The Blackwell Guide to Ancient Philosophy

The Blackwell Guide to Ancient Philosophy provides a comprehensive treatment of the principal figures and movements of philosophy from its origins before Socrates, through the towering achievements of Plato and Aristotle, and into its final developments in late antiquity.

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• Provides a comprehensive guide to ancient philosophy from the pre-Socratics to late antiquity.
  
• Written by a cast of distinguished philosophers.
  
• Covers the pre-Socratics, the sophistic movement, Epicureanism, academic skepticism, stoicism, and the neo-Platonists.
  
• Features an index and a comprehensive bibliography of both primary and secondary works.

Notes on Contributors vii

Editor’s Introduction ix

Part I Philosophy before Socrates: Introduction 1

1 Presocratic Philosophy 5
Richard McKirahan

2 The Sophists 27
John Gibert

Part II Socrates: Introduction 51

3 Socrates 55
Thomas C. Brickhouse and Nicholas D. Smith

Part III Plato: Introduction 71

4 Plato: Metaphysics 75
Daniel Devereux Copyrighted Material

5 Plato: Epistemology 100
Nicholas White

6 Plato: Ethics 118
Gerasimos Santas

7 Plato: Psychology 130
Allan Silverman

Part IV Aristotle: Introduction 145

8 Aristotle: Epistemology and Methodology 151
Robert Bolton

9 Aristotle: Metaphysics 163
Michael Loux

10 Aristotle: Ethics and Politics 184
Fred D. Miller, Jr.

11 Aristotle: Psychology 211
Gareth Matthews

Part V Hellenistic Philosophy: Introduction 229

12 Epicureanism 237
David Konstan

13 Stoicism 253
Phillip Mitsis

14 Academics and Pyrrhonists 268
R. J. Hankinson

Part VI Late Antique Philosophy: Introduction 301

15 Neoplatonism 303
Lloyd P. Gerson

Bibliography 324
Index 329

"Beginners will find in these essays clear and helpful accounts of some of the main philosophical issues raised by the Greek philosophers. The essays display the scope and variety of Greek philosophy, from the beginnings to later Platonism, and its permanent philosophical significance." Terence Irwin, Cornell University Christopher Shields is Professor of Philosophy and Classics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is author of Order in Multiplicity: Homonymy in the Philosophy of Aristotle (1999). The Blackwell Guide to Ancient Philosophy provides a comprehensive treatment of the principal figures and movements of philosophy from its origins before Socrates, through the towering achievements of Plato and Aristotle, and into its final developments in late antiquity.

Authored by a cast of distinguished philosophers, this collection offers in-depth, accessible essays on the Presocratics, the Sophistic Movement, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the principal Hellenistic schools – Epicureanism, Academic Skepticism, and Stoicism – and, finally, the often neglected Neoplatonists. Featuring a comprehensive bibliography of primary and secondary recommended works for each of its topics, this book is an indispensable resource for the study of ancient philosophy.