Classical Philosophy

A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

Peter Adamson

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English

Oxford University Press
01 August 2014

Philosophy; Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500; Popular philosophy

Series: a History of Philosophy

Classical Philosophy is the first of a series of books in which Peter Adamson aims ultimately to present a complete history of philosophy, more thoroughly but also more enjoyably than ever before.

In short, lively chapters, based on the popular History of Philosophy podcast, he offers an accessible, humorous, and detailed look at the emergence of philosophy with the Presocratics, the probing questions of Socrates, and the first full flowering of philosophy with the dialogues of Plato and the treatises of Aristotle. The story is told 'without any gaps', discussing not only such major figures but also less commonly discussed topics like the Hippocratic Corpus, the Platonic Academy, and the role of women in ancient philosophy. Within the thought of Plato and Aristotle, the reader will find in-depth introductions to major works, such as the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics, which are treated in detail that is unusual in an introduction to ancient philosophy. Adamson looks at fascinating but less frequently read Platonic dialogues like the Charmides and Cratylus, and Aristotle's ideas in zoology and poetics.

This full coverage allows him to tackle ancient discussions in all areas of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, ethics and politics. Attention is also given to the historical and literary context of classical philosophy, with exploration of how early Greek cosmology responded to the poets Homer and Hesiod, how Socrates was presented by the comic playwright Aristophanes and the historian Xenophon, and how events in Greek history may have influenced Plato's thought.

This is a new kind of history which will bring philosophy to life for all readers, including those coming to the subject for the first time.

By: Peter Adamson
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 242mm, Width: 184mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 702g
ISBN: 9780199674534
ISBN 10: 0199674531
Series: a History of Philosophy
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 01 August 2014
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface ; EARLY GREEK PHILOSOPHY ; 1. Everything is Full of Gods: Thales ; 2. Infinity and Beyond: Anaximander and Anaximines ; 3. Created in Our Image: Xenophanes ; 4. The Man with the Golden Thigh: Pythagoras ; 5. Old Man River: Heraclitus ; 6. The Road Less Traveled: Parmenides ; 7. You Can't Get There From Here: the Eleatics ; 8. The Final Cut: The Atomists ; 9. Mind over mixture: Anaxagoras ; 10. All You Need is Love, and Five Other Things: Empedocles ; 11. Good Humor Men: the Hippocratic Corpus ; 12. Making the Weaker Argument the Stronger: The Sophists ; SOCRATES AND PLATO ; 13. Socrates Without Plato: The Portrayals of Aristophanes and Xenophon ; 14. Method Man: Plato's Socrates ; 15. In Dialogue: The Life and Writings of Plato ; 16. Know Thyself: Two Unloved Platonic Dialogues ; 17. Virtue Meets its Match: Plato's Gorgias ; 18. We Don't Need No Education: Plato's Meno ; 19. I Know, Because the Caged Bird Sings: Plato's Theaetetus ; 20. Famous Last Words: Plato's Phaedo ; 21. Soul and the City: Justice in Plato's Republic ; 22. Ain't No Sunshine: the Cave Allegory of Plato's Republic ; 23. Second Thoughts: Plato's Parmenides and the Forms ; 24. Untying the Not: Plato's Sophist ; 25. What's in a Name?: Plato's Cratylus ; 26. A Likely Story: Plato's Timaeus ; 27. Wings of Desire: Plato's Erotic Dialogues ; 28. Last Judgments: Plato, Poetry, and Myth ; ARISTOTLE ; 29. Mr Know it All: Aristotle's Life and Works ; 30. The Philosopher's Toolkit: Aristotle's Logical Works ; 31. A Principled Stand: Aristotle's Epistemology ; 32. Down to Earth: Aristotle on Substance ; 33. Form and Function: Aristotle's Four Causes ; 34. Let's Get Physical: Aristotle's Natural Philosophy ; 35. Soul Power: Aristotle's De Anima ; 36. Classified Information: Aristotle's Biology ; 37. The Goldilocks Theory: Aristotle's Ethics ; 38. The Second Self: Aristotle on Pleasure and Friendship ; 39. God Only Knows: Aristotle on Mind and God ; 40. Constitutional Conventions: Aristotle's Political Philosophy ; 41. Stage Directions: Aristotle's Rhetoric and Poetics ; 42. Anything You Can Do: Women and Ancient Philosophy ; 43. The Next Generation: The Followers of Plato and Aristotle ; Guide to Further Reading

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-Universitat Munchen, 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.

Reviews for Classical Philosophy: A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

Professor Adamsons genius lies in connecting the ancient world with our zeitgeist. Writers like Adamson are needed if bright students are to see the value of being philosophers. * Subhashis Chattopadhyay, Prabuddha Bharata * Peter Adamson's Classical Philosophy: A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps (2014) is nothing if not comprehensive. He uses forty-one chapters to tell the story of some three hundred years of philosophy from the pre-Socratics to heirs of Plato and Aristotle, such as Theophrastus and Speusippus. It is virtually inconceivable that one would desire a more thorough work. Adamson, the Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy at the Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität, Munchen [and new Philosophy Now columnist] serves up a smorgasbord: from the pre-Socratic Thales and Xenophanes, to Platos Gorgias and Republic; from Empedocles and the Sophists, to Aristotle's Rhetoric and Politics. * Philosophy Now * one of the most accomplished and ambitious ventures in publishing ... From the first volume onwards, a repeated refrain has been philosophers arguing that being a philosopher is the best choice in life. These books are so engaging, instructive and diverting it might almost make you believe that is true. * The Scotsman * So far it seems that Professor Adamson succeeds in delivering a history without any gaps. He covers unfamiliar philosophers and unpopular texts by more famous philosophers... an engaging introduction with a borad scope. * Minerva, Lucia Marchini * [Adamson] sets out to achieve the impossible and does a great job of it ... it is ideal for the introducing readers ... to the delights and the fascination of Greek philosophy. * Dr John Godwin, Classics for All * This book was written in the same lively style as the podcast and should appeal to both general readers and scholars of ancient philosophy ... Highly recommended. * C. R. McCall, CHOICE *