
Rationality in Greek Thought
Oxford University Press
Published on 7. October 1999
Book
Paperback/Softback
364 pages
978-0-19-825002-9 (ISBN)
Description
Rationality in Greek Thought, a collection of specially written essays by leading international scholars, re-examines ancient ideas of reason and rationality.
Conceptions of reason, rationality, and reasonableness have changed considerably over time, and scholars have all too easily projected contemporary ideas of reason onto ancient thought. This tendency has made it impossible for us fully to understand either the central tenets of ancient philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, or empiricist tendencies in ancient thought.
Rationality in Greek Thought examines distinctive aspects of ancient conceptions of reason, sharpening awareness of the considerable conceptual change, and helping to remove a serious obstacle to a full understanding of ancient philosophical texts. At the same time, the essays stimulate a reassessment of our own ideas of reason and rationality, helping us set them in historical context and explore alternatives to them.
Conceptions of reason, rationality, and reasonableness have changed considerably over time, and scholars have all too easily projected contemporary ideas of reason onto ancient thought. This tendency has made it impossible for us fully to understand either the central tenets of ancient philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, or empiricist tendencies in ancient thought.
Rationality in Greek Thought examines distinctive aspects of ancient conceptions of reason, sharpening awareness of the considerable conceptual change, and helping to remove a serious obstacle to a full understanding of ancient philosophical texts. At the same time, the essays stimulate a reassessment of our own ideas of reason and rationality, helping us set them in historical context and explore alternatives to them.
Reviews / Votes
an excellent volume * T. K. Johansen, Journal of Hellenic Studies * admirable volume ... the quality of the contributions to the collection is high; they constitute a worthy tribute to a remarkable philosopher and teacher ... thought-provoking claims and more besides await the reader of this excellent collection. * Dana R. Miller, International Philosophical Quarterly * this volume offers 12 papers and a substantive introduction to the topic by one of the editors. All of the papers are by leading scholars in the field ... There is no comparable volume currently available. Consequently, this anthology should be purchased by all academic libraries supporting graduate programs in philosophy and classics. * Choice * This collection of papers by a group of first-rate ancient philosophers includes some very interesting and new material ... The quality of the papers is very high, and several of them are unquestionably important contributions to scholarship ... These largely excellent essays have much to contribute, I am sure, to our understanding of Greek thinking about rationality. * Christopher Gill, Classical Review * The individual contributions link to the central theme in many different ways; without exception they take issues of fundamental importance and discuss them in a way that all future interpreters will need to take into account. * Phronesis XLII/2 * The editors have assembled a powerful team to explore the ancient philosophers' understanding of rationality ... All the essays are uniformly of high standard and together make a satisfying volume ... It would be a fine tribute to Patzig if this book inspired other scholars to continue the debate about whether ancient rationality was the same as ours. * Times Higher Education Supplement *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
2 line illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
519 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-825002-9 (9780198250029)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Michael Frede | Gisela Striker
Rationality in Greek Thought
Book
08/1996
Clarendon Press
€82.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Editor
Professor of the History of PhilosophyProfessor of the History of Philosophy, University of Oxford
Laurence Professor of Ancient PhilosophyLaurence Professor of Ancient Philosophy, University of Cambridge
Content
Introduction ; 1. The Philosophical Economy of Plato's Psychology: Rationality and Common Concepts in the Timaeus ; 2. What Kind of Cause is Aristotle's Final Cause? ; 3. Reason, Moral Virtue, and Moral Value ; 4. Rule and Exception: On the Aristotelian Theory of Equity ; 5. Aristotle's Rationalism ; 6. Grammar on Aristotle's Terms ; 7. Perfection and Reduction in Aristotle's Prior Analytics ; Epilogismos: An Appraisal ; 9. Scepticism, Old and New ; 10. Theories and Practices of Demonstration in Galen ; 11. Ammonius on Future Contingent Propositions ; 12. Rationality ; Index