Ancient Greek Philosophy

Thomas A. Blackson is a member of the Philosophy Faculty in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University.

Preface. Acknowledgments.

Text Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Part I: The Presocratics.

Timeline.

1. The Milesian Revolution.

1.1. The Milesians Turn to Nature.

1.2. Parmenides.

1.3. A Defense of the Inquiry into Nature.

Further Reading for Part I.

Part II: Socrates.

Timeline.

2. The Good Life.

2.1. Definitions.

2.2. The Love of Wisdom.

2.3. Intellectualism.

3. Against the Sophists.

3.1. The Sophists Come to Athens.

3.2. The Sophist Sells Teachings for the Soul.

3.3. Rhetoric is Blind to the Good.

Further Reading for Part II.

Part III: Plato.

4. Three Platonic Theories.

4.1. The Theory of Recollection.

4.2. The Theory of Forms.

4.2. The Tripartite Theory of the Soul.

5. Justice and its Reward.

5.1. The Opening Conversation.

5.2. Justice.

5.3. The Just Life is Better . ..

Further Reading for Part III.

Part IV: Aristotle.

6. Second Philosophy.

6.1. Natural Bodies and their Specific Behaviors.

6.2. Natures are Forms.

6.3. Teleology in Nature.

7. Psychology.

7.1. The Soul is the Form of the Body.

7.2. Induction.

7.3. Becoming like the Unmovable First Mover.

8. First Philosophy.

8.1. The Science of Being.

8.2. Substances are Forms.

8.3. No Universal is a Substance.

9. Ethics..

9.1. The Function Argument.

9.2. Theoretical Wisdom.

9.3. Practical Wisdom.

Further Reading for Part IV.

Part V: Hellenistic Philosophers.

Timeline.

10. Reaction to the Classical Tradition.

10.1. Epicureanism.

10.2. Stoicism.

10.3. Skepticism.

Further Reading for Part V.

References.

Index of Passages.

General Index.