Philosophy Classics Reader Guide

De: Tony McKinley

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

This is a comprehensive overview of the great works that have come down to us from antiquity. I have gathered the best sources and provided clear descriptions to allow readers to comfortably navigate these cultural riches.
Philosophy is a critical component of the Classics, the basis of modern Western thinking was established by Plato in the 4th century BC when he wrote of his teacher Socrates, the man who established the core concepts of rational morality. In antiquity, Plato was accepted as an authority on all matters with the same respect as shown to the Judaic Bible and the Christian Gospels. Plato’s student Aristotle followed his teacher and developed rational principles which we still practice in our pursuit of enlightenment. Xenophon, the great general and historian, was also a student of Socrates and we have included his works for another first person perspective on the great philosopher.
As they did with many other elements of Greek culture, the Romans embraced Stoicism, another derivative of Socrates’ teaching founded in 3rd century BC Greece. This became the philosophy that dominated Roman thinking and idealism. Cicero was a devoted Stoic and his works reflect the precepts of this philosophy, and his Dream of Scipio is deeply reminiscent of Plato’s mysticism. Demosthenes is considered the greatest orator in history, and he served as the model for Cicero. His speeches convey the lofty ideals and longing for freedom so central to ancient philosophy.
The most popular book on Stoicism was written by the last of the “five good emperors,” Marcus Aurelius, who gave us his Meditations. This book comprises Marcus’ own notes, full of profound ideas to ponder and noble ideals to practice. More formal explications of Stoicism have come to us from the sage whose work Marcus studied, in the books of the Greek Stoic Epictetus as captured by Arrian, and samples of this great teacher are included in the chapter on Marcus Aurelius. The Roman philosopher Seneca, Emperor Nero’s doomed advisor, is our third source to understand Stoicism.
While they are not philosophers, we have included other writers who embody the deepest understanding of the ancients. Plutarch, who invented the concept of Biography, was a moralist rather than a historian, and his Lives compare Alexander and Caesar, Solon and Lycurgus, Demosthenes and Cicero in terms of the way they brought ancient philosophy to the world in the way they lived. Longinus was a brilliant critic of poetry and drama, and his commentaries on the greatest writers provide another view of the core principles and values of the ancients.
For all these reasons, the Ancient Classics embody timeless insights on not only history, but whether we are aware of it or not, the philosophy that guides our society and the arts that enrich our culture. Our modern lives are immeasurably enhanced by the intellectual treasure in the Classics.