Reason and Emotion [Hardcover]

John M. Cooper (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691058741 | ISBN-13: 978-0691058740 | Publication Date: December 21, 1998

This text brings together 23 essays on ancient moral philosophy. It gives a systematic account of many issues and texts in ancient moral psychology and ethical theory, providing an illuminating way of reflecting on the fields as they developed from Socrates and Plato through Aristotle to Epicurus and the Stoic philosophers Chrysippus and Posidonius, and beyond. For the ancient philosphrers morality was "good character" and what that entailed: good judgement, sensitivity, openness, reflectiveness and a secure and correct sense of who one was and how one stood in relation to others and the surrounding world. Ethical theory was about the best way to "be" rather than any principles for what to do in particular circumstances or in relation to recurrent temptations. Moral philosophy was the study of the psychological conditions required for good character - the sorts of desires, the attitudes to self and others, the states of mind and feeling, the kinds of knowledge and insight. Together these papers illustrate how, by studying the arguments of the Greek philosphers in their diverse theories about the best human life and its psychological underpinnings, people can expand their moral unde

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a work of conspicuous erudition comprising 23 essays, all but two previously published. The nonspecialist in ancient philosophy will find a great deal to ponder about ancient thinkers' views of "the sorts of desires, the attitudes to self and others, the states of mind and feeling, the kind of knowledge and insight required...to lead the best life that is humanly possible." Although the book is very clearly written, reading it requires concentrated effort, for the material Cooper (philosophy, Princeton) discusses is both subtle and in a different idiom from contemporary moral thinking. He nevertheless illuminates a variety of issues on which contemporary philosophers focus. Recommended for academic libraries.ARobert Hoffman, York Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"John Cooper is one of the most distinguished scholars in the field of ancient moral philosophy and his articles are often considered classics. Cooper writes in a lucid style and has the gift of making problems accessible to nonspecialists. . . ." -- Dorothea Frede, Universitt Hamburg

"This volume brings together essays on Greek ethics and moral psychology by one of the most influential scholars in the field.[I]t will be fascinating and instructive for scholars and students alike to follow John Cooper in his explorations of some of the most important questions of ancient and modern ethics." -- Gisela Striker, University of Cambridge

One of the handful of permanent contributions to the study of ancient ethics in the past one hundred years. -- Chris Bobonich, The Philosophical Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 605 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (December 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691058741
• ISBN-13: 978-0691058740
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,549,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, February 11, 2000

By 

Kamran Khajavi-Nouri - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reason and Emotion (Paperback)

I bought this book after having my interest sparked in Plato and Aristotle last year. I found that Cooper answered most of what my professors had simply labeled controversies, with had no real definitive answer, with remarkable ease. Cooper's work is impressive, but he is not arrogant or dogmatic. I particularly enjoyed his essays on Aristotle's conception of Friendship, Aristotle's views on contemplation, and the Greeks views on suicide and euthanasia. In general, I found the book to be absolutely necessary for anyone who has even a cursory interest in the Ancient Greeks.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable collection of essays, August 6, 2006

By 

G. T. (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reason and Emotion (Paperback)

This collection of essays will of great value not least to students of Philosophy and Classics, but also, I imagine, to many others.

Topics dealt with include politics, justice, and human motivation, happiness, virtue, friendship, pleasure, euthanasia and suicide. These topics are, of course, of no less importance today than they were in classical antiquity. And as these themes are of perennial interest, so Cooper is always mindful to make clear how the arguments and theories of the ancients are of interest to us too. These are not essays on theories that are long forgotten for good reason. On the contrary, Cooper always manages to show how the theories of the ancient philosophers still speak to us today. They were the most rational option available to the ancients and they are still a reasonable option for us. Cooper's great learning and profound knowledge of the ancient sources never interfere with this. However, Cooper assumes basic knowledge of the theories of the ancient philosophers. Hence this book may prove difficult for the beginner.

I recommend this book to students of Ancient Philosophy and Classics and to those who seek a good solid scholarly work on ancient ethics and moral psychology.