The Virtuous Life in Greek Ethics [Paperback]

Burkhard Reis (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0521125367 | ISBN-13: 978-0521125369 | Edition: 1 Reissue

There is now a renewed concern for moral psychology among moral philosophers. Moreover, contemporary philosophers interested in virtue, moral responsibility and moral progress regularly refer to Plato and Aristotle, the two founding fathers of ancient ethics. The book contains eleven chapters by distinguished scholars which showcase current research in Greek ethics. Four deal with Plato, focusing on the Protagoras, Euthydemus, Symposium and Republic, and discussing matters of literary presentation alongside the philosophical content. The four chapters on Aristotle address problems such as the doctrine of the mean, the status of rules, equity and the tension between altruism and egoism in Aristotelian eudaimonism. A contrast to classical Greek ethics is presented by two chapters reconstructing Epicurus' views on the emotions and moral responsibility as well as on moral development. The final chapter on personal identity in Empedocles shows that the concern for moral progress is already palpable in Presocratic philosophy.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Eleven chapters by distinguished scholars which showcase current research in Greek ethics. Special emphasis is given to Plato and Aristotle and to some notorious problems of interpretation, but Epicurus and the Presocratic Empedocles are also treated in a way that sheds new light on the ethical side of their philosophies.

About the Author

Burkhard Reis is Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in the project to provide a new German translation of and commentary on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which is being run by Dorothea Frede and sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. He is the author of Der Platoniker Albinos und sein sogenannter Prologos. Prolegomena, Uberlieferungsgeschichte, kritische Edition und Ubersetzung (1999).

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 Reissue edition (December 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521125367
• ISBN-13: 978-0521125369
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,627,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)