Ancient Philosophy

by Christopher Shields

In Ancient Philosophy (2012), Christopher Shields expanded on the coverage of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in his earlier book, Classical Philosophy (2003), to include the philosophy of the Hellenistic era. In this new edition (2023), Shields reaches even further to include material on Neoplatonism and on Augustine and Proclus, capturing―from Thales of Miletus to the end of the sixth century CE―all of what might be called ancient philosophy. It traces the important connections between the periods and individuals of more than 1,200 years of philosophy’s history without losing sight of the novelties and dynamics unique to each. The coverage of the Presocratics, Sophists, Plato, and Stoicism has also been expanded so as to highlight Plato’s responses to the Sophistic movement in the development of his Theory of Forms.

And, finally, a valuable companion volume, with Shields’s focused translations of the important sources referred to in Ancient Philosophy, Second Edition, will soon be published, obviating the need for a massive anthology of discordant voices.

Ancient Philosophy, Second Edition, retains its helpful each philosophical position (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 continues to serve as both a first stop and a well-visited resource for any student of the subject.

Key updates in the second edition



Extends the range of coverage well into the sixth century CE by offering a new chapter on Neoplatonism and early Christian philosophy, featuring discussions of Proclus and Augustine.

Explains the conflicts between Plato and the Sophists by highlighting their approaches to rhetoric as an instrument of persuasion, offering a helpful explanation of two senses of argument.

Includes new coverage of Plato’s argument from the Simplicity of the Soul, Argument from Affinity, and Argument against Rhetoric.

Includes coverage of Aristotle’s political naturalism .

May be used with a soon-to-be-published companion volume of primary source material, all of it translated by Christopher Shields specifically for the reader of this Second Edition.

Genres: Philosophy

314 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Karl Hallbjörnsson]

This is a solid textbook, read it for school — contains some funny tongue-in-cheek writing at times and is clearly written. The ancient arguments are presented in a clear and lucid way suitable for beginners.

[James Rivera]

This book gives an excellent introduction to the concepts and debates in ancient philosophy. I found the historical context of the views and debates particularly helpful.

Somewhat unrelated to the purpose of the book, but this is a useful book for Christians seeking to understand the philosophical and conceptual backdrop of the early church.

[haryii]

absolutely brilliant. need to revisit

[Mills College Library]

180 S5552 2012