Peter Adamson offers an accessible, humorous tour through a period of eight hundred years when some of the most influential of all schools of thought were formed. He introduces us to Cynics and Skeptics, Epicureans and Stoics, emperors and slaves, and traces the development of early Christian philosophy and of ancient science.

A volume that is both a perfect introductory work and will also help to plug some of the gaps that most of us have in our knowledge of the long span of ancient philosophical history.

Autorentext

Peter Adamson took his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame and first worked at King's College London. In 2012 he moved to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, where he is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy. He has published widely in ancient and medieval philosophy, especially on Neoplatonism and on philosophy in the Islamic world.

Inhalt

• Part I. Hellenistic Philosophy

• 1: Fighting over Socrates: The Hellenistic schools

• 2: Beware of the Philosopher: The Cynics

• 3: Instant Gratification: The Cyrenaics

• 4: The Constant Gardener: The Principles of Epicurus

• 5: Am I Bothered?: Epicurean Ethics

• 6: Nothing to Fear: Epicureans on Death and the Gods

• 7: Reaping the Harvest: Lucretius

• 8: Walking on Eggshells: Stoic Logic

• 9: Nobody's Perfect: The Stoics on Knowledge

• 10: We Didn't Start the Fire: The Stoics on Nature

• 11: Like a Rolling Stone: Stoic Ethics

• 12: Anger Management: Seneca

• 13: You Can Chain My Leg: Epictetus

• 14: The Philosopher King: Marcus Aurelius

• 15: Beyond Belief: Pyrrho and Skepticism

• 16: The Know Nothing Party: The Skeptical Academy

• 17: Rhetorical Questions: Cicero

• 18: Healthy Skepticism: Sextus Empiricus

• 19: The Joy of Sects: Ancient Medicine and Philosophy

• 20: The Best Doctor is a Philosopher: Galen

• Part II. Pagan Philosophy in the Roman Empire

• 21: Caesarian Section: Philosophy in the Roman Empire

• 22: Middle Men: The Platonic Revival

• 23: To the Lighthouse: Philo of Alexandria

• 24: Delphic Utterances: Plutarch

• 25: Lost and Found: Aristotelianism after Aristotle

• 26: Not Written in Stone: Alexander of Aphrodisias

• 27: Silver Tongues in Golden Mouths: Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy

• 28: Sky Writing: Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy

• 29: A God Is My Co-Pilot: The Life and Works of Plotinus

• 30: Simplicity Itself: Plotinus on the One and Intellect

• 31: On the Horizon: Plotinus on the Soul

• 32: A Decorated Corpse: Plotinus on Matter and Evil

• 33: King of Animals: Porphyry

• 34: Pythagorean Theorems: Iamblichus

• 35: Domestic Goddesses and Philosopher Queens: The Household and the State

• 36: The Platonic Successor: Proclus

• 37: A Tale of Two Cities: The Last Pagan Philosophers

• 38: For a Limited Time Only: John Philoponus

• Part III. Christian Philosophy in the Roman Empire

• 39: Father Figures: Ancient Christian Philosophy

• 40: Please Accept our Apologies: The Greek Church Fathers

• 41: Fall and Rise: Origen

• 42: Three for the Price of One: The Cappadocians

• 43: Naming the Nameless: The Pseudo-Dionysius

• 44: Double or Nothing: Maximus the Confessor

• 45: Practice Makes Perfect: Christian Asceticism

• 46: Spreading the Word: The Latin Church Fathers

• 47: Life and Time: Augustine's Confessions

• 48: Papa Don't Teach: Augustine on Language

• 49: Help Wanted: Augustine on Freedom

• 50: Heaven and Earth: Augustine's City of God

• 51: Me, Myself, and I: Augustine on Mind and Memory

• 52: Born Again: Latin Platonism

• 53: Fate, Hope, and Clarity: Boethius