Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy Books

Book SynopsisBlake E. Hestir's examination of passages from Plato's Cratylus, Parmenides, Theaetetus and Sophist sheds new light on Plato's conception of meaning and truth, bringing it into dialogue with contemporary truth theory, metaphysics, and semantics, as well as highlighting new and striking parallels between Plato and Aristotle.Trade Review'The study is rich in detailed analyses of arguments but never loses sight of the main point: an account of Plato's restricted ontology as the foundation for his thoughts about meaning and truth. To this end, the author introduces a grounding argument, articulated most explicitly at Parmenides 135b–c.' Jakob Leth Fink, Journal of the History of Philosophy'Blake E. Hestir's scholarship has consistently encouraged readers of Plato and Aristotle to pay closer attention to the rich, sometimes unexpected details of their conceptions of truth and falsity. This book is an accomplished, welcome extension of Hestir's efforts to date. I especially appreciated the impressive engagement with the Sophist's metaphysics and the patient accounting of Plato's conception of truth. For students of Plato's semantics and metaphysics more generally, Hestir's book offers lots of food for thought. I highly recommend it.' Christine J. Thomas, Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewsTable of Contents1. Introduction; Part I. Stability: 2. Strong Platonism, restricted Platonism, and stability; 3. Concerns about stability in the Cratylus; 4. Flux and language in the Theaetetus; 5. The foundation exposed: Parmenides 135bc; Part II. Combination: 6. Being as capacity and combination: a challenge for the friends of the forms; 7. The problem of predication: the challenge of the late-learners; Part III. Truth: 8. Predication, meaning, and truth in the Sophist; 9. Plato's conception of truth; 10. Truth as being and a substantive property.

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Book SynopsisProvides a critical and philosophically informed exploration of this, one of the most mature, sophisticated, and carefully crafted scientific writings, in which Aristotle gives an account of animal reproductive processes. Important for scholars and students of ancient philosophy and of the history and philosophy of science.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Aristotle's philosophy and the Generation of Animals Andrea Falcon and David Lefebvre; Part I. The Unity and Structure of Aristotle's Generation of Animals: 1. 'One long argument?' The unity of Aristotle's Generation of Animals Allan Gotthelf and Andrea Falcon; 2. Parts and generation: the prologue to the Generation of Animals and the structure of the treatise David Lefebvre; 3. Order and method in Aristotle's Generation of Animals 2 Mariska Leunissen; Part II. The Principles of Animal Generation Reconsidered: 4. What is Aristotle's Generation of Animals about? Pierre Pellegrin; 5. Aristotle on epigenesis: two senses of epigenesis Devin Henry; 6. A latent difficulty in Aristotle's theory of semen: the homogeneous nature of semen and the role of the frothy bubble Marwan Rashed; 7. Function and instrument: toward a new criterion of the scale of being in Aristotle's Generation of Animals Cristina Cerami; Part III. Hybrids, Male and Female, Particular Forms, and Monsters: 8. Hybridity and sterility in Aristotle's Generation of Animals Jocelyn Groisard; 9. Females in Aristotle's embryology Jessica Gelber; 10. Something(s) in the way(s) he moves: reconsidering the embryological argument for particular forms in Aristotle Gregory Salmieri; 11. Aristotle's explanations of monstrous births and deformities in Generation of Animals 4.4 Sophia Connell; Part IV. Methodology in Aristotle's Generation of Animals: 12. The search for principles in Aristotle: Posterior Analytics 2 and Generation of Animals 1 Robert Bolton; 13. Aristotle, dissection, and generation: experience, expertise and the practices of knowing James G. Lennox.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1926, this book contains the ancient Greek text of the fourth-century treatise Concerning the Gods and the Universe by Sallustius. Nock provides an English translation on each facing page, as well as a critical apparatus and a detailed set of prolegomena on the historical background, sources, style and transmission of the philosophical essay.Table of ContentsAbbreviations; Prologomena; 1. The intellectual background; 2. The context of the treatise; 3. Sources and authorship; 4. Style and form; 5. The transmission of the text; Text and translation; Appendix. The readings of the Barberini manuscript; Index 1. Subject; Index 2. The Greek of Sallustius; Index 3. Other texts emended or explained.

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Book SynopsisThis Companion, the first dedicated to the philosopher and historian Xenophon of Athens, gives readers a sense of why he has held such a prominent place in literary and political culture from antiquity to the present and has been a favourite author of individuals as diverse as Machiavelli, Thomas Jefferson, and Leo Tolstoy. It also sets out the major problems and issues that are at stake in the study of his writings, while simultaneously pointing the way forward to newer methodologies, issues, and questions. Although Xenophon's historical, philosophical, and technical works are usually studied in isolation because they belong to different modern genres, the emphasis here is on themes that cut across his large and varied body of writings. This volume is accessible to students and general readers, including those previously unfamiliar with Xenophon, and will also be of interest to scholars in various fields.Trade Review'The volume approaches Xenophon's writing from a variety of perspectives, with a goal of accounting for him as a thinker who transcends disciplinary lines.' CHOICE'It fills a major gap in the literature by offering a conspectus of Xenophon's works and career that will both interest specialists and serve the needs of generalists. … The Cambridge Companion will render Xenophon more accessible and interesting to scholars who, despite the recent renaissance in Xenophontic scholarship, might still be put off by this Athenian stranger's stodgy reputation.' Martin Devecka, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction Michael A. Flower; Part I. Contexts: 1. Xenophon and his times John W. I. Lee; 2. Xenophon and Greek philosophy Louis-André Dorion; 3. Xenophon and Greek political thought Sarah Brown Ferrario; 4. Xenophon's place in fourth-century Greek historiography Nino Luraghi; Part II. Individual Works: 5. Xenophon's Anabasis and Hellenica John Marincola; 6. Xenophon's Apology and Memorabilia David M. Johnson; 7. Xenophon's Symposium Gabriel Danzig; 8. Xenophon's Oeconomicus Fiona Hobden; 9. Xenophon's Cyropaedia: tentative answers to an enigma Melina Tamiolaki; 10. Xenophon: the small works John Dillery; Part III. Techniques: 11. Xenophon's language and expression Vivienne Gray; 12. Xenophon's authorial voice Christopher Pelling; 13. Xenophon's narrative style Tim Rood; 14. The character and function of speeches in Xenophon Emily Baragwanath; Part IV. Major Subjects: 15. Xenophon as a historian Michael A. Flower; 16. Xenophon on leadership Richard Fernando Buxton; 17. Xenophon and Athens Christopher Tuplin; 18. Xenophon on Persia Kostas Vlassopoulos; 19. Xenophon's views on Sparta Paul Christesen; Part V. Reception and Influence: 20. Xenophon's influence in Imperial Greece Ewen Bowie; 21. Xenophon and the instruction of princes Noreen Humble; 22. Xenophon's changing fortunes in the modern world Tim Rood; Epilogue: 23. Xenophon: magician and friend Edith Hall; Important dates in the life of Xenophon.

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Book SynopsisThe field of ancient Greek ethics is increasingly emerging as a major branch of philosophical enquiry, and students and scholars of ancient philosophy will find this Companion to be a rich and invaluable guide to the themes and movements which characterised the discipline from the Pre-Socratics to the Neo-Platonists. Several chapters are dedicated to the central figures of Plato and Aristotle, and others explore the ethical thought of the Stoics, the Epicureans, the Skeptics, and Plotinus. Further chapters examine important themes that cut across these schools, including virtue and happiness, friendship, elitism, impartiality, and the relationship between ancient eudaimonism and modern morality. Written by leading scholars and drawing on cutting-edge research to illuminate the questions of ancient ethics, the book will provide students and specialists with an indispensable critical overview of the full range of ancient Greek ethics.Trade Review'This is a rich and stimulating collection covering many central aspects of ancient ethics and, at its best, connecting ancient themes with modern preoccupations in a thought-provoking, non-dogmatic way. It widens the usual range of figures and topics covered, admirably well for a book of this size. Specialists and novices alike are in good hands with this Companion.' Brad Inwood, Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction Christopher Bobonich; Part I. Origins: 1. What is pre-Socratic ethics? André Laks; 2. The historical Socrates David Conan Wolfsdorf; Part II. Plato: 3. Virtue and happiness Daniel Devereux; 4. Ethical psychology Rachana Kamtekar; 5. Love and friendship Frisbee Sheffield; Part III. Aristotle: 6. Virtue and happiness David Charles; 7. Ethical psychology Jessica Moss; 8. Love and friendship Corinne Gartner; Part IV. The Hellenistics and Beyond: 9. Epicurus and the Epicureans on ethics Raphael Woolf; 10. The Stoics on virtue and happiness Katja Vogt; 11. The Stoics' ethical psychology Margaret Graver; 12. Skeptical ethics Luca Castagnoli; 13. Ethics in Plotinus and his successors Dominic O'Meara; Part V. Themes: 14. Ancient Eudaimonism and modern morality Julia Annas; 15. Partiality and impartiality in ancient ethics Richard Kraut; 16. Elitism in Plato and Aristotle Christopher Bobonich; 17. Becoming godlike David Sedley; 18. Horace and practical philosophy Terence Irwin.

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This 1940 book assesses how the philosopher Plotinus' hierarchy of reality fits into the wider universal order, and how the historical and philosophical tradition gave rise to Plotinus' own philosophies. The book also supplies a bibliography broken down by topic for those who wish to pursue any aspect of the text in greater depth.

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Book SynopsisThis state-of-the-art overview of ancient logic for students and scholars covers the development of logic in Aristotle and the Stoics, the key concepts at the heart of the ancient logical systems and the legacy of ancient logic in the later philosophical tradition, from the Middle Ages to today.Table of ContentsPart I. The Development of Logic in Antiquity: 1. The prehistory of logic Nicholas Denyer; 2. Aristotle and Theophrastus Paolo Fait; 3. Megarians and Stoics Karlheinz Hülser; 4. Late antiquity Benjamin Morison; Part II. Key Themes: 5. Truth as a logical property and the laws of being true Walter Cavini; 6. Definition Michael Ferejohn; 7. Terms and propositions Paolo Crivelli; 8. Validity and syllogism Luca Castagnoli and Paolo fait; 9. Demonstration Alexander Bown; 10. Modalities and modal logic Marko Malink; 11. Fallacies and paradoxes Luca Castagnoli; 12. Logic in ancient rhetoric Christof Rapp; 13. Ancient logic and ancient mathematics Reviel Netz; Part III. The Legacy of Ancient Logic: 14. Ancient logic in the middle ages John Marenbon; 15. Ancient logic from the Renaissance to the birth of mathematical logic Mirella Capozzi and Leila Haaparanta; 16. Ancient logic today John Woods.

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Book SynopsisAristotle developed an account of the nature of time that, whilst also inspired by Plato, is thoroughly bound up with Aristotle's sophisticated analyses of motion and perception. Tony Roark's unique interpretation of Aristotle's temporal theory will appeal to those interested in Aristotle, ancient philosophy and the philosophy of time.Trade Review'Tony Roark's Aristotle on Time is an excellent book - resourceful, powerfully argued, and pleasing to read. The hylomorphic analysis of time it defends is new and challenging. Everyone interested in Aristotle's theoretical philosophy - indeed, everyone interested in the metaphysics of time - should read it.' C. D. C. Reeve, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill'Aristotle on Time is an insightful work from which readers will certainly take away something valuable. Indeed, Roark has done a marked service by giving new life to a classical (even if forgotten) interpretation of Aristotle.' Jon McGinnis, Philosophy in Review'The progression of the argument is careful and logical, the depth and breadth of Roark's analysis is courageous and penetrating, and some tracts of the argument are deliciously incisive.' The MuseTable of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Part I. Times New and Old: 1. McTaggart's systems; 2. Countenancing the Doxai; Part II. The Mater of Time: Motion: 3. Time is not motion; 4. Aristotelian motion (Kinesis); 5. 'The before and after in motion'; Part III. The Form of Time: Perception: 6. Number (Arithmos) and perception (Aisthesis); 7. On a moment's notice; 8. The role of imagination; 9. Time and the common perceptibles; 10. The hylomorphic interpretation illustrated; Part IV. Simultaneity and Temporal Passage: 11. Simultaneity and other temporal relations; 12. Temporal passage; 13. Dissolving the puzzles of IV.10; 14. Concluding summary and historical significance; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThe Roman statesman, philosopher and playwright Lucius Annaeus Seneca dramatically influenced the progression of Western thought. His works have had an unparalleled impact on the development of ethical theory, shaping a code of behavior for dealing with tyranny in his own age that endures today. This Companion thoroughly examines the complete Senecan corpus, with special emphasis on the aspects of his writings that have challenged interpretation. The authors place Seneca in the context of the ancient world and trace his impressive legacy in literature, art, religion, and politics from Neronian Rome to the early modern period. Through critical discussion of the recent proliferation of Senecan studies, this volume compellingly illustrates how the perception of Seneca and his particular type of Stoicism has evolved over time. It provides a comprehensive overview that will benefit students and scholars in classics, comparative literature, history, philosophy and political theory, as well aTrade Review'… [a] wonderful volume … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.' A. M. Busch, Choice'The Cambridge Companion to Seneca is a remarkable achievement, which has much to offer to advanced students and confirmed scholars looking for useful syntheses and suggestive, in-depth interpretations of the many aspects of this dazzling corpus.' François Prost, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of Contents1. Seneca: an introduction Shadi Bartsch and Alessandro Schiesaro; Part I. The Senecan Corpus: 2. Seneca multiplex: the phases (and phrases) of Seneca's life and works Susanna Braund; 3. Senecan tragedy Christopher Trinacty; 4. Absent presence in Seneca's Epistles: philosophy and friendship Catharine Edwards; 5. The dialogue in Seneca's Dialogues (and other moral essays) Matthew Roller; 6. Seneca on monarchy and the political life: De Clementia, De Tranquillitate Animi, De Otio Malcolm Schofield; 7. Seneca's scientific works Francesca Romana Berno; 8. Seneca's Apocolocyntosis: censors in the afterworld Kirk Freudenburg; Part II. Texts and Contexts: 9. Seneca and Augustan culture James Ker; 10. Seneca and Neronian Rome: in the mirror of time Victoria Rimell; 11. Style and form in Seneca's writings Gareth Williams; 12. Seneca's images and metaphors Mireille Armisen-Marchetti; 13. Theater and theatricality in Seneca's world Cedric A. J. Littlewood; 14. Seneca's emotions David Konstan; Part III. Senecan Tensions: 15. Senecan selves Shadi Bartsch; 16. Seneca's shame David Wray; 17. Theory and practice in Seneca's life and writings Carey Seal; 18. Seneca's originality Elizabeth Asmis; 19. Seneca and Epicurus: the allure of the other Alessandro Schiesaro; Part IV. The Senecan Tradition: 20. Seneca and the ancient world Aldo Setaioli; 21. Seneca and Christian tradition Chiara Torre; 22. Seneca redivivus: Seneca in the medieval and Renaissance world Roland Mayer; 23. Senecan political thought from the Middle Ages to early modernity Peter Stacey; 24. Seneca and the Moderns Francesco Citti.

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Book SynopsisThis is the second of three volumes on Plato published in 1865 as a philosophical supplement to George Grote's authoritative History of Greece. It contains detailed accounts of Plato's transitional and middle dialogues including Gorgias and Symposium, as well as some the later and apocryphal works.Table of Contents20. Menon; 21. Protagoras; 22. Gorgias; 23. Phaedon; 24. Phaedrus - Symposion; 25. Parmenides; 26. Theaetetus; 27. Sophistes – Politikus; 28. Politikus; 29. Ktaylus; 30. Philebus; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this four-volume set, first published in 1871, the leading Greek scholar and academic Benjamin Jowett translates into English the dialogues of one of the world's greatest philosophers. In Volume 1 he includes fourteen early and middle dialogues of Plato together with individual editorial introductions.Table of ContentsPreface; Charmides; Lysis; Laches; Protagoras; Euthydemus; Ion; Meno; Euthyphro; Apology; Crito; Phaedo; Symposium; Phaedrus; Cratylus.

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Book SynopsisThis is the third of three volumes on Plato published in 1865 as a philosophical supplement to George Grote's authoritative History of Greece. It contains extensive treatments of the Republic and the Laws as well as later dialogues and apocryphal works. It also contains the index to all three volumes.Table of Contents31. Menexenus; 32. Kleitophon; 33. Platonic Republic - abstract; 34. Republic - remarks on its main themes; 35. Republic - remarks on the Platonic commonwealth; 36. Timaeus and Kritias; 37. Leges and Epinomis; 38. Other companions of Sokrates; 39. Xenophon; Index.

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Book SynopsisPublished in five volumes between 1896 and 1909, this book separates Greek religious practice from its corresponding mythology. Focusing on the most popular gods, Farnell describes their cults, monuments and ideal types. Volume 1 focuses on early Greek religion and the cults of Cronos, Zeus, Hera and Athena.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; 1. The Aniconic age; 2. The Iconic age; 3. Cronos; 4. Zeus; 5. The cult-monuments of Zeus; 6. The ideal type of Zeus, the statue of Zeus Olympus; 7. Hera; 8. The cult-monuments of Hera; 9. Ideal types of Hera; 10. Athena; 11. Monuments of Athena-worship; 12. Ideal types of Athena; Appendices.

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Book SynopsisUsener's Epicurea (1887) is a collection of carefully edited Epicurean texts and citations from a range of classical authors including Arrian, Cicero, Diogenes Laertius, Euripides, Plato and Seneca. It includes critical texts of three important letters written by Epicurus. The volume is a pioneering work in the study of Epicureanism.Table of ContentsPraefatio; Epicuri libri a Laertio Diogene servati; Epicuri Perditorum librorum vestigia; Incertae sedis fragmenta opinionumque testimonia: 1. Prolegomena philosophiae; 2. Canonica; 3. Physica; 4. Ethica; Spicilegium fragmentorum et testimoniorum; Vita Epicuri ex Laertio Diog. X 1 sqq.; Subsidium interpretationis; Index nominum; Index fontium.

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Book SynopsisBased on Ast's complete edition of Plato, this lexicon gives citations both from Plato and from later works that quote Plato. It remains a milestone in Plato scholarship and is a valuable resource for readers interested in the history of philology and textual criticism. Volume 1, published in 1835, covers Alpha to Epsilon.Table of ContentsAlpha to Epsilon.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most widely studied texts of ancient philosophy, Plato's Laws is his last and longest dialogue, debating crucial questions on the subject of law-giving and education. This 1921 two-volume edition, prepared by Edwin Bourdieu England (18471936), includes a short introduction, the Greek text, analyses and extensive notes.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Analyses of Books I–VI; Text of Books I–VI; Notes.

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Book SynopsisTaylor's translation of Iamblichus' Greek text into English was first published in 1821. The Syrian-born Iamblichus (third century) is considered one of the great Neoplatonist philosophers. In this work, divided into 10 sections, he gives a complete canon of pagan religious thought and belief and explains their background.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The epistle of Porphyry to the Egyptian Anebo; 2. Iamblichus on the Mysteries, etc.; 3. The answer of the Preceptor Abammon to the epistle of Porphyry to Anebo, and a solution of the doubts contained in it; Additional notes.

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Book SynopsisAnalyses afresh the naturalistic version of Peripatetic ethics preserved in Cicero's On Ends 5, our major source for the ethical system of the first-century BCE philosopher Antiochus of Ascalon. Shows how he grounds the 'Old Academic' conception of the happy life in natural appropriation (oikeiosis).Trade Review'All in all, this book is a fine piece of scholarship, providing as it does an accurate analysis of Antiochus' distinctive position in ethics, and specifically his reclaiming oikeiosis-theory for Aristotle and the Peripatetic tradition.' John Dillon, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I: 1. Antiochus in Rome; 2. 'Old Academic' history of philosophy; Part II. The Ethics of the 'Old Academy': 3. Oikeiōsis and the telos; 4. Self-love in the Antiochean-Peripatetic account; 5. 'Cradle arguments' and the objects of oikeiōsis; 6. Oikeiōsis towards theoretical virtue; 7. Social oikeiōsis; 8. The Antiochean conception of the happy life; 9. Animals and plants in Antiochus' ethical account; Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisAugustine of Hippo''s The City of God is generally considered to be one of the key works of Late Antiquity. Written in response to allegations that Christianity had brought about the decline of Rome, Augustine here explores themes in history, political science, and Christian theology, and argues for the truth of Christianity over competing religions and philosophies. This Companion volume includes specially-commissioned essays by an international team of scholars that provide new insights into The City of God. Offering commentary on each of this massive work''s 22 books chapters, they sequentially and systematically explore The City of God as a whole. Collectively, these essays demonstrate the development and coherence of Augustine''s argument. The volume will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of ancient and contemporary theology, philosophy, cultural studies, and political theory.Table of Contents1. Book 1: Rome's crumbling and consecration as the beginnings of Augustine's theological historiography David Vincent Meconi; 2. Book 2: Romulus's city: peace without justice in Augustine's political thought Oliver O'Donovan; 3. Book 3: Rome's woes before Christ: history and rhetoric in The City of God Christian Tornau; 4. Books 4 and 5: Roman religion and just power Dean Hammer; 5. Books 6 and 7: nature, convention, politics and civil religion Mary Keys; 6. Books 8, 9 and 10: Augustine and Platonism Mark Edwards; 7. Books 11 and 12: angels and demons: the eternal foundations of the two cities James Wetzel; 8. Books 13 and 14: the incomprehensibility of the fall and its consequences for humanity Mathijs Lamberigts; 9. Books 15 and 16: Genesis, Paul, and Salvation history for the citizens of God's city Jonathan Yates; 10. Books 17 and 18: prophecy as proof Michael Sweeney; 11. Book 19: the ends of the two cities: Augustine's appeal for peace Andrew Hofer; 12. Book 20: the last day: judgment purification, and transformation Isabel Moreira; 13. Books 21 and 22: the end of the body: heaven and hell in The City of God David G. Hunter; 14. Epilogue: the architectonic plan of The City of God John Cavadini.

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Book SynopsisThis book captures the drama of the first ever conversation between the young Alcibiades and his lover Socrates the philosopher. The Platonic dialogue about self-knowledge brilliantly blends the erotic, religious, and educational traits of Socrates, a combination widely acknowledged by interpreters of late antiquity but often ignored by modern scholars.Trade Review'The book is furnished with an appropriate bibliography and two indices. It is a fine work of scholarship.' Peter Lautner, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsPart I. The Dialogue: Introduction; 1. The Alcibiades I and its issues; Part II. Reception in Antiquity: 2. Prereception and early reception; 3. Neoplatonist reception to Proclus; 4. Olympiodorus; Part III. The Dialogue Revisited: 5. Reflections on our ancient journey.

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Book SynopsisWhy did Greek philosophy begin in the sixth century BCE? Why did Indian philosophy begin at about the same time? Why did the earliest philosophy take the form that it did? Why was this form so similar in Greece and India? And how do we explain the differences between them? These questions can only be answered by locating the philosophical intellect within its entire societal context, ignoring neither ritual nor economy. The cities of Greece and northern India were in this period distinctive also by virtue of being pervasively monetised. The metaphysics of both cultures is marked by the projection (onto the cosmos) and the introjection (into the inner self) of the abstract, all-pervasive, quasi-omnipotent, impersonal substance embodied in money (especially coinage). And in both cultures this development accompanied the interiorisation of the cosmic rite of passage (in India sacrifice, in Greece mystic initiation).Trade Review'… this is an insightful and interesting contribution to the literature.' G. J. Reece, ChoiceTable of ContentsPart I. Introductory: 1. Summary; 2. Explanations; Part II. The Earliest Texts: 3. Sacrifice and reciprocity in the earliest texts; 4. Self, society, and universe in the earliest texts; Part III. Unified Self, Monism, And Cosmic Cycle in India: 5. The economics of sacrifice; 6. Inner self and universe; 7. The powerful individual; 8. The formation of monism; 9. The hereafter; 10. Reincarnation and karma; Part IV. Unified Self, Monism, And Cosmic Cycle in Greece: 11. Psuchē and the interiorisation of mystery-cult; 12. Monism and inner self; 13. Money and the inner self in Greece; 14. Community and individual; 15. Plato; Part V. Conclusion: 16. The complex imagining of universe and inner self; 17. Ritual, money, society and metaphysics.

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This volume is the first in English to provide a full, systematic investigation into Aristotle''s criticisms of earlier Greek theories of the soul from the perspective of his theory of scientific explanation. Some interpreters of the De Anima have seen Aristotle''s criticisms of Presocratic, Platonic, and other views about the soul as unfair or dialectical, but Jason W. Carter argues that Aristotle''s criticisms are in fact a justified attempt to test the adequacy of earlier theories in terms of the theory of scientific knowledge he advances in the Posterior Analytics. Carter proposes a new interpretation of Aristotle''s confrontations with earlier psychology, showing how his reception of other Greek philosophers shaped his own hylomorphic psychology and led him to adopt a novel dualist theory of the soulbody relation. His book will be important for students and scholars of Aristotle, ancient Greek psychology, and the history of the mindbody problem.

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Book SynopsisExplores the status of politics in Augustine's City of God by considering the relationship between the earthly city and the political sphere. Ogle is attentive to Augustine's rhetorical strategy and theological vision and her book will be of interest to theologians, philosophers, political theorists, and historians of political thought.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The parodic city: Augustine's account of the earthly city and its logic of self-love; 2. The sack of Roma Aeterna: Pride, custom, and the possibility of cultural renewal in book; 3. Exposing the worldly worldviews of empires, patriots, and philosophers: Augustine's psychagogic strategy; 4. Roman history retold: Situating Augustine's political pessimism within his psychagogic argument; 5. The sacramental worldview and its anti-sacramental distortion: Exploring Augustine's theory of signs and its implications for the two cities doctrine; 6. The status of politics: re-reading City of God 19 in light of Augustine's sacramental vision; Conclusion.

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Intended for scholars and advanced students of the De Anima, this original study asks why (in Aristotle's view) it is in human nature to know reality, and follows the thread of this questionand its answerthroughout the work.

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Book SynopsisThis ground-breaking study conveys the thrill and moral power of the ancient Roman story-world and its ancestral tales of bloody heroism. Its account of ''exemplary ethics'' explores how and what Romans learnt from these moral exempla, arguing that they disseminated widely not only core values such as courage and loyalty, but also key ethical debates and controversies which are still relevant for us today. Exemplary ethics encouraged controversial thinking, creative imitation, and a critical perspective on moral issues, and it plays an important role in Western philosophical thought. The model of exemplary ethics developed here is based on a comprehensive survey of Latin literature, and its innovative approach also synthesizes methodologies from disciplines such as contemporary philosophy, educational theory, and cultural memory studies. It offers a new and robust framework for the study of Roman exempla that will also be valuable for the study of moral exempla in other settings.Trade Review'… [This] exemplary book enriches the study of Roman exempla and of exemplarity as such. It opens many paths of productive debate, and will provide a trove of ideas and prompts to further research.' Matthew Roller, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Roman values and the archetypal exemplum; 2. The special capacity of exemplary stories; 3. Exploitation, participation and the social function exempla; 4. The experience of learning from exempla; 5. Multiplicity, breadth, diversity and situational sensitivity in exemplary ethics; 6. Working consensus around Roman exempla; 7. Indeterminacy of exempla: interpretation, motivation and improvisation; 8. Sites of exemplarity: referentiality, memory, orality; 9. The dynamics of cultural memory: forgetting, rupture, contestation; 10. Changing sites of exemplarity: two case studies; 11. Diachronic overview of the exemplary terrain; 12. Controversial thinking through exempla; 13. Philosophical and literary adventures in the exemplary terrain; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisCicero''s On the Commonwealth and On the Laws were his first and most substantial attempts to adapt Greek theories of political life to the circumstances of the Roman Republic. They represent Cicero''s understanding of government and remain his most important works of political philosophy. On the Commonwealth survives only in part, and On the Laws was never completed. The new edition of this volume has been revised throughout to take account of recent scholarship, and features a new introduction, a new bibliography, a chronological table and a biographical index. James E. G. Zetzel offers a scholarly reconstruction of the fragments of On the Commonwealth and a masterly translation of both dialogues. The texts are further supported by notes and synopsis, designed to assist students in politics, philosophy, ancient history, law and classics.Table of ContentsEditor's note; Introduction; Text and translation; Bibliography; Chronology; Synopsis; Part I. On the Commonwealth: 1. Book I; 2. Book II; 3. Book III; 4. Book IV; 5. Book V; 6. Book VI; 7. Unplaced fragments; Part II. On the Laws: 1. Book I; 2. Book II; 3. Book III; 4. Fragments.

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Book SynopsisThe mind-body relation was at the forefront of philosophy and theology in late antiquity, a time of great intellectual innovation. This volume, the first integrated history of this important topic, explores ideas about mind and body during this period, considering both pagan and Christian thought about issues such as resurrection, incarnation and asceticism. A series of chapters presents cutting-edge research from multiple perspectives, including history, philosophy, classics and theology. Several chapters survey wider themes which provide context for detailed studies of the work of individual philosophers including Numenius, Pseudo-Dionysius, Damascius and Augustine. Wide-ranging and accessible, with translations given for all texts in the original language, this book will be essential for students and scholars of late antique thought, the history of religion and theology, and the philosophy of mind.Table of ContentsIntroduction Anna Marmodoro and Sophie Cartwright; 1. The late ancient philosophical scene Edward Watts; Part I. Mind and Body in Late Antique Pagan Philosophy: 2. Theories of mind in the Hellenistic period Christopher Shields; 3. Numenius Mark Edwards; 4. Plotinus Lloyd P. Gerson; 5. Porphyry Andrew Smith; 6. Iamblichus John F. Finamore; 7. Themistius Frans de Haas; 8. Proclus Jan Opsomer; 9. Damascius Sara Ahbel-Rappe; Part II. Mind and Body in Early Christian Thought: 10. Soul and body in early Christianity: an old and new conundrum Sophie Cartwright; 11. Christian conception of the body and Paul's use of soma in 1Cor Vito Limone; 12. The ensoulment of the body in early Christian thought Benjamin P. Blosse; 13. Christian asceticism Kevin Corrigan; 14. Origen Ilaria Ramelli; 15. Basil of Caesarea Claudio Moreschini; 16. Gregory of Nyssa Ilaria Ramelli; 17. Gregory of Nazianzus Brian Matz; 18. Synesius of Cyrene Jay Bregman; 19. Augustine Giovanni Catapano; 20. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite Wiebke-Marie Stock.

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Book SynopsisKnowledge and Ignorance of Self in Platonic Philosophy is the first volume of essays dedicated to the whole question of self-knowledge and its role in Platonic philosophy. It brings together established and rising scholars from every interpretative school of Plato studies, and a variety of texts from across Plato''s corpus - including the classic discussions of self-knowledge in the Charmides and Alcibiades I, and dialogues such as the Republic, Theaetetus, and Theages, which are not often enough mined for insights about this crucial philosophical topic. The rich variety of readings and hermeneutical methods (as well as the comprehensive research bibliography included in the volume) allows for an encompassing view of the relevant scholarly debates. The volume is intended to serve as a standard resource for further research on Plato''s treatment of self-knowledge, and will highlight the relevance of Plato''s thought to contemporary debates on selfhood, self-reflection and subjectivity.Table of ContentsIntroduction: self-knowledge as thematic intersection Andy German and James M. Ambury; 1. Self-knowledge and the good Lloyd P. Gerson; 2. Two faces of platonic self-knowledge: Alcibiades I and Charmides Thomas Tuozzo; 3. Socratic self-knowledge and the limits of Epistēmē Drew A. Hyland; 4. Socratic wisdom and platonic knowledge in the dialogues of Plato Sara Ahbel Rappe; 5. Between ascent and descent: self-knowledge and Plato's allegory of the cave James M. Ambury; 6. Self-knowledge and the use of the self in the Platonic Theages Brian Marrin; 7. Between biography and biology: bios and self-knowledge in Plato's Phaedrus Sara Brill; 8. A toil-loving soul Jeremy Bell; 9. Mathematical self-ignorance and sophistry: Theodorus and Protagoras Andy German; 10. Why is knowledge of ignorance good? Marina McCoy; 11. Self-knowledge in Plato's Symposium Eric Sanday; 12. Double ignorance and the perversion of self-knowledge Danielle A. Layne; 13. Philebus, Laws and self-ignorance Harold Tarrant.

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Book SynopsisOffers an introduction to the pre-Socratics, Plato and Aristotle. Emphasizing metaphysics and epistemology as the foci of Greek philosophy, this edition nevertheless has expanded coverage of Greek science and mathematics.Table of ContentsCONTENTSPREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITIONINTRODUCTIONPRESOCRATIC PHILOSOPHYTRANSLATED BY G. S. KIRK AND J. E. RAVENI. The SourcesII. The MilesiansIII. Pythagoras and PythagoreanismIV. HeraclitusV. The EleaticsVI. The PluralistsPLATOVII. EuthyphroTRANSLATED BY R. E. ALLENVIII. ApologyTRANSLATED BY R. E. ALLENIX. CritoTRANSLATED BY R. E. ALLENX. MenoTRANSLATED BY W. K. C. GUTHRIEXI. The Speech of Socrates in the Symposium (in part)TRANSLATED BY R. E. ALLENXII. Phaedo (in part)TRANSLATED BY R. HACKFORTHXIII. Republic (in part)TRANSLATED BY F. M. CORNFORDXIV. Phaedrus (in part)TRANSLATED BY R. HACKFORTHXV. Parmenides (in part)TRANSLATED BY R. E. ALLENXVI. Timaeus (in part)TRANSLATED BY F. M. CORNFORDARISTOTLEXVII. Categories (in part)TRANSLATED BY R. E. ALLENXVIII. On the Soul (in part)TRANSLATED BY W. S. HETTXIX. Metaphysics (in part)TRANSLATED BY HUGH TREDENNICKXX. Nicomachean Ethics (in part)TRANSLATED BY H. RACKHAMXXI. Politics (in part)TRANSLATED BY H. RACKHAMXXII. Physics (in part)TRANSLATED BY F. M. CORNFORD AND P. WICKSTEEDSELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

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Book SynopsisIn this heartfelt and soul-searching work, brimming with warmth, humor, and insight, the beloved Guardian columnist spends a year exploring how to pursue a rich and meaningful life, turning to the wisdom of the Stoics for insights into the deepest questions of existence. Like many people today, Brigid Delaney was searching for answers to timeless questions: How can we be good? Find inner peace? Properly grieve? Tame our insecurities, such as the fear of missing out? Determine what truly matters?Centuries ago, the Stoics pondered many of these same questions. And so, at an important inflection point in her own life, Brigid decided to let these ancient philosophers be her guide. Brigid is rash where the Stoics are logical; she runs on chaos, while the Stoics relinquish control of things beyond their reach. Over the course of a year, she dedicated herself to following the wisdom of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. She hoped to discover how best to live—how she could use the wisdom of these ancient thinkers to navigate life in the modern world.In Reasons Not to Worry, Brigid shares what she learned, showing us how we, too, can draw on the Stoics to regain a sense of agency and tranquility and find meaning in our lives. From learning to relinquish control to cultivating daily awareness of our mortality to building community, Brigid’s insights are very funny and very wise.Stoicism can be a tough medicine to swallow, but no longer. Thoughtful, timely, surprisingly practical, and filled to the brim with ways to learn how best to be in the world, Delaney’s guide provides compelling and sensible reasons not to worry.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Congratulations on hitting just the right approach to making a very enjoyable set of Latin texts more functional for college teaching."--Robert Luginbill, University of Louisville "This new and improved version of the Oxford Latin Course is better suited for today's college students. It is a reading-approach text that also has an excellent grammar component."--Victor Leuci, Westminster College "Across the board, students ask for more history and culture in Latin class, and this book gives them exactly that. The running story, cultural essays, and actual Latin readings will hold their interest much more effectively than random sentences and vocabulary."--Zoe Kontes, Kenyon College "I am favorably impressed by the new cartoons. They are drawn in a style that most college students will find compelling."--David Christenson, University of ArizonaTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Scintilla in casa laborat Quintus 2. Quintus Flaccum iuuat Women 3. Nundinae Nundinae and Farming 4. Ludus Flaui Education 5. Flauius fabulam narrat The Iliad 6. Graeci Troiam capiunt Virgil's Aeneid 7. Polyphemus Homer and Virgil 8. Aeneas in Africa 9. Infelix Dido 10. Comitia Elections 11. Quintus Romam aduenit Rome 12. Ludus Orbili Greece and Rome 13. Marcus Quintum domum suam inuitat Cicero 14. Caesaris triumphi The Roman Triumph 15. Idus Martiae The End of the Republic 16. Caesaris funus 17. Athenis Stoic and Epicurean 18. Brutus Athenas aduenit 19. Horatius Delphos uisit Delphi 20. Horatius militat The Roman Army 21. Philippi Ablative absolute Brutus and Cassius 22. Horatius ad Italiam redit The Confiscations 23. Horatius Romam redit Latin Poetry 24. Horatius carmina scribit Books 25. Horatius Maecenati commendatur 26. Horatius iter Brundisium facit Travel 27. Maecenas poetas fouet Vixi puellis 28. Horatius rusticus fit Patrons and Clients 29. Augustus Cleopatra Chapter 30. Horatius amicus fit principis Some Glimpses of Augustus Chapter 31. Indomita mors Death

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Book SynopsisPlato isn't exactly thought of as a champion of democracy, and perhaps even less as an important rhetorical theorist. In this book, James L. Kastely recasts Plato in just these lights, offering a vivid new reading of one of Plato's most important works: the Republic. At heart, Kastely demonstrates, the Republic is a democratic epic poem and pioneering work in rhetorical theory. Examining issues of justice, communication, persuasion, and audience, he uncovers a seedbed of theoretical ideas that resonate all the way up to our contemporary democratic practices. As Kastely shows, the Republic begins with two interrelated crises: one rhetorical, one philosophical. In the first, democracy is defended by a discourse of justice, but no one can take this discourse seriously because no one can see-in a world where the powerful dominate the weak-how justice is a value in itself. That value must be found philosophically, but philosophy, as Plato and Socrates understand it, can reach only the very

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Book SynopsisPlato's dialogues show Socrates at different ages, beginning when he was about nineteen and already deeply immersed in philosophy and ending with his execution five decades later. This title investigates the evolution of Socrates' philosophy. It charts Socrates' gradual discovery of a proper politics to shelter and advance philosophy.Trade Review"This book offers an extraordinarily rich, illuminating, thought-provoking, and original account of Protagoras, Charmides, and the Republic in particular and of Socrates' thought as a whole. Even - and especially - when one disagrees with this stimulating and daring work, one learns a great deal from it. It is a remarkably ambitious book, one that attempts to put forth an interpretation of Plato's entire corpus and its role in Western civilization." - Peter Ahrensdorf, Davidson College.

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Book SynopsisWhen Plato set his dialogs, written texts were disseminated primarily by performance and recitation. He wrote them, however, when literacy was expanding. Jill Frank argues that there are unique insights to be gained from appreciating Plato's dialogs as written texts to be read and reread. At the center of these insights are two distinct ways of learning to read in the dialogs. One approach that appears in the Statesman, Sophist, and Protagoras, treats learning to read as a top-down affair, in which authoritative teachers lead students to true beliefs. Another, recommended by Socrates, encourages trial and error and the formation of beliefs based on students' own fallible experiences. In all of these dialogs, learning to read is likened to coming to know or understand something. Given Plato's repeated presentation of the analogy between reading and coming to know, what can these two approaches tell us about his dialogs' representations of philosophy and politics? With Poetic Justice, Ji

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A breath of fresh air." * The Review of Politics *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Phaedo: The First Stage of Socrates’ Philosophic Education Prologue: Heroic Socrates as the New Ideal 1. First Words 2. A New Theseus to Slay the Real Minotaur 3. A New Herakles to Cut Off and Bury the Immortal Head of Hydra 4. A New Odysseus to Teach the Safe Way to Understand Cause 5. Odyssean Socrates’ Report on His Second Sailing in the Phaedo Measured by the Parmenides 6. Odyssean Socrates Ends His Life of Argument 7. Socrates’ Last Words: Gratitude for a Healing Chapter 2. Parmenides: The Second Stage of Socrates’ Philosophic Education Prologue: A Socrates for the Philosophically Driven 1. First Words 2. At Pythodorus’s House during the Great Panathenaia 3. Socrates and Zeno: How to Read a Philosophic Writing 4. Socrates’ Solution to What Parmenides and Zeno Made to Seem beyond Us 5. Parmenides the Guide 6. What Is This Gymnastic? 7. Guiding Socrates 8. Last Words 9. The Socratic Turn Chapter 3. The Symposium: The Final Stage of Socrates’ Philosophic Education Prologue: Socrates’ Ontological Psychology 1. First Words 2. Socrates Beautifies Himself for Agathon 3. Diotima’s Myth Guides Socrates to the Third Stage of His Philosophic Education 4. Diotima’s Logos Guides Socrates to the Third Stage of His Philosophic Education 5. Diotima Teaches Socrates What to Teach 6. Alcibiades Arrives 7. Last WordsNote on the Dramatic Date of the Frame of the Symposium Conclusion: Plato in a Nietzschean History of Philosophy Works Cited Index

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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)"

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Book SynopsisThe philosophy of Seneca has extended in influence from first-century Rome to the essays of Montaigne, to Elizabethan tragedy, to the theology of Calvin and the doctrines of the French Revolution.

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Book Synopsis"I envy the reader who sits in on these conversations for the first time, and with such a readable text."—John CiardiTrade Review"No one should think of going to a liberal arts college without reading Plato's Republic. It is one of the basic books of the European mind and culture, now freshly and readably rendered by Sterling and Scott. I envy the reader who sits in on these conversations for the first time, and with such a readable text." -- John Ciardi "The best translation of the Republic or a Platonic dialogue I know. It gives the reader who has no Greek... a sense of the powerful and delicate style of the dialogue and it is not only a success for Plato's inimitable Greek; it is brilliant in its translations of the Greek poetry quoted in the course of the Republic." -- Diskin Clay, Duke University "This new version of Plato's Republic... is founded on a sensitively accurate and highly readable fusion of form and content, style and substance. Plato emerges, as he should, as both thinker and philosophical poet-something that cannot be said of competing versions." -- William Arrowsmith, Emory University

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Book SynopsisA challenging new look at the great thinkers whose ides have shaped our civilizationFrom Socrates to Sartre presents a rousing and readable introduction to the lives, and times of the great philosophers. This thought-provoking book takes us from the inception of Western society in Plato’s Athens to today when the commanding power of Marxism has captured one third of the world. T. Z. Lavine, Elton Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University, makes philosophy come alive with astonishing clarity to give us a deeper, more meaningful understanding of ourselves and our times.From Socrates to Sartre discusses Western philosophers in terms of the historical and intellectual environment which influenced them, and it connects their lasting ideas to the public and private choices we face in America today.From Socrates to Sartre formed the basis of from the PBS television series of the same name.

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