosophical readers foremost in mind, Nails tells all. From now on, anyone reading Plato will always have this book nearby. --John M. Cooper, Princeton UniversityA unique scholarly resource, brimming with information practically inaccessible elsewhere, this painstakingly constructed work keeps one constantly engaged with the historical reality behind Plato's speculative universe. --Lloyd P. Gerson, University of TorontoA permanent contribution to scholarship of the highest order, this beautifully-produced and engagingly-written book will be around as long as Plato is read. If you want to know who the son of Smicrion is, and you should, this book will tell you and amuse you in the process! --C. D. C. Reeve, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
£69.29
Princeton University Press How to Be a Friend
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A]stutely translated . . . . We learn that friendship is, in the end, an art form."---Tracy Lee Simmons, City Journal"Originally written in 44 BC, the advice in this book is as timely as ever, perhaps even more so in view of the changing nature of friendship to include the online dimension." * Paradigm Explorer *
£14.24
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Classical Arabic Philosophy
Book SynopsisIntroduces classical Arabic philosophers through substantial selections from key works in each of the fields - including logic, philosophy of science, natural philosophy, metaphysics, ethics, and politics - to which they made contributions. It provides introduction situating the works within their historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts.Trade ReviewThis book will make a major impact on the study, and especially the teaching, of Arabic philosophy. A major difficulty with this field has been the lack of any adequate textbook of sources. . . . Reisman and McGinnis not only provide here a rich selection of texts that could be the basis for even a full-year course on Arabic thought, but also manage to translate several important works for the first time; they also include some standards that would probably be missed were they not here. It will no doubt become the standard anthology used in courses on Arabic philosophy, and I will use it this way myself. The team of McGinnis and Reisman is an ideal one. . . All in all, this project is to be greeted with immense enthusiasm. --Peter Adamson, King's College LondonThis fine piece of linguistic work brings to non-Arabists some representative samplings from dozens of the most seminal philosophers that the Arabic-speaking world has produced. Most of the outstanding minds are present, from traditionalists to the most speculative thinkers. . . . [T]his anthology succeeds in offering, in an English translation that is both accessible to readers and faithful to the writers, a comprehensive range of outlooks and perspectives highlighting almost half a millennium (9th-13th centuries CE). . . . The broad range covered is a tribute to the anthologists' judgment and skills. --S.P. Blackburn, CHOICEThe anthology produced by Jon McGinnis and David Reisman is a welcome development because it makes accessible a range of key texts covering the spread of philosophical concern in the "classical" period of philosophy in Islam. As they are both Arabists and medievalists with a philosophical training, they have successfully rendered philosophical Arabic into a sophisticated English idiom accessible to students in Islamic thought, medieval studies, and the history of philosophy. In a growing field of study with a paucity of available primary sources in translation, this anthology is greatly welcome and will no doubt become the standard text used in many medieval philosophy, Islamic philosophy, and religious studies courses. The translations are fluent, sophisticated, and well supported with endnotes on the Arabic textual emendations and footnotes referring to the wider ancient and medieval context. A useful bibliography is appended, as is a quite excellent glossary of terms, Arabic-English and vice versa. --Sajjad H. Rizvi, University of ExeterTable of ContentsIntroduction. Al-Kindi. Ar-Razi. Al-Farabi. The Baghdad Peripatetics: Abu Bishr Mattá; Yahya ibn Adi; Abu Sulayman as-Sijistani. Ibn Sina. Al-Ghazali. Ibn Bajja. Ibn Tufayl. Ibn Rushd. As-Suhrawardi. Index.
£29.44
Harvard University Press Confessions Volume I Books 18
Book SynopsisConfessions is a spiritual autobiography of Augustine's early life, family, associations, and explorations of alternative religious and theological viewpoints as he moved toward his conversion. Cast as a prayer addressed to God, it offers a gripping personal story and a philosophical exploration destined to have broad and lasting impact.Trade ReviewHammond’s translation, while always elegant and lucid, stays close enough to the Latin to give us invaluable assistance… An accessible and scholarly introduction provides a way into many aspects of Augustine’s thought which will reward both those who are new to Augustine and more experienced students. -- Edward Dowler * Church Times *
£23.70
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Generation of Animals & History of Animals I,
Book SynopsisThis edition includes new translations of Aristotle's Generation of Animals along with History of Animals I and Parts of Animals I. The translations are noteworthy for their consistency and accuracy, and fit seamlessly with the other volumes in the series, enabling Anglophone readers to read Aristotle's works in a way previously not possible. Sequentially numbered endnotes provide the information most needed at each juncture, while a detailed Index of Terms guides the reader to places where focused discussion of key notions occurs.Trade Review"C.D.C. Reeve's annotated translation of Aristotle's Generation of Animals provides novices and experts alike a much-needed modern and readable, yet accurate and technically rigorous, entry to this difficult text. By printing it together with translations of the methodologically prior works, History of Animals I and Parts of Animals I, readers now have access to what are arguably Aristotle's philosophically richest biological texts.The Introduction helpfully situates the project of Aristotle's biology into its metaphysical and (natural) scientific context, but it also does much more. It offers a panoramic, illuminating, and characteristically provocative interpretative picture of Aristotle's philosophical endeavors as a whole—one that demands to be assessed in its entirety, and that is supported by a wealth of references to, and quotations from, mostly Aristotle himself. The book provides an invaluable resource for anyone trying to understand Aristotle's fascination with living nature” —Mariska Leunissen, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
£26.99
The School of Life Press Stoicism: find serenity and strength in a
Book SynopsisWe still pay homage to one of the most relevant philosophies ever devised when we call someone ‘stoic’ for the way they handle the challenges in their lives with resilience and calm. Originating in Greece around 300 BCE, Stoicism was for many centuries the most popular philosophy in the Western world, teaching people practical advice on how they could flourish in uncertain times and overcome their anxieties. This box of cards gathers together the best insights and sayings from the great Stoic thinkers and marries them up with commentaries that bring out their applicability to our own lives. This is both an elegant summary of an ancient philosophy and a route to self-knowledge, serenity and strength of mind.
£15.30
Harvard University Press Philosophical Orations Volume I
Book SynopsisMaximus of Tyre’s forty-one Philosophical Orations offer a Platonic elucidation of the philosophical life of virtue, and a rich collection of the famous philosophical, literary, and historical figures, events, ideas, successes, and failures that constituted Greek paideia in the so-called Second Sophistic era.Trade ReviewRace's translation is generous and elegantly turned…With excellent but not overwhelming supporting material in the form of the introductions and notes and an absorbing translation (as well as, of course, the benefit of having the original text facing the English), the presentation of these Loeb volumes is exemplary, an impressive edition of interesting texts. -- M.A. Orthofer * Complete Review *
£23.70
Harvard University Press Philosophical Orations Volume II
Book SynopsisMaximus of Tyre’s forty-one Philosophical Orations offer a Platonic elucidation of the philosophical life of virtue, and a rich collection of the famous philosophical, literary, and historical figures, events, ideas, successes, and failures that constituted Greek paideia in the so-called Second Sophistic era.Trade ReviewRace's translation is generous and elegantly turned…With excellent but not overwhelming supporting material in the form of the introductions and notes and an absorbing translation (as well as, of course, the benefit of having the original text facing the English), the presentation of these Loeb volumes is exemplary, an impressive edition of interesting texts. -- M.A. Orthofer * Complete Review *
£23.70
Princeton University Press How to Care about Animals
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Maple Spring Publishing Seneca's Letters from a Stoic
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Princeton University Press How to Have a Life
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] lively and sometimes arresting translation. . . . Once again Princeton University Press and Professor Romm have put us in their debt."---Ray Morris, Classics for All"This small and attractive book does full justice to the series."---Anke Walter, Greece & Rome
£14.24
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Sophist
Book SynopsisA translation of Plato's dialogue. It features an introduction that explores the dialogue's center themes, its connection with related discussions in other dialogues, and its implication for the interpretation of Plato's metaphysics.Trade ReviewThis translation of one of Plato's most challenging dialogues is so unpretentiously honest that it risks undercutting its own significant merits. As far as I can judge, it will prove most helpful not only to students of classical studies and philosophy, but to anybody who is interested in the questions treated by the Sophist. Clarity seems to be the editor and translator's aim, and it is well achieved in: (a) an introduction which without philosophical arm-twisting brings in the views of some modern philosophers on negative and false statement (as inconclusive as Plato's), (b) a select bibliography and a summary of the arguments which students will find useful, and (c) a translation of the text in civilized modern English. Space forbids the adduction of parallel passages. However, I do not hesitate to claim that in terms of accuracy and credible conversational style, the translation will stand comparision with those of A.E. Taylor and F.M. Cornford. --David Rankin, in The Classical Review
£11.39
Oxford University Press Inc Metaphysics
Book SynopsisThis volume introduces readers to a selected number of core issues in metaphysics that have been central in the history of philosophy and remain foundational to contemporary debates, that is: substances; properties; modality and essence; causality; determinism and free will. Anna Marmodoro and Erasmus Mayr take a neo-Aristotelian approach both in the selection and presentation of the topics. But Marmodoro and Mayr''s discussion is not narrowly partisan-it consistently presents opposing sides of the debate and addresses issues from different philosophical traditions, and encourages readers to draw their own conclusions about them.Metaphysics combines a state-of-the-art presentation of the issues that takes into account the most recent developments in the field, with extensive references to the history of philosophy. The book thus makes topics in contemporary analytical metaphysics easily accessible to readers who have no specific background in contemporary philosophy, but rather in the history of philosophy. At the same time, it will engage readers who do not have any historical background with some key developments within the history of the subject.
£23.77
Penguin Books Ltd The Nature of the Gods Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisTowards the end of his life, Cicero turned away from his oratorical and political career and looked instead to matters of philosophy and religion. The dialogue The Nature of the Gods both explores his own views on these subjects, as a monotheist and member of the Academic School, and considers the opinion of other philosophical schools of the Hellenistic age through the figures of Velleius the Epicurean and Balbus the Stoic. Eloquent, clearly argued and surprisingly modern, it focuses upon a series of fundamental religious questions including: is there a God? If so, does he answer prayers, or intervene in human affairs? Does he know the future? Does morality need the support of religion? Profoundly influential on later thinkers, such as Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, this is a fascinating consideration of fundamental issues of faith and philosophical thought.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Philebus
Book SynopsisTaking the form of a discussion between the hedonist Philebus, his naïve disciple Protarchus and Socrates, Philebus is a compelling consideration of the popular belief that pleasure is the greatest attainable good. Here, Socrates speculates on the differing intensities of both pleasure and pain; explores the notion that they can be divided into pure and impure types; considers the relationship between the one and the many; and establishes knowledge as a far higher goal. A profound argument that true fulfillment can only be achieved by the pursuit of beauty, truth and moderation, Philebus is among the earliest and most fascinating explorations of one of the most fundamental human questions: how to lead a good life.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Early Socratic Dialogues Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisRich in drama and humour, the Early Socratic Dialogues include the controversial Ion, a debate on poetic inspiration; Laches, in which Socrates seeks to define bravery; and Euthydemus, which considers the relationship between philosophy and politics. Together, these dialogues provide a definitive portrait of the real Socrates and raise issues still keenly debated by philosophers, forming an incisive overview of Plato's philosophy.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Dream of Reason
Book SynopsisAlready a classic, this landmark account of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. The Dream of Reason takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell''s monumental History of Western Philosophy, but Gottlieb''s book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship (Colin McGinn, Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Best Book, and a Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2001.Trade ReviewA delight. It is written with both wit and scholarship, providing a wonderful overall picture of Western philosophy up to the Renaissance. -- Sir Roger Penrose[Gottlieb] writes with fluency and lucidity, with a gift for making even difficult matters seem comprehensible. -- Richard Jenkins * New York Times *Gottlieb is as enjoyable as he is intellectually stimulating. -- Robert Conquest * Los Angeles Times *
£11.69
Oxford University Press Inc Stoic Wisdom
Book SynopsisHow do we find calm in times of stress and uncertainty? How do we cope with sudden losses or find meaning in a world that can easily rob us of what we most value? Drawing on the wisdom of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and others, Nancy Sherman''s Stoic Wisdom presents a compelling, modern Stoicism that teaches grit, resilience, and the importance of close relationships in addressing life''s biggest and smallest challenges. A renowned expert in ancient and modern ethics, Sherman relates how Stoic methods of examining beliefs and perceptions can help us correct distortions in what we believe, see, and feel. Her study reveals a profound insight about the Stoics: They never believed, as Stoic popularizers often hold, that rugged self-reliance or indifference to the world around us is at the heart of living well. We are at home in the world, they insisted, when we are connected to each other in cooperative efforts. We build resilience and goodness through our deepest relationships. Bringing ancient ideas to bear on 21st century concerns from workers facing stress and burnout to first responders in a pandemic, from soldiers on the battlefield to citizens fighting for racial justice Sherman shows how Stoicism can help us fulfil the promise of our shared humanity. In nine lessons that combine ancient pithy quotes and daily exercises with contemporary ethics and psychology, Stoic Wisdom is a field manual for the art of living well.Trade ReviewThis book is one of a number of recent trade titles devoted to the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Over the last decade or so there has been an upsurge of popular interest in this ancient school of philosophy. * JOHN SELLAR, The Classical Review *Sherman reassesses Stoicism to add corrective nuances and to challenge misrepresentations that overemphasize "rugged self-reliance" or "invincibility," but the book also is "a field guide" for cultivating "healthy resilience" in the 21st century. The chapters cover practical advice from rehearsing for bad times to learning how to manage one's emotions, from working with anger to processing grief. * R. M. Ruehl, CHOICE *The book is an excellent example of how the classical world continues to have relevance to issues we face in our own time. * Clive Letchford, Journal of Classics Teaching *Table of ContentsLesson Titles Lesson 1: The Great Stoic Revival Lesson 2: Who Were the Stoics? Lesson 3: Finding Calm Lesson 4: Living with Emotions Lesson 5: Grit and Resilience Lesson 6: Healing through Self-Compassion Lesson 7: Lifehacks Lesson 8: The Art of Stoic Living Lesson 9: A Healthy Modern Stoicism
£21.14
Oxford University Press Inc Living for Pleasure
Book SynopsisIf we all want happiness and pleasure so much, then why are we so bad at getting it?Pleasure feels amazing! Anxiety, however, does not. The Ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus rolled these two strikingly intuitive claims into a simple formula for happiness and well-being--pursue pleasure without causing yourself anxiety. But wait, is that even possible? Can humans achieve lasting pleasure without suffering anxiety about failure and loss? Epicurus thinks we can, at least once we learn to pursue pleasure thoughtfully. In Living for Pleasure, philosopher Emily Austin offers a lively, jargon-free tour of Epicurean strategies for diminishing anxiety, achieving satisfaction, and relishing joys. Epicurean science was famously far ahead of its time, and Austin shows that so was its ethics and psychology. Epicureanism can help us make and keep good friends, prepare for suffering, combat imposter syndrome, build trust, recognize personal limitations, value truth, cultivate healthy attitudes towarTrade ReviewThe clarity and concision of Austin's prose means that she covers many more of the details of Epicurean thought in her 24 short chapters. Anyone seduced by the recent fashion for Stoicism should read her book to see why their biggest contemporary rival offers a better model for living. * Julian Baggini, The Guardian *Austin shows us, vividly and directly, how Epicurean ideas can apply to areas of everyday life and how they can help us uncover—and deal with—deep-seated problems that stand in the way of living a balanced, thoughtful, and enjoyable life. She does a stellar job of showing us, incisively and sympathetically, that Epicurus gives us a philosophy to live by and that we can actually live by it. * Julia Annas, Regents Professor Emerita, University of Arizona *Austin provides an accessible and intellectually rigorous overview of Epicureanism that remains refreshingly forthright about the limits of Epicurus's advice and keeps an appropriately light tone... The result is an excellent primer on Epicureanism. * Publishers Weekly *Simply the best guide to living as an Epicurean. Austin's discussion is grounded in a thorough understanding of Epicurean philosophy, but it's written in a humorous and accessible style, and she does an outstanding job of applying Epicureanism to the problems facing people today. * Timothy S. O'Keefe, author of Epicureanism *Wise, witty, and above all a pleasure to read, Austin's study of Epicureanism is excellent medicine for the many illnesses and anxieties of the 21st century. Read it and be refreshed. * Clancy Martin, Professor of Philosophy, University of Missouri-Kansas City *Living for Pleasure is a terrific introduction to Epicureanism, especially its practical side. If offers a clear and accessible guide through some difficult ideas, all with a deft personal touch and a convincing case for the value of this philosophy for us today. Who knew Epicurus could help us navigate social media? * Richard Bett, author of How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic *Examining the tenets of Epicureanism in fine detail, Austin provides the audience with her insightful interpretations throughout and offers a kindred spirit to all readers who seek the finer things in life. * Booklist *Of particular note are the two chapters exploring the enigmatic Epicurean dictum to live quietly or live unnoticed...In today's world the advice is both refreshing and reassuring. * Alex Moran, TLS *Philosophy has traditionally concerned itself with two main questions. What is the world like? And how ought we to live in it?...Contemporary philosophy tends not to concern itself with this second question. This is unfortunate, especially because philosophy is meant to be the very discipline that acquires wisdom. That said, the recent Guides to the Good Life series, edited by Stephen Grimm, stands as a welcome corrective. Each book is written by an expert in the field and explores the question of how to live from a unique philosophical perspective, in an accessible register. The series cannot be praised too highly... * TLS *This is an extraordinary, fascinating, and entertainingly written book. Austin (Wake Forest Univ.) provides a comprehensive scholarly analysis of the philosophy of Epicurus (341-270 BCE), concentrating on the Epicurean mantra that human happiness is to be found in the experience of pleasure, thoughtfully understood as minimizing anxieties and pursuing the aspects of life that have true and perpetual meaning. Austin's approach is unique in that she interweaves this Epicurean philosophy into contemporary and popular approaches (some of them misleading) to the enrichment of everyday life. Released in the 'Guides to the Good Life' series, this is a work of applied philosophy. Notes and references are excellent...Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. * Choice *This is an extraordinary, fascinating, and entertainingly written book... Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. * Choice *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Maybe We're Doing It Wrong Chapter 2: Epicureanism, The Original Cast Chapter 3: Happiness, Theirs and Ours Chapter 4: Why Hedonism? Chapter 5: What do you want? Chapter 6: The Fourfold Remedy Chapter 7: Why Can't We Be Friends? Chapter 8: Let Me Be Frank Chapter 9: Why Be Just? Chapter 10: Imposter Syndrome Chapter 11: Living Unnoticed: Politics and Power Chapter 12: Living Unnoticed: The Tyranny of the 'Like' Chapter 13: Wealth and What it Costs Chapter 14: Ambition, Work, and Success Chapter 15: Greed for Life Chapter 16: Misfortune and Resilience Chapter 17: Of Sex, Love, and Harmless Pleasure Chapter 18: Building the Tranquil Child Chapter 19: Drugs and Other Short Cuts Chapter 20: Foodies, Dinner Parties, and Wine Snobs Chapter 21: Science and Anxiety Chapter 22: That Old Time Religion Chapter 23: Experiencing Death Chapter 24: Pandemics and Other Comforting Horrors Chapter 25: On Practicing Epicureanism
£16.19
Oxford University Press Inc Plato of Athens
Book SynopsisThe first ever biography of the founder of Western philosophy Considered by many to be the most important philosopher ever, Plato was born into a well-to-do family in wartime Athens at the end of the fifth century BCE. In his teens, he honed his intellect by attending lectures from the many thinkers who passed through Athens and toyed with the idea of writing poetry. He finally decided to go into politics, but became disillusioned, especially after the Athenians condemned his teacher, Socrates, to death. Instead, Plato turned to writing and teaching. He began teaching in his twenties and later founded the Academy, the world''s first higher-educational research and teaching establishment. Eventually, he returned to practical politics and spent a considerable amount of time and energy trying to create a constitution for Syracuse in Sicily that would reflect and perpetuate some of his political ideals. The attempts failed, and Plato''s disappointment can be traced in some of his later polTrade ReviewPlato of Athens is erudite and fascinating, and realises its aim of showing that his works were magnificent, that "Plato invented philosophy" not as a body of doctrine but an open-ended and insatiable quest. * Jane O'Grady, The Telegraph *If all Western philosophy is as has been claimed a series of footnotes to Plato of Athens, it's fortunate indeed that all his dialogues have survived and attracted translators and interpreters of the caliber of Robin Waterfield. Brilliant, witty, profound--and perplexing: Plato's all those and more (a uniquely resonant stylist too), and it's no mean tribute both to him and to the author to say that Robin Waterfield has done him justice. * Paul Cartledge, author of Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece *Whitehead once characterized the history of Western philosophy as a series of footnotes to Plato. Here, at last, we have an authoritative body text for the man himself. 'No philosopher,' Waterfield writes, 'is as accessible to non-specialists as Plato.' The same can be said for this remarkable, impeccably researched biography * M. D. Usher, author of Plato's Pigs and Other Ruminations *Writing a biography of Plato is a tricky endeavor, to say the least. Robin Waterfield nonetheless succeeds in delivering a gripping, plausible, and enlightening portrait. Those new to Plato as well as seasoned scholars will come away from Plato of Athens not only with as rounded a picture of Plato the man as may be possible, but also with an excellent sense of his philosophy and the historical times in which he lived and with which he engaged. * Iakovos Vasiliou, author of Aiming at Virtue in Plato *Waterfield evokes [the Academy's] atmosphere superbly. Indeed, the passages on Plato's teachings, his dialogues and his contribution to the field of philosophy are a particular strength of the book...His account of Plato's failure to reform the tyrant [Dionysius II] and establish a new constitution for him is particularly well done. * Daisy Dunn, Literary Review *Waterfield's narrative is compelling. * The Atlantic *Well-researched and attractively written. * Armand D'Angour, History Today *An admirably solid overview of Platoâs life and works. * David Stuttard, British Museum Magazine *[A] readable and wonderfully enlightening book...a remarkably successful attempt to paint a believable picture of the intellectual journey of someone who is unquestionably one of the great landmarks of European thinking... Plato would have liked that, and that is the highest praise. * John Muir, Classics for All *Learned and highly readable. * Malcom Schofield, Society *Well-researched and attractively written. * Armand D'Angour, History Today *Engaging and accessible...one of the best books available for those who are new to Plato...always looks at the evidence with fresh eyes...a marvelous introductory overview of Plato's philosophy, as it emerged from his intellectual and political milieu. Furthermore, there is no better way than the one provided by Waterfield for beginners to learn about the Academy. * Richard Kraut, Society *Well-researched and attractively written. * Armand D'Angour, History Today *Nobody is better qualified to write this book than Robin Waterfield... He does not talk down to the reader, but neither does he assume any prior knowledge... [a] timely and eloquent book. It encourages the reader to go back to Plato himself and (re)read those texts where the dialogue form is so skilfully used to explore issues which could be a matter of life and death rather than airy philosophy. * John Godwin, Journal of Classics Teaching *Plato of Athens is much to be commended for its discussion resulting in a comprehensive chronology of Plato's life and dialogues. * Andrew David Irvin, TLS *A full, very readable biography...Give[s] a remarkably full picture of the man, his ideas and his influence. * Times Literary Supplement *A thorough and well-structured account of the events of Plato's life whilst placing his many dialogues into a clear chronology. * Sebastian Milbank, The Critic *A highly accessible and significant contribution. * Paradigm Explorer *Attractively fulfils its aim of introducing Platonic philosophy to a general readership by combining elements of historical reconstruction with key values extracted from the written work, the two things synthesised into an imagined portrait of a life.... One can confidently expect that if indeed some of Waterfield's readers may never have tackled any of the dialogues for themselves, they will be stimulated to do so (and in Waterfield's own fine translations) by his eloquent passion for a 'super-important' thinker who is now 'read and studied in, I dare say, every country in the world.' * Stephen Halliwell, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Fascinating and well-written ... a vivid account of Plato's intellectual background. * Paradigm Explorer *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments Maps List of Illustrations and Tables List of Plato's Dialogues Timeline Introduction The Sources 1. Growing Up in Wartime Athens 2. The Intellectual Environment 3. From Politics to Philosophy 4. Southern Italy and Sicily 5. The Academy 6. The Second and Third Visits to Syracuse 7. Last Years Further Reading Index
£19.79
Oxford University Press Inc Stoic Wisdom
Book SynopsisHow do we find calm in times of stress and uncertainty? How do we cope with sudden losses or find meaning in a world that can easily rob us of what we most value? Drawing on the wisdom of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and others, Nancy Sherman''s Stoic Wisdom presents a compelling, modern Stoicism that teaches grit, resilience, and the importance of close relationships in addressing life''s biggest and smallest challenges.A renowned expert in ancient and modern ethics, Sherman relates how Stoic methods of examining beliefs and perceptions can help us correct distortions in what we believe, see, and feel. Her study reveals a profound insight about the Stoics: They never believed, as Stoic popularizers often hold, that rugged self-reliance or indifference to the world around us is at the heart of living well. We are at home in the world, they insisted, when we are connected to each other in cooperative efforts. We build resilience and goodness through our deepest relationships.BrinTrade ReviewThis book is one of a number of recent trade titles devoted to the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Over the last decade or so there has been an upsurge of popular interest in this ancient school of philosophy. * JOHN SELLAR, The Classical Review *Nancy Sherman goes far beyond the kind of 'pen-and-ink philosophy' that the Stoics had so little time for. In this book, she applies Stoicism where it is most needed * for our warriors and working people alikeand helps them become better and more resilient.Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Daily Stoic and Stillness is the Key *What a delight this book is! Stoic Wisdom is a lively, deeply knowledgeable, and wide-ranging exploration of the Stoic tradition, and how it can inform modern life. * Phil Klay, Winner of the National Book Award and author of Missionaries and Redeployment *Moving with grace and nuanced human understanding from ancient Stoic texts to our world today, drawing vivid examples from hospitals, the military, the world of Silicon Valley, and recent protests seeking racial justice, Sherman proves a sure-footed and appealing guide to what is truly worth holding on to in ancient Greek and Roman Stoicism. Engaging sympathetically yet critically with the ancient texts, she ultimately fashions her own Stoicism for today: based not on detachment but on resilience and adaptability, not on emotional hardness but on empathetic attunement to the needs of others, not on a retreat from politics but on a commitment to change what we cannot accept. * Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago *Stoicism is more than two millennia old, and yet Stoicism has become * as Nancy Sherman writesthe Zen of the West. I can hardly think of a more clear and useful guide to ancient and modern Stoicism than Stoic Wisdom.Massimo Pigliucci, author of A Field Guide to a Happy Life *Stoic Wisdom is a fresh and insightful take on this ancient philosophy. Sherman provides ways of updating Stoicism, philosophically and psychologically, so that it can be of practical benefit to modern readers in their daily lives. Its discussion of moral injury and emotional resilience will be of particular value to those in the armed forces. The lessons in this book contains are relevant to everyone * and increasingly needed for the welfare both of the individual and our society.Donald Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor *Seneca and Epictetus would greatly appreciate Nancy Sherman's subtle and elegant elucidation of Stoicism. Modern Stoic popularizers embrace a philosophy of individual self-mastery and toughness. Yet Sherman shows that they fail to grasp true Stoic wisdom. She persuasively argues that Stoicism encourages action in pursuit of a virtuous life aimed at overcoming both individual and shared challenges to realize our collective well-being." * Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Vice Provost of Global Initiatives and Levy University Professor, University of Pennsylvania *An accessible, powerful and thoughtful exploration of Stoicism as guidance for life. Nancy Sherman probes the possible weaknesses as well as strengths of the Stoic approach and in doing so brings out its genuine value for us now. A special merit is that she underlines the Stoic emphasis on social engagement as well as self-reliance and resilience. * Christopher Gill, University of Exeter *In a season of pandemics, mass death, and worldwide economic dysfunction, it is well worth listening, once again or for the first time, to the views of the ancient Greek and Roman Stoics. Sherman's book is an historically faithful guide to the ancient thinkers, which shows on every page how their thought finds application in our contemporary predicaments. Filled with lively anecdotes, case-studies, and personal observations, this book is unmatched in its combination of scholarly accuracy and urgent relevance. * Tad Brennan, Cornell University *This is a wonderful book. With deft intelligence, Nancy Sherman displays the part that Stoicism could play for all of us today in these high-pressure times. Her case studies are drawn from the real world of today and illuminated by snippets of ancient Stoic texts. People in high-risk jobs loom large, because they show clearly what can be done * how we too can break free of what, in good Stoic fashion, she calls our 'enslavement.' Sherman passionately urges that Stoicism could help all of us, whatever form of emotional turmoil is impeding us, to gain control of our lives.Robin Waterfield, translator of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus *Stoicism is directly relevant to the way we live our lives, but it appears at first to make unrealistic demands on us * and it appears to require us to extinguish our emotions. Nancy Sherman introduces us, with grace and liveliness, to the deep, striking and complex ideas behind the seemingly harsh demands. Appealing to today's events as well as the ancient world, and on our full range of sources as well as the ones familiar from self-help guides, she presents Stoicism in the round. She shows us how we are called on to enlarge our lives as Stoics in our everyday mundane dealings as well as in extreme and testing situationsbecause Stoicism strengthens our social and political energies as well as our resilience and grit. Sherman makes Stoicism appealing without oversimplifying it, and calls attention to its relevance to us while keeping us aware of our distance from the world in which it developed. This is much the best introduction to Stoicism.Julia Annas, University of Arizona *Nancy Sherman has written a practical, readable guide for everyday living. In this age of political polarization, impulsive tweeting, and the threat of COVID-19, Stoic Wisdom is a refreshing reminder that reasonable behavior is still a possibility. * Barbara Mujica, Washington Independent Review of Books *Nancy Sherman's Stoic Wisdom is a timely and well-written book, one that aims to provide an overview of Stoicism geared toward an audience that is living through the sort of times Stoicism would seem to fit well: a pandemic, unrest over racism, climate change, and the events of January 6. ... There is a great deal to admire in this book. ... Sherman's extensive background in military ethics and related philosophical issues, along with her knowledge of psychoanalysis, enriches the text, as does her engagement with contemporary politics. * Daniel J. Kapust, Cambridge University Press Book Reviews *The book serves as an introduction to Stoicism that stands apart from others in that its goal is not just to teach the basics of Stoicism * the book also aims to provide 'a field guide for a credible Stoic practical philosophy' by mapping out patterns of 'exaggeration and distortion' brought about by the popularization of Stoicism... Throughout Stoic Wisdom, Sherman calls out the many problems of our modem world, from the still-raging pandemic to systemic racism. As Sherman rightly points out, a healthy modem Stoicism is only possible 'when empathy and mercy course through the veins of reason.'Gregory Lopez, Philosopher's Magazine *[T]he work is accessible, not dumbed-down, treating Stoicism as a way to 'endure and cultivate inner virtue.' * Harvard Magazine *The book is an excellent example of how the classical world continues to have relevance to issues we face in our own time. * Clive Letchford, Journal of Classics Teaching *Table of ContentsLesson Titles Lesson 1: The Great Stoic Revival Lesson 2: Who Were the Stoics? Lesson 3: Finding Calm Lesson 4: Living with Emotions Lesson 5: Grit and Resilience Lesson 6: Healing through Self-Compassion Lesson 7: Lifehacks Lesson 8: The Art of Stoic Living Lesson 9: A Healthy Modern Stoicism
£16.40
Oxford University Press Inc The Oxford Handbook of Plato Second Edition
Book SynopsisPlato is the best known, and continues to be the most widely studied, of all the ancient Greek philosophers. The updated and original essays in the second edition of The Oxford Handbook of Plato provide in-depth discussions of a variety of topics and dialogues, all serving several functions at once: they survey the current academic landscape; express and develop the authors'' own views; and situate those views within a range of alternatives. The result is a useful state-of-the-art reference to the person many consider the most important philosophical thinker in history.This second edition of he Oxford Handbook of Plato differs in two main ways from the first edition. First, six leading scholars of ancient philosophy have contributed entirely new chapters: Hugh Benson on the Apology, Crito, and Euthyphro; James Warren on the Protagoras and Gorgias; Lindsay Judson on the Meno; Luca Castagnoli on the Phaedo; Susan Sauvé Meyer on the Laws; and David Sedley on Plato''s theology. This new edition therefore covers both dialogues and topics in more depth than the first edition did. Secondly, most of the original chapters have been revised and updated, some in small, others in large, ways.Table of Contents1 Introduction - Gail Fine 2 Plato in His Time and Place - Malcolm Schofield 3 The Platonic Corpus - T.H. Irwin 4 Plato's Ways of Writing - Mary Margaret McCabe 5 The Apology, Crito, and Euthyphro: The Examined and Virtuous Life - Hugh Benson 6 The Protagoras and Gorgias - James Warren 7 The Meno - Lindsay Judson 8 The Phaedo on Philosophy and the Soul - Luca Castagnoli 9 The Republic - Dominic Scott 10 The Parmenides: A Reconsideration of Forms - Sandra Peterson 11 The Theaetetus - Mitzi Lee 12 The Timaeus on the Principles of Cosmology - Thomas Johansen 13 The Sophist on Statements, Predication, and Falsehood- Lesley Brown 14 The Philebus - Constance Meinwald 15 The Laws - Susan Sauvé Meyer 16 The Epistemology and Metaphysics of Socrates - Gareth Matthews 17 Socratic Ethics and Moral Psychology - Daniel Devereux 18 Plato's Epistemology - C.C.W. Taylor 19 Plato's Metaphysics - Verity Harte 20 Plato's Philosophy of Language - Paolo Crivelli 21 Plato on the Soul - Hendrik Lorenz 22 Plato's Ethics - Julia Annas 23 Plato on Love - Richard Kraut 24 Plato's Politics - Christopher Bobonich 25 Plato on Education and Art - Rachana Kamtekar 26 Plato's Theology - David Sedley 27 Plato and Aristotle in the Academy - Christopher Shields 28 Plato and Platonism - Charles Brittain
£45.77
