Ancient Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary » (1st Edition)

Nicholas Smith is James F. Miller Professor of Humanities in the Department of Philosophy at Lewis & Clark College. He has been involved in the writing of several distinguished essays and over fifteen books, including Plato's Socrates with T. C. Brickhouse, which won the Outstanding Academic Book for 1995 award from Choice.

Fritz Allhoff is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Western Michigan University.

Anand Jayprakash Vaidya is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at San José State University.

The progression of philosophy in ancient Greece spans an extensive and complex period in history. Between 600 BCE and 600 CE the foundations of philosophy as we know it were laid, establishing the central areas of philosophical concern, and creating an agenda for future study and debate.

This thorough introduction to ancient philosophy:

• Focuses on the key philosophers and their texts, from Pre-Socratic thinkers through to the Neo-Platonists

• Brings together the key primary writings of Thales, Xenophanes, Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Gorgias, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Lucretius, Seneca, Sextus Empiricus, Plotinus, and many others

• Is broken down into eight chronological sections for easy comprehension and comparison

The readings are accompanied by expert commentary from the editors.

Acknowledgments     vii
List of Sources     viii
Chronology     xi
The Greek World (6th-5th centuries BCE)     xx
The Hellenistic Period (323-31 BCE)     xxi
The Late Roman Empire     xxii
General Introduction     1
The Presocratics and Sophists     11
The Milesians: Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes     13
Xenophanes of Colophon, Heracleitus of Ephesus, and Pythagoras of Samos     20
The Eleatics: Parmenides and Zeno of Elea and Melissus of Samos     30
The Pluralists: Empedocles of Acragas and Anaxagoras of Clazomenae     41
The Atomists: Leucippus of Elea (or Miletus) and Democritus of Abdera     47
The Sophists: Protagoras of Abdera, Gorgias of Leontini, and Antiphon     51
Xenophon     57
Introduction     57
Memorabilia     59
Plato     65
Introduction     65
Euthyphro     69
Apology     84
Crito     103
Meno     114
Phaedo     123
Symposium     139
Republic     148
Parmenides     198
Timaeus     206
Aristotle     211
Introduction     211
Categories     215
On Interpretation     221
Physics     224
On the Soul     234
Metaphysics     243
Nicomachean Ethics     268
Politics     287
Diogenes the Cynic     301
Introduction     301
Diogenes Laertius, Life of Diogenes     303
Epicurus and Epicureanism     307
Introduction     307
Epicurus, Letter to Herodotus; Letter to Menoeceus; Principal Doctrines     309
Lucretius, On the Nature of Things     322
Stoics and Stoicism     345
Introduction     345
Diogenes Laertius on Stoicism     347
Epictetus, Manual     355
Skeptics and Skepticism     367
Introduction     367
Diogenes Laertius, Life of Pyrrho     369
Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism     377
Sextus Empiricus, Against the Professors     385
Neoplatonism     389
Introduction     389
Plotinus, Enneads     391
Proclus, On Evil     418
Bibliography of Translations Used      427
Recommended Further Reading (English-Language Sources)     428
Index     433