Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds : A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps, Volume 2

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: from the third century BC to the sixth century AD. He introduces us to Cynics and Skeptics, Epicureans and Stoics, emperors and slaves, and traces the development of Christian and Jewish philosophy and of ancient science. Chapters are devoted to such major figures as Epicurus, Lucretius, Cicero, Seneca, Plotinus, and Augustine. But in keeping with the motto of the series, the story is told 'without any gaps,' providing an in-depth look at less familiar topics that remains suitable for the general reader. For instance, there are chapters on the fascinating but relatively obscure Cyrenaic philosophical school, on pagan philosophical figures like Porphyry and Iamblichus, and extensive coverage of the Greek and Latin Christian Fathers who are at best peripheral in most surveys of ancient philosophy. A major theme of the book is in fact the competition between pagan and Christian philosophy in this period, and the Jewish tradition also appears in the shape of Philo of Alexandria.0Ancient science is also considered, with chapters on ancient medicine and the interaction between philosophy and astronomy. Considerable attention is paid also to the wider historical context, for instance by looking at the ascetic movement in Christianity and how it drew on ideas from Hellenic philosophy. From the counter-cultural witticisms of Diogenes the Cynic to the subtle skepticism of Sextus Empiricus, from the irreverent atheism of the Epicureans to the ambitious metaphysical speculation of Neoplatonism, from the ethical teachings of Marcus Aurelius to the political philosophy of Augustine, the book gathers together all aspects of later ancient thought in an accessible and entertaining way. Read more... Abstract: 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. Read more... Cover 1 Philosophy in the Hellenistic And Roman Worlds: A history of Philosophy without any gaps volume 2 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Preface 12 Acknowledgements 18 A Note on References 20 Dates 22 Map 26 Part I: Hellenistic Philosophy 28 1: Fighting over Socrates: The Hellenistic Schools 30 2: Beware of the Philosopher: The Cynics 37 3: Instant Gratification: The Cyrenaics 44 4: The Constant Gardener: The Principles of Epicurus 51 5: Am I Bothered? Epicurean Ethics 58 6: Nothing to Fear: Epicureans on Death and the Gods 65 7: Reaping the Harvest: Lucretius 72 8: Walking on Eggshells: Stoic Logic 79 9: Nobody ́s Perfect: The Stoics on Knowledge 86 10: We Didn ́t Start the Fire: The Stoics on Nature 93 11: Like a Rolling Stone: Stoic Ethics 100 12: Anger Management: Seneca 107 13: You Can Chain My Leg: Epictetus 114 14: The Philosopher King: Marcus Aurelius 121 15: Beyond Belief: Pyrrho and Skepticism 128 16: The Know-Nothing Party: The Skeptical Academy 135 17: Rhetorical Questions: Cicero 142 18: Healthy Skepticism: Sextus Empiricus 149 19: The Joy of Sects: Ancient Medicine and Philosophy 156 20: The Best Doctor is a Philosopher: Galen 163 Part II: Pagan Philosophy in the Roman Empire 170 21: Caesarian Section: Philosophy in the Roman Empire 172 22: Middle Men: The Platonic Revival 180 23: To the Lighthouse: Philo of Alexandria 187 24: Delphic Utterances: Plutarch 194 25: Lost and Found: Aristotelianism after Aristotle 201 26: Not Written in Stone: Alexander of Aphrodisias 208 27: Silver Tongues in Golden Mouths: Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy 215 28: Sky Writing: Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy 222 29: A God is My Co-Pilot: The Life and Works of Plotinus 229 30: Simplicity Itself: Plotinus on the One and Intellect 236 31: On the Horizon: Plotinus on the Soul 243 32: A Decorated Corpse: Plotinus on Matter and Evil 250 33: King of Animals: Porphyry 257 34: Pythagorean Theorems: Iamblichus 264 35: Domestic Goddesses and Philosopher Queens: The Household and the State 271 36: The Platonic Successor: Proclus 278 37: A Tale of Two Cities: The Last Pagan Philosophers 285 38: For a Limited Time Only: John Philoponus 293 Part III: Christian Philosophy in the Roman Empire 300 39: Father Figures: Introduction to Ancient Christian Philosophy 302 40: Please AcceptOur Apologies: The Greek Church Fathers 310 41: Fall and Rise: Origen 318 42: Three for the Price of One: The Cappadocians 326 43: Naming the Nameless: The Pseudo-Dionysius 333 44: Double or Nothing: Maximus the Confessor 340 45: Practice Makes Perfect: Christian Asceticism 347 46: Spreading the Word: The Latin Church Fathers 355 47: Life and Time: Augustine’s Confessions 363 48: Papa Don ́t Teach: Augustine on Language 370 49: Help Wanted: Augustine on Freedom 377 50: Heaven and Earth: Augustine’s City of God 384 51: Me, Myself, and I: Augustine on Mind and Memory 391 52: Born Again: Latin Platonism 398 53: Fate, Hope, and Clarity: Boethius 406 Notes 414 Preface 414 Chapter 1 414 Chapter 2 414 Chapter 3 415 Chapter 4 415 Chapter 5 415 Chapter 6 416 Chapter 7 416 Chapter 8 416 Chapter 9 417 Chapter 10 417 Chapter 11 417 Chapter 12 418 Chapter 13 418 Chapter 14 418 Chapter 15 418 Chapter 16 419 Chapter 17 419 Chapter 18 419 Chapter 19 419 Chapter 20 420 Chapter 21 421 Chapter 22 421 Chapter 23 421 Chapter 24 422 Chapter 25 422 Chapter 26 423 Chapter 27 423 Chapter 28 423 Chapter 29 424 Chapter 30 424 Chapter 31 424 Chapter 32 425 Chapter 33 425 Chapter 34 425 Chapter 35 426 Chapter 36 427 Chapter 37 427 Chapter 38 428 Chapter 39 428 Chapter 40 429 Chapter 41 429 Chapter 42 429 Chapter 43 430 Chapter 44 430 Chapter 45 430 Chapter 46 431 Chapter 47 431 Chapter 48 431 Chapter 49 432 Chapter 50 432 Chapter 51 433 Chapter 52 433 Chapter 53 434 Further Reading 435 Hellenistic Philosophy 435 The Socratic Legacy 435 Cynics 435 Cyrenaics 436 Epicurus 436 Lucretius 436 Stoicism 436 Seneca 437 Epictetus 437 Marcus Aurelius 437 Skepticism 437 New (Skeptical) Academy 437 Pyrrho 438 Cicero 438 Sextus Empiricus and Pyrrhoni 438 Galen and the Ancient Medical Schools 438 Late Ancient Philosophy 438 Middle Platonism 439 Philo of Alexandri 439 Plutarch 439 The Rise of Aristotelianism 440 Alexander of Aphrodisias 440 Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy 440 Astronomy and Astrology 440 Plotinus 441 Plotinus on One and Intellect 441 Plotinus on Soul 441 Plotinus on Matter and Evil 441 Porphyry 441 Iamblichus 442 Proclus 442 Later Neoplatonism 442 Philoponus 442 Household and State 442 Philosophy in Christian Antiquity 443 Greek Church Fathers 443 Origen 443 The Cappadocians 443 The Pseudo-Dionysius 444 Maximus the Confessor and the Christological Debate 444 Ancient Christian Asceticism 444 Latin Church Fathers 444 Augustine 445 Latin Platonism 445 Boethius 445 Index 446 Content: Part I. Hellenistic philosophy. Fighting over Socrates: the Hellenistic schools -- Beware of the philosopher: the Cynics -- Instant gratification: the Cyrenaics -- The constant gardener: the principles of Epicurus -- Am I bothered?: Epicurean ethics -- Nothing to fear: Epicureans on death and the gods -- Reaping the harvest: Lucretius -- Walking on eggshells: Stoic logic -- Nobody's perfect: the Stoics on knowledge -- We didn't start the fire: the Stoics on nature -- Like a rolling stone: Stoic ethics -- Anger management: Seneca -- You can chain my leg: Epictetus -- The philosopher king: Marcus Aurelius -- Beyond belief: Pyrrho and skepticism -- The know-nothing party: the skeptical academy -- Rhetorical questions: Cicero -- Healthy skepticism: Sextus Empiricus -- The joy of sects: ancient medicine and philosophy -- The best doctor is a philsopher: Galen -- Part II. Pagan philosophy in the Roman Empire. Caesarian section: philosophy in the Roman Empire -- Middle men: the Platonic revival -- To the lighthouse: Philo of Alexandria -- Delphic utterances: Plutarch -- Lost and found: Aristotelianism after Aristotle -- Not written in stone: Alexander of Aphrodisias -- Silver tongues in golden mouths: rhetoric and ancient philosophy -- Sky writing: astronomy, astrology, and philosophy -- A god is my co-pilot: the life and works of Plotinus -- Simplicity itself: Plotinus on the one and intellect -- On the horizon: Plotinus on the soul -- A decorated corpse: Plotinus on matter and evil -- King of animals: Porphyry -- Pythagorean theorems: Iamblichus -- Domestic goddesses and philosopher queens: the household and the state -- The Platonic successor: Proclus -- A tale of two cities: the last pagan philosophers -- For a limited time only: John Philoponus -- Part III. Christian philosophy in the Roman Empire. Father figures: ancient Christian philosophy -- Please accept our apologies: the Greek Church Fathers -- Fall and rise: Origen -- Three for the price of one: the Cappadocians -- Naming the nameless: the Pseudo-Dionysius -- Double or nothing: Maximus the Confessor -- Practice makes perfect: Christian asceticism -- Spreading the word: the Latin Church Fathers -- Life and time: Augustine's Confessions -- Papa don't teach: Augustine on language -- Help wanted: Augustine on freedom -- Heaven and earth: Augustine's City of God -- Me, myself, and I: Augustine on mind and memory -- Born again: Latin Platonism -- Fate, hope, and clarity: Boethius. 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: from the third century BC to the sixth century AD. He introduces us to Cynics and Skeptics, Epicureans and Stoics, emperors and slaves, and traces the development of Christian and Jewish philosophy and of ancient science. Chapters are devoted to such major figures as Epicurus, Lucretius, Cicero, Seneca, Plotinus, and Augustine. But in keeping with the motto of the series, the story is told 'without any gaps,' providing an in-depth look at less familiar topics that remains suitable for the general reader. For instance, there are chapters on the fascinating but relatively obscure Cyrenaic philosophical school, on pagan philosophical figures like Porphyry and Iamblichus, and extensive coverage of the Greek and Latin Christian Fathers who are at best peripheral in most surveys of ancient philosophy. A major theme of the book is in fact the competition between pagan and Christian philosophy in this period, and the Jewish tradition also appears in the shape of Philo of Alexandria. Ancient science is also considered, with chapters on ancient medicine and the interaction between philosophy and astronomy. Considerable attention is paid also to the wider historical context, for instance by looking at the ascetic movement in Christianity and how it drew on ideas from Hellenic philosophy. From the counter-cultural witticisms of Diogenes the Cynic to the subtle skepticism of Sextus Empiricus, from the irreverent atheism of the Epicureans to the ambitious metaphysical speculation of Neoplatonism, from the ethical teachings of Marcus Aurelius to the political philosophy of Augustine, the book gathers together all aspects of later ancient thought in an accessible and entertaining way. "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. 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."--Publisher's description Peter Adamson's History of Philosophy without any gaps series of podcasts is one of the most ambitious educational works on the web. It aims to do nothing less than take listeners through the entire history of philosophy 'without any gaps'. It assumes no prior knowledge making it ideal for beginners. This is the second volume to make these witty, and highly accessible, podcasts available in book form. __Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds__ offers a tour through a period of eight hundred years when some of the most influential of all schools of thought were formed. From the counter-cultural witticisms of Diogenes the Cynic to the political philosophy of Augustine, the book gathers together all aspects of later ancient thought in a way that is a pleasure to read