Philosophy in the Ancient World

The BrynMawr Clasical Review has just recently posted a review on a book on Philosophy in the Ancient World that seem to be most interesting for those wanting to locate Philo in his cultural and social world of philosophical traditions and ideas. I would like to have a closer look at this book:James A. Arieti,
Philosophy in the Ancient World. An Introduction.
Lanham, MD: 2005. Pp. 416. $28.95 (pb). ISBN 0-7425-3329-8.
Reviewed by Giannis P. Stamatellos.The reviewer interestingly states: "The majority of introductions, textbooks and source books about ancient Greek thought either stop at the Hellenistic Age, or focus at length on Plato and Aristotle. Both approaches are thematically incomplete, and tend to disregard the continuation and contribution of the ancient Greeks (and to a lesser extent the Romans) to the history of philosophy. 'Ancient Greek Philosophy' is the academic discipline that studies the philosophical activities of the Greco-Roman thinkers. It starts with Thales and the innovative thinking of the Presocratics, continues with Socratic arguments in the fifth century BC, Plato and Aristotle in the fourth century, the post-Socratic movements of the Hellenistic Age, especially those of the Sceptics, Stoics and Epicureans, and extends to the philosophy of the Middle Platonic, Neoplatonic and Aristotelian commentators of the sixth century AD. The end of ancient philosophy is usually marked by the closure of Plato's Academy in Athens by the emperor Justinian in 529 AD, while its influence extended to Christianity, Medieval, Arabic and modern philosophy."

"James A. Arieti in his introductory book on Philosophy in the Ancient World successfully includes in a single volume the whole intellectual history of the ancient Greek world -- from the eighth century BC with the mythological, political and cultural ancestors of ancient philosophy, including Homer and Hesiod, to the philosophy of late pagan antiquity and early Christian thought in the fifth century AD. Within this framework, the aim of Arieti's introduction is to offer a companion to the theories of the philosophers in a description and evaluation that complement the study of the primary texts."

Writing from such a perspective, his treatment of Philo of Alexandria shoul be especially intersting: "Arieti's book is divided into eighteen chapters, and his presentation follows a historical line of exposition, presenting the major ancient thinkers in due order. He gives a detailed description of each philosopher and an evaluation of his thought in a well-presented exposition, with an awareness, in most cases, of modern scholarship and recent interpretations. The structure of each chapter is designed to cover the intellectual personae of the philosophers and bring to light their main theoretical contributions."

"Chapters sixteen and seventeen highlight the intellectual affiliation between Greek philosophy and Christianity, with special attention to Philo of Alexandria, Minucius Felix and Basil of Caesarea."


Tolle lege!