Greek and Roman Philosophy After Aristotle (Readings in the History of Philosophy) [Paperback]

Jason L. Saunders (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0684836432 | ISBN-13: 978-0684836430 | Publication Date: October 1, 1997

A concise selection from the standard philosophical works written after the death of Aristotle to the close of the third century, which includes the writings of seminal figures from early Christian thought. Eminent scholar Jason Saunders shows how philosophers from the Hellenistic Age greatly influenced early Christian teachings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684836432
• ISBN-13: 978-0684836430
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Handy Resource, Marred by Some Antique Translations, June 28, 2001

By 

Timothy Dougal (Joliet, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greek and Roman Philosophy After Aristotle (Readings in the History of Philosophy) (Paperback)

For people like me, books like this are a great benefit. I'm not a philosopher, but I frequently run across references to ancient philosophers in my reading. At the same time, reading pre-digested summaries or histories is usually not as interesting or challenging as reading extended, essential exerpts first-hand. "Geek and Roman Philosophers After Aristotle" covers Hellenistic philosophy from ca.322 BCE to ca.300 CE. The book is divided into six sections: I.Epicureanism, II.Stoicism, III.Skepticism, IV.Philo of Alexandria, V.Plotinus, and VI.Early Christian Thought. There is a 12-page general introduction, and a short introduction for each of the six sections. Jason Saunders lets the philosophers speak for themselves, sometimes at length, particularly Lucretius, Philo and Plotinus. The book may seem to some to be overly Christian, but that's at least partly why I wanted it. The translations vary from the classic (McKenna) to clunky antiques, but as noted above, it's a handy, concise, 360-page collection, so my thumb is up.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Greeks Still Relevant, July 15, 2005

By 

Thomas Riggins (NY, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greek and Roman Philosophy After Aristotle (Readings in the History of Philosophy) (Paperback)

As religious fanaticism makes a big comeback in the US it is important to remember that rational understanding has a longer tradition in the West than the popularity of the current most widespread organized supersitions. This book gathers under one cover most of the major philosophical systems of the Hellenistc Greeks-- the Epicureans, Stoics and the Skeptics (always valuable to read as an antidote to dogmatism). Neo-Platonists (from whom the Christians copped their theology) are also represented--i.e., Philo and Plotinus. There is also a section on early Chrisitan "thought"-- "With our faith, we desire no further belief"-- Tertullian ( of 'credo quia absurdum' fame). Having all this variety of philosophy and anti-philosophy in one book will give you a good mental workout.

2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needs greater philosophers, June 6, 2001

By 

T. H McClellan (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: GREEK AND ROMAN PHILOSOPHY AFTER ARISTOTLE (Paperback)

I gave this book a very condiscending review a couple of years ago, and I admit I was far too critical... It does have its flaws, but I reviewed it without a thorough enough reading of it, and the faults are not with the author, but with the simple fact that there just weren't any really forceful philosophers living in this age. I give it three stars instead. I offer my aplogies to the author, and anyone else who may have been mislead by my previous rview. I give it three stars.