Customer Reviews

Classical Thought (History of Western Philosophy Series)

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To be honest, I don't quite know what to do with this book. It is somewhat puzzling to me. It isn't a bad book, but it is a peculiar book indeed. It is the first book in a series on the history of western philosophy, but as it's title Classical Thought suggests, there's more here than just philosophy in a strict sense. And there's nothing wrong with that. However, Irwin leaves out some very important stuff in Greek philosophy, and I wonder whether it was worth sacrificing it to be able to broaden the scope of the book. Was it even a necessary sacrifice?

In the 2nd chapter Irwin deals with Homer, Hesiod and the background, one might say, of Greek thought. As Irwin explains in the 1st chapter (the introduction), the starting point is not completely arbitrary. Homer, after all, had a profound influence on all subsequent Greek thought and even philosophy. On the other hand, Irwin leaves out such prominent figures in Early Greek philosophy as Parmenides (who is mentioned only once in the book, during the discussion of St. Augustin), but instead we get to read about the historian Herodotus. Of course, it is perfectly admissible to include Herodotus in a book on classical thought, but I have doubts about doing it at the expense of Parmenides. Irwin has also omitted most of scepticism, as he himself points out in the introduction. Sextus Empiricus and Pyrrhon (thus written in the book) are each only mentioned once in an endnote. Moreover, Empedocles is not mentioned at all. Is it not peculiar that in a book on classical thought, published in a series on the history of western philosophy, the philosopher Empedocles is nowhere mentioned, but the emperor Nero is mentioned three times? Plato's later thought is not discussed nor is there any discussion of ancient logic in the book.

In my oppinion, this book would have benefited greatly if Irwin had added about 25 pages to it; ten or so on the presocratics, ten or so on the sceptics and maybe five on Plato's later thought. I don't know why the editor of the series should refuse to do so. This book is only 288 pages long, whereas Copenhaver and Schmitt's book on Renaissance philosophy (in the same series) is 464 pages long. But even so, I cannot help feel that this is perhaps not the right book to cover antiquity in a series on the history of western philosophy. Perhaps it should have been a book more on hardcore philosophy.

Having said that, I do admit that this book is lucidly written and inviting. It is easy to read and may be of much use to someone wanting quickly to familiarize himself with ancient thought. But as a first introduction to ancient philosophy proper or for a more thorough discussion of any topic in ancient philosophy (whether Irwin discusses it or not) I would have to recommend another book, e.g. Classical Philosophy by Christopher Shield, The Blackwell Guide to Ancient Philosophy or The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy.

This book is one in a series of small paperbacks printed by Oxford University Press as part of a history of Western Philosophy. This volume (#1)is a survey of classical philosophy beginning with Homer and Hesiod, covering Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and continuing to St. Augustine. The aim of this book and this series is to offer an introduction to the main philosophical issues and thinkers of this period. I would recommend it as a good start to someone who was completely unfamiliar with the philosophy of this period. For someone who is looking for more information, this book would not be worth buying. If you were looking for more depth than Copleston's History of Philosophy would be better. Another choice might be the Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy. Other than this complaint, I would say that the chapters are clearly written and that the concepts which are discussed are explained in a way that the average reader would be able to understand. Not a bad book to begin with at all!