Definition in Greek Philosophy

Definition in Greek Philosophy

Socrates' greatest philosophical contribution was to have initiated the search for definitions. In Definition in Greek Philosophy his views on definition are examined, together with those of his successors, including Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Galen, the Sceptics and Plotinus. Although definition was a major pre-occupation for many Greek philosophers, it has rarely been treated as a separate topic in its own right in recent years. This volume, which contains fourteen new essays by leading scholars, aims to reawaken interest in a number of central and relatively unexplored issues concerning definition. These issues are briefly set out in the Introduction, which also seeks to point out scholarly and philosophical questions which merit further study. "All of the pieces advance our understanding of ancient Greek thought in important ways. College libraries should prize the book; it would also serve as an excellent text for graduate classes in ancient Greek philosophy. For scholars in logic and critical thinking, it would be a great asset to understanding how many contemporary issues have ancient precedents." --Philosophy in Review David Charles presents fourteen new essays by leading experts on the topic of definition in Greek philosophers from Socrates to Plotinus. David Charles has been a Fellow in Philosophy at Oriel College, University of Oxford, from 1978 and a Research Professor since 2006. He has held Visiting Professorships at Rutgers, U.C.L.A., Tokyo Metropolitan, and Venice Universities and has written on various aspects of Aristotle's philosophy and on issues in contemporary action theory and metaphysics.