Introduction
All western thought is based upon ancient authors. Unfortunately, classical education is neglected nowadays, so I had to learn it myself.
I think it’s important to understand ancient philosophy in context. For example, see my notes on the history of ancient Greece.
All in all, I hope these notes will help you see the world with fresh eyes, as the ancients saw it.
Notes
Ancient Greece
The history of ancient Greek philosophy by convention starts in 585 BC (Thales predicted the solar eclipse of that year) and ends in 529 AD (Roman emperor Justinian prohibited pagans from teaching in schools)
- Presocratics
- Includes: the Milesians (Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes), Pythagoras, the Eleatics (Xenophanes, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea), Heraclitus, Empedocles, Democritus
- Socratics
- Includes: the Sophists, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
TODO
Ancient Rome
TODO
Sources
In choosing my study material, I found this guide very useful.
Primary
- Presocratics Reader: Selected Fragments and Testimonia (Patricia Curd)
- Plato: Complete Works (John M. Cooper)
- The Basic Works of Aristotle (Richard P. McKeon)
- Hellenistic Philosophy (Bran Inwood)