Philosophic Classics, Volume I: Ancient Philosophy

by Baird, Forrest E.

• ISBN13: 9780130485564
• ISBN10: 013048556X
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Summary

For courses in Ancient Philosophy. This anthology in Ancient Western philosophy focuses on the writings of the most important Greek philosophers, along with sections from some of their Roman followers. It features the best available translations of texts-complete works or complete selections of works-introductions to each philosopher; an abundance of drawings, diagrams, photographs; and a timeline.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
BEFORE SOCRATES	1	(70)
The Milesians	6	(5)
Thales	6	(2)
Anaximander	8	(2)
Anaximenes	10	(1)
Three Solitary Figures	11	(8)
Pythagoras	11	(3)
Xenophanes	14	(1)
Heraclitus	15	(4)
The Eleatics	19	(12)
Parmenides	19	(4)
Zeno of Elea	23	(5)
Melissus	28	(3)
The Pluralists	31	(12)
Empedocles	31	(5)
Anaxagoras	36	(3)
Democritus (and Leucippus)	39	(4)
Three Sophists	43	(6)
Protagoras	43	(1)
Gorgias	44	(2)
Critias	46	(3)
Epilogue: Two Views of Athens	49	(12)
Pericles (as reported by Thucydides), Funeral Oration	52	(4)
Thucydides, The Melian Conference	56	(5)
Epilogue: Aspasia	61	(4)
Sources of the Fragments	65	(6)
SOCRATES	71	(1)
PLATO	71	(240)
Euthyphro	76	(12)
Apology	88	(17)
Crito	105	(9)
Phaedo	114	(43)
Meno	157	(24)
Symposium	181	(35)
Republic (Books I, 336b-349b, 350d-354b; II, 357a-362c, 367e-376e; III, 412b-417b: IV, 427d-445e; V, complete: 449-180a; VI-VII, 502c-521b)	216	(72)
Parmenides (127-135)	288	(7)
Theaetetus (selections)	295	(12)
Timaeus (27d-346)	307	(4)
ARISTOTLE	311	(142)
Categories (Chapters 1-5)	315	(5)
On Interpretation (Chapters 1-9)	320	(5)
Posterior Analytics (Books I, 1-2; II, 19)	325	(4)
Physics (Book II complete)	329	(11)
Metaphysics (Books I and XII complete)	340	(25)
On the Soul (Books II, 1-3; III, 4-5)	365	(6)
Nichomachean Ethics (Books I-II; III, 1-5; IV, 3; VI-VII; X, 6-8)	371	(70)
Politics (Books I, 1-2; III, 6-9; IV, 11-12; VII, 3b-4, 9)	441	(12)
HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN PHILOSOPHY	453
Epicurus	457
Letter to Herodotus	459
Letter to Menoeceus	473
Principal Doctrines	477
Lucretius	481
On the Nature of the Universe (Books Two, 216-292; Three, through 842)	482
The Early Stoa: Zeno of Citium and Cleanthes	496
Zeno of Citium (selections from Diogenes Laertius)	498
Hymn to Zeus	507
Epictetus	509
Encheiridion (Manual)	510
Marcus Aurelius	523
Meditations (Book IV)	524
Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus	532
Outlines of Pyrrhonism (Book I, 1-15)	533
Plotinus	540
Enneads (I, Tractate 6; V, Tractate 1, 1-12; V, Tractate 3, 12.9-end)	542

Excerpts

The philosophers of ancient Greece have fascinated thinking persons for centuries. Their writings have been one of the key influences on the development of Western civilization, beginning with the fragmentary statements of the Pre-Socratics, moving to the all-embracing systems of Plato and Aristotle, and culminating in the practical advice of the Hellenistic writers, Greek philosophers have defined the questions and suggested many of the answers for subsequent generations. As the great Greek statesman, Pericles, sagely predicted, "Future ages will wonder at us, as the present age wonders at us now." This volume in thePhilosophic Classicsseries includes the writings of the most important Greek philosophers, along with selections from some of their Roman followers. In choosing texts for this volume I have tried wherever possible to follow three principles: (1) to use complete works or, where more appropriate, complete sections of works (2) in clear translations (3) of texts central to the thinker's philosophy or widely accepted as part of the "canon." To make the works more accessible to students, most footnotes treating textual matters (variant readings, etc.) have been omitted and all Greek words have been transliterated and put in angle brackets. In addition, each thinker is introduced by a brief essay composed of three sections: (1) biographical (a glimpse of the life), (2) philosophical (a resume of the philosopher's thought), and (3) bibliographical (suggestions for further reading). For this edition a number of small changes have been made including the addition of Critias and Aspasia to the Pre-Socratics and the section on the "Ring of Gyges" from Plato'sRepublic.The section on the Hellenistic and Roman philosophers has been restructured to follow the development of the different schools and the translations of Plato, Apology and Crito, Lucretius,On the Nature of the Universe,and Plotinus, Enneads, have all been changed. Those who use this first volume in a one-term course in ancient philosophy will find more material here than can easily fit a normal semester. But this embarrassment of riches gives teachers some choice and, for those who offer the same course year after year, an opportunity to change the menu.