Philosophy in the Ancient World

James A. Arieti is Graves H. Thompson Professor of Classics and chair of the department at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

A clear, engaging, and insightful presentation of the thinkers and ideas that shaped the foundations of philosophical inquiry.

• Chapter 1 IllustrationsChapter 2 PrefaceChapter 3 AcknowledgementsChapter 4 Time Line of the Ancient ThinkersChapter 5 Map: Philosophers in the Ancient WorldPart 6 Chapter 1: A World Ready for PhilosophyChapter 7 I. Why Ancient PhilosophyChapter 8 II. Qualities of the Greek Mind Conducive to PhilosophyChapter 9 III. Before Philosophy: Homer and HesiodChapter 10 A. HomerChapter 11 B. HesiodChapter 12 IV. Why Homer and Hesiod Are Not PhilosophyChapter 13 V. Other Conditions Affecting the Birth of PhilosophyChapter 14 A. The PolisChapter 15 B. Architecture and ArtChapter 16 VI. How and Where Philosophy BeganChapter 17 VII. The Branches of PhilosophyPart 20 Chapter 2: Philosophy BeginsChapter 21 I. By What Name Shall We Call the Milesian Thinkers?Chapter 22 II. How Do We Know About the Early Thinkers?Chapter 23 III. The Thinkers from Miletus: Thales, Anaximander, AnaximenesChapter 24 A. Thales (624-546)Chapter 25 B. Anaximander (610-546)Chapter 26 C. Anaximenes (585-528)Chapter 26 Discussion QuestionsChapter 27 Select BibliographyChapter 27 IV. General Remarks on the MilesiansPart 30 Chapter 3: Philosophy Moves to ItalyChapter 31 I. ItalyChapter 32 Discussion QuestionsChapter 32 II. PythagorasChapter 33 Select BibliographyChapter 33 III. XenophanesPart 36 Chapter 4: The Turn of the Fifth Century: Heraclitus and ParmenidesChapter 37 I. The Turn of the CenturyChapter 38 II. HeraclitusChapter 39 III. Parmenides (fl. 501-490) and His SuccessorsChapter 40 Discussion QuestionsChapter 40 A. ParmenidesChapter 41 B. Zeno and MelissusChapter 41 Select BibliographyPart 44 Chapter 5: The Persian Wars and their Aftermath: Sophistry and RhetoricChapter 45 Discussion QuestionsChapter 45 I. The Persian WarsChapter 46 Select BibliographyChapter 46 II. Rhetoric and SophistryPart 49 Chapter 6: Medicine, Tragedy, HistoryChapter 50 I. MedicineChapter 51 Discussion QuestionsChapter 51 II. TragedyChapter 52 III. HistoryChapter 52 Select BibliographyPart 55 Chapter 7: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, and DemocritusChapter 56 I. EmpedoclesChapter 57 II. AnaxagorasChapter 58 Discussion QuestionsChapter 58 III. DemocritusChapter 59 IV. Summing up the Early PhilosophersChapter 59 Select BibliographyPart 62 Chapter 8: The Peloponnesian War: Socrates, Thucydides, EuripidesChapter 63 I. SocratesChapter 64 II. ThucydidesChapter 64 Discussion QuestionsChapter 65 Select BibliographyChapter 65 III. EuripidesPart 68 Chapter 9: Rhetoric and the PhilosophersChapter 69 I. RhetoricChapter 70 II. Extemporaneous and Prepared SpeechesChapter 71 III. Isocrates (436-338)Chapter 72 III. Rhetoric and PhilosophyPart 75 Chapter 10: PlatoChapter 76 I. Plato (428-348 B.C.E.)Chapter 77 II. Reading Platonic DialoguesChapter 78 III. A Compendium of Views Associated with PlatoChapter 79 A. MetaphysicsChapter 80 B. EthicsChapter 81 C. Political PhilosophyChapter 82 D. ErosChapter 83 E. TeleologyChapter 84 F. Other ViewsChapter 85 IV. Plato's AcademyChapter 85 Discussion QuestionsChapter 86 V. After PlatoChapter 86 Select BibliographyPart 89 Chapter 11: AristotleChapter 91 II. LogicChapter 92 III. Aristotle's Ten CategoriesChapter 93 A. The Ten Types of PredicationChapter 94 B. Matter and FormChapter 95 C. Actuality and PotentialityChapter 96 D. EssenceChapter 97 E. Additional Thoughts on Actuality and PotentialityChapter 98 IV. Aristotle's "Four Causes"Chapter 99 V. Aristotle's Response to ParmenidesChapter 100 VI. The Prime Mover as Aristotle's DeityChapter 101 VII. Aristotle's Philosophy of ScienceChapter 102 A. The Strong Meaning of KnowledgeChapter 103 B. Where Knowledge Comes FromChapter 104 C. Mistakes People Make About KnowledgeChapter 105 D. Unqualified KnowledgeChapter 106 VIII. Aristotle's EthicsChapter 107 A. HappinessChapter 108 B. The Doctrine of the Mean and the VirtuesChapter 109 C. FriendshipChapter 110 D. PleasureChapter 111 Discussion QuestionsChapter 111 IX. Aristotle's PsychologyChapter 112 Select BibliographyChapter 112 X. Aristotle's LegacyPart 115 Chapter 12: The World of The Third CenturyChapter 116 I. Alexander and his AftermathChapter 117 II. Intellectual DevelopmentsChapter 118 A. Mathematics and AstronomyChapter 119 B. Biological SciencesChapter 120 C. City-planningChapter 120 Discussion QuestionsChapter 121 D. Literary StudiesChapter 121 Select BibliographyPart 124 Chapter 13: EpicureanismChapter 125 I. IntroductionChapter 126 II. Epicurus's AntecedentsChapter 127 A. Aristippus of Cyrene (435-360)Chapter 128 B. Pyrrho of Elis (c. 360-275)Chapter 129 III. EpicureanismChapter 130 A. EpicurusChapter 130 Discussion QuestionsChapter 131 B. Epicurus's SystemChapter 131 Select BibliographyChapter 133 I. IntroductionPart 134 Chapter 14: StoicismChapter 135 I. IntroductionChapter 136 II. CynicsChapter 137 III. The Early StoaChapter 138 A. The Founding of Stoicism: Zeno (336-265)Chapter 139 B. Zeno's SuccessorsChapter 140 C. The Middle StoaChapter 141 IV. Tenets of StoicismChapter 142 A. IntroductionChapter 143 B. LogicChapter 144 C. Stoic Physics and Its Relation to EthicsChapter 145 D. EthicsChapter 146 E. Assorted Stoic ViewsChapter 147 V. Roman StoicismChapter 148 A. Seneca (4 B.C.E.-65 C.E.)Chapter 149 B. Epictetus (55-135)Chapter 150 C. Marcus Aurelius (121-180)Chapter 150 Discussion QuestionsChapter 151 VI. Concluding Remarks on StoicismChapter 151 Select BibliographyPart 154 Chapter 15: Rome and CiceroChapter 155 I. RomeChapter 156 II. Cicero the ManChapter 157 III. Cicero the ThinkerChapter 157 Discussion QuestionsChapter 158 IV. Cicero's LegacyChapter 158 Select BibliographyPart 159 Chapter 16: Greek Philosophy Finds the Bible and the Bible Finds Greek PhilosophyChapter 162 Discussion QuestionsChapter 162 I. The World at the Turn of the MillenniumChapter 163 Select BibliographyChapter 163 II. Philo of AlexandriaPart 166 Chapter 17: The War for the Ancient SoulChapter 167 I. The War of Politics and PhilosophyChapter 168 II. Cultural Decline and Its ExplanationsChapter 169 III. The City on a HillChapter 170 IV. Christianity and PhilosophyChapter 171 V. The Christian Dance with Philosophy: Minucius Felix and Basil of CaesareaChapter 172 A. Minucius Felix (fl. 200-240)Chapter 172 Discussion QuestionsChapter 173 B. Basil of Caesarea (330-379)Chapter 173 Select BibliographyChapter 174 Discussion QuestionsChapter 175 Select BibliographyPart 176 Chapter 18: Philosophy at the End of AntiquityChapter 177 I. NeoplatonismChapter 178 II. Plotinus (205-270)Chapter 179 III. Christian PhilosophyChapter 180 IV. Augustine (354-430)Chapter 181 A. Augustine's Conversion to PhilosophyChapter 182 B. Augustine's Manichaean PeriodChapter 183 C. Augustine's Neoplatonist PeriodChapter 184 D. Augustine's Christian PhilosophyChapter 185 E. Conclusions about AugustineChapter 186 V. Boethius (475-524)Chapter 187 Discussion QuestionsChapter 187 VI. Heresy and the End of Ancient PhilosophyChapter 188 Select BibliographyChapter 188 VII. Concluding RemarksChapter 189 Discussion QuestionsChapter 190 Select Bibliography