20 Best Ancient Philosophy Books (2023 Update)

"philosophy begins in wonder." —platohave you ever wondered about the development of civilization? what topics were discussed in the days of ancient greece? this collection of thoughts from plato, aristotle, and other masters of philosophy will lead your mind on a journey of enlightened exploration into ethics, morality, law, medicine, and more. with an introduction by a distinguished scholar of classic literature, this beautiful canterbury classics bonded-leather volume with gilded edges and specially designed endpapers is sure to be a favorite keepsake edition in your library.

In good condition, paperback, pages are bright white and clear of writing, has normal bookshelf wear to cover with small tear in center of front. has sticker on back.

Before they were the stuff of dry college courses, the twelve thinkers showcased here were radical, sometimes persecuted, thought pioneers. they also meant their work to be useful, rather than theoretical. as a college student plagued by panic attacks and depression, jules evans found a powerful kind of self-help in the ancients. they saved his life” and prompted his five-year journey to find how others were currently using classical philosophy. along the way he met the founders of cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt), who have turned ancient thought into the evidence-based science used by millions of therapists today. he speaks with the director of the u.s. army's new resilience program, which employs ancient techniques to help build inner strength. from anarchists to astronauts, skeptic summer camps to stoic conferences, he finds living lessons in happiness, fortitude, and fulfillment, at work and at home, for self and community, in love and loss.

In 2019, peter kreeft published socrates'' children, a four-volume series on the hundred greatest philosophers of all time, spanning from ancient greece to contemporary germany. but he made a terrible mistake: he somehow left out women, and with this, he overlooked the greatest mind of them all.he forgot her–a mysterious housewife from a desert village–because he had forgotten what philosophy means. philosophy is not the cultivation of cleverness, kreeft explains, or the sophistications of scholarship, or the analysis of analysis, or the refutation of refutations, or the deconstruction of deconstructions. no, philosophy is a romance, a love affair–the love of wisdom.this book is a one-of-a-kind study on mary of nazareth, the mother of jesus. if jesus christ is wisdom incarnate, and if mary loved him more than anyone else ever did, then it holds that mary is the greatest philosopher, the greatest wisdom-lover. but above all, those who are curious about the mother of jesus, whether they are new to christian faith or simply hoping to discover it anew, will likely find themselves swept up in the tide of mary''s wise love for god.

Widely praised for its accessibility and its concentration on the metaphysical issues that are most central to the history of greek philosophy, greek philosophy: thales to aristotle offers a valuable introduction to the works of the presocratics, plato, and aristotle. for the third edition, professor allen has provided new translations of socrates' speech in the symposium and of the first five chapters of aristotle's categories, as well as new selections bearing on aristotle's theory of infinity, continuity, and discreteness. the book also contains a general introduction which sets forth professor allen's distinctive and now widely accepted interpretation of the development of greek philosophy and science, along with selective bibliography, and lists of suggested readings.

From renowned classicist edith hall, aristotle's way is an examination of one of history's greatest philosophers, showing us how to lead happy, fulfilled, and meaningful livesaristotle was the first philosopher to inquire into subjective happiness, and he understood its essence better and more clearly than anyone since. according to aristotle, happiness is not about well-being, but instead a lasting state of contentment, which should be the ultimate goal of human life. as hall writes, "if you believe that the goal of human life is to maximize happiness, then you are a budding aristotelian." in expert yet vibrant modern language, hall lays out the crux of aristotle's thinking, mixing affecting autobiographical anecdotes with a deep wealth of classical learning. for hall, whose own life has been greatly improved by her understanding of aristotle, this is an intensely personal subject.

This book is no less than a guide to the whole of western philosophy—the ideas that have undergirded our civilization for two-and-a-half thousand years. anthony kenny tells the story of philosophy from ancient greece through the middle ages and the enlightenment into the modern world. he introduces us to the great thinkers and their ideas, starting with plato, aristotle, and the other founders of western thought. in the second part of the book he takes us through a thousand years of medieval philosophy, and shows us the rich intellectual legacy of christian thinkers like augustine, aquinas, and ockham. anyone interested in ideas and their history will find this a fascinating and stimulating read.

In this re-titled and substantially revised update of his classical philosophy (2003), christopher shields expands his coverage to include the hellenistic era, and now offers an introduction to more than 1,000 years of ancient philosophy. from thales and other pre-socratics through socrates, plato, and aristotle, and on to epicureanism, stoicism, and scepticism, ancient philosophy traces the important connections between these periods and individuals without losing sight of the novelties and dynamics unique to each. the coverage of plato and aristotle also has been expanded. it now includes, for example, updated coverage of plato's allegories of the cave and the divided line and the metaphor of the sun as well as features of plato's epistemology. shields also adds new discussion on aristotle's theory of virtue and his approach to the socratic problem of akrasia, or weakness of will. in terms of its structure, ancient philosophy is presented so that each philosophical position receives: (1) a brief introduction, (2) a sympathetic review of its principal motivations and primary supporting arguments, and (3) a short assessment, inviting readers to evaluate its plausibility. the result is a book that brings the ancient arguments to life, making the introduction truly contemporary. it will serve as both a first stop and a well visited resource for any student of the subject. ancient philosophy offers a vivid picture of the ideas that flourished at philosophy's long birth and considers their relevance, both to the historical development of the western philosophical tradition, and to philosophy today.

Ancient greek philosophy: from the presocratics to the hellenistic philosophers presents a comprehensive introduction to the philosophers and philosophical traditions that developed in ancient greece from 585 bc to 529 ad. provides coverage of the presocratics through the hellenistic philosophers moves beyond traditional textbooks that conclude with aristotle a uniquely balanced organization of original source material with depth of commentary, informed by classroom feedback contextual commentary traces the development of lines of thought through the period, ideal for students new to the discipline can be used in conjunction with the online resources found at //tab.faculty.asu.edu/toc.html about the author thomas a. blackson is a member of the philosophy faculty in the school of historical, philosophical, and religious studies at arizona state university.

Immortality was central to ancient philosophical reflections on the soul, happiness, value and divinity. conceptions of immortality flowed into philosophical ethics and theology, and modern reconstructions of ancient thought in these areas sometimes turn on the interpretation of immortality. this volume brings together original research on immortality from early greek philosophy, such as the pythagoreans and empedocles, to augustine. the contributors consider not only arguments concerning the soul's immortality, but also the diverse and often subtle accounts of what immortality is, both in plato and in less familiar philosophers, such as the early stoics and philo of alexandria. the book will be of interest to all those interested in immortality and divinity in ancient philosophy, particularly scholars and advanced students.

All volumes of professor guthrie's great history of greek philosophy have won their due acclaim. the most striking merits of guthrie's work are his mastery of a tremendous range of ancient literature and modern scholarship, his fairness and balance of judgement and the lucidity and precision of his english prose. he has achieved clarity and comprehensiveness. cambridge university press all volumes of professor guthrie's great history of greek philosophy have won their due acclaim. the most striking merits of guthrie's work are his mastery of a tremendous range of ancient literature and modern scholarship, his fairness and balance of judgement and the lucidity and precision of his english prose. he has achieved clarity and comprehensiveness. all volumes of professor guthrie's great history of greek philosophy have won their due acclaim. the most striking merits of guthrie's work are his mastery of a tremendous range of ancient literature and modern scholarship, his fairness and balance of judgement and the lucidity and precision of his english prose. he has achieved clarity and comprehensiveness.

Sir anthony kenny here tells the fascinating story of the birth of philosophy and its remarkable flourishing in the ancient mediterranean world. this is the initial volume of a four-book set in which kenny will unfold a magisterial new history of western philosophy, the first major single-author history of philosophy to appear in decades. ancient philosophy spans over a thousand years and brings to life the great minds of the past, from thales, pythagoras, and parmenides, to socrates, epictetus, marcus aurelius, and augustine. the book's great virtue is that it is written by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. kenny offers an illuminating account of the various schools of thought, from the pre-socratics to the epicureans. he examines the development of logic and reason, ancient ideas about physics ("how things happen"), metaphysics and ethics, and the earliest thinking about the soul and god. vividly written, but serious and deep enough to offer a genuine understanding of the great philosophers, kenny's lucid and stimulating history will become the definitive work for anyone interested in the people and ideas that shaped the course of western thought.

The first new and complete english translation of agrippa’s classic masterwork in more than 350 years – three hardcover volumes in slipcase – corrects the many mistranslations, copyist mistakes, and errors introduced from other editions, drawing on new research and access to agrippa’s source texts – restores all of agrippa’s original illustrations – presents a nearly complete bibliography of agrippa’s primary sources one of the most important texts in the western magical tradition for nearly 500 years, heinrich cornelius agrippa’s 1533 work three books of occult philosophy collates a multitude of sources from the classical, medieval, and renaissance periods and organizes them into a coherent explanation of the magical world. divided into three parts–the natural world, the celestial world, and the divine world–the book systematically explains the philosophy, logic, and methods of magic and astrology and how they work. the basis for 19th-century magical orders such as the golden dawn and a primary source for countless books on magical uses of stones, herbs, incense, and astrology, agrippa’s many lists and diagrams have proven invaluable to magicians since the 16th century. yet, until now, all english editions of agrippa’s three books were based on the same flawed 1651 translation from the mysterious “j.f.” in this new translation from the original 1533 latin edition, eric purdue corrects the many mistranslations, copyist mistakes, and errors introduced from other editions as well as restores all of agrippa’s original illustrations. purdue notates every correction and offers commentary, drawing on major developments in the research of older magical and astrological texts. he also presents a nearly complete bibliography of agrippa’s primary sources, revealing agrippa as a mainstream scholar of his day. presenting the first new english translation of three books of occult philosophy in more than 350 years, this three-volume hardcover boxed set repairs the gaps in knowledge pervasive in the original translation and restores the magical spirit of agrippa’s masterpiece, allowing us to hear agrippa speak again.

This book is a study of ancient views about "moral luck." it examines the fundamental ethical problem that many of the valued constituents of a well-lived life are vulnerable to factors outside a person's control, and asks how this affects our appraisal of persons and their lives. the greeks made a profound contribution to these questions, yet neither the problems nor the greek views of them have received the attention they deserve. this updated edition contains a new preface.

The first ever biography of the founder of western philosophy considered by many to be the most important philosopher ever, plato was born into a well-to-do family in wartime athens at the end of the fifth century bce. in his teens, he honed his intellect by attending lectures from the many thinkers who passed through athens and toyed with the idea of writing poetry. he finally decided to go into politics, but became disillusioned, especially after the athenians condemned his teacher, socrates, to death. instead, plato turned to writing and teaching. he began teaching in his twenties and later founded the academy, the world's first higher-educational research and teaching establishment. eventually, he returned to practical politics and spent a considerable amount of time and energy trying to create a constitution for syracuse in sicily that would reflect and perpetuate some of his political ideals. the attempts failed, and plato's disappointment can be traced in some of his later political works. in his lifetime and after, plato was considered almost divine. though a measure of his importance, this led to the invention of many tall tales about him-both by those who adored him and his detractors. in this first ever full-length portrait of plato, robin waterfield steers a judicious course among these stories, debunking some while accepting the kernels of truth in others. he explains why plato chose to write dialogues rather than treatises and gives an overview of the subject matter of all of plato's books. clearly and engagingly written throughout, plato of athens is the perfect introduction to the man and his work.

With selections of philosophers from thales to sextus empiricus, this new anthology provides significant learning support and historical context for the readings along with a wide variety of pedagogical assists.biographical headnotes, reading introductions, study questions, and special "prologues" and "philosophical overviews" help students understand and appreciate the philosophical concepts under discussion. "philosophical bridges discuss how the work of earlier thinkers would influence philosophers to come, and place major movements in a contemporary context showing students how the schools of philosophy interrelate and how various philosophies apply to the world today.in addition to this volume of ancient philosophy, a comprehensive survey of the whole of western philosophical history and other individual volumes for each of the major historical eras are also available for specialized courses.

What is knowledge? how should society be organized? over the centuries, philosophers have come up with an array of compelling answers to these questions. a short history of philosophy takes you on an entertaining and informative journey through the landscape of western philosophy from plato to jean-paul sartre. whether discussing the origins of metaphysics, the merits of idealism, or the questions raised by existentialism, peter gibson brings to life the ideas of these great thinkers and carefully explains their reasoning in straightforward, easy-to-understand language. this lively, accessible guide provides the perfect starting point for anyone interested in philosophy.

Originally published as a companion guide to the encyclopedic the secret teachings of all ages, lectures on ancient philosophy is a textbook for those who desire to live intelligent and effective lives. for thousands of years men have sought the answer to the essentials of right living. the quest of the human heart for knowledge has resulted in the formulation of certain great tenets and hypotheses concerning divine and natural law. anyone wishing to understand the laws by which the wise of every age have regulated their lives to achieve happiness and integrity will find in this book a clear and concise presentation of the ancient wisdom.

In this book, you will find information about five different philosophers, some of them well-known, others less. but all of them had a significant impact on the ancient world and how people thought, as well as some of our modern-day ideas. the first in line is marcus aurelius, a stoic emperor who reigned with righteousness and justice, according to historical records. the second is hipparchia, a cynic who broke through traditions and took a second look at society and its principles. third is a somewhat better-known historical figure called heraclitus of ephesus. this greek thinker who noted that “life is flux”, meaning that all things change constantly. fourth is diogenes of sinope, a greek philosopher who was known for holding a candlelight to people’s faces in search for honest people. his studies in athens have left their mark. the last this guide mentions and discusses, is parmenides, founder of the eleatic school of philosophy. he talked about the “way in which it is and the way in which it is not.” these wise theorists can inspire you if you let them. go ahead and start reading the e-book or listening to the audiobook.

This revolutionary study by the renowned classical philologist reveals the interplay of greek and indian thought at the roots of western culture.thomas c. mcevilley’s magisterial work demonstrates that eastern and western civilizations have not always had separate, autonomous metaphysical schemes, but have mutually influenced each other over a long period of time. examining ancient trade routes, imperialist movements, and migration currents, he shows how some of today’s key philosophical ideas circulated freely in the triangle between greece, india, and persia, leading to an intense metaphysical interchange between greek and indian cultures.while scholars have sensed a philosophical kinship between eastern and western cultures for many decades, the shape of ancient thought is the first study to provide the empirical evidence. covering a period ranging from 600 b.c. until the era of neoplatonism and a geographical expanse reaching across the ancient world, mcevilley explores the key philosophical paradigms of these cultures, such as monism, pluralism, and reincarnation, to reveal striking similarities between the two metaphysical systems. based on 30 years of intense intellectual inquiry and research and on hundreds of early historical, philosophical, spiritual, and buddhist texts, the study offers a scope and an interdisciplinary perspective that has no equal in the scholarly world.