From Library Journal

Irwin has written an extremely useful survey of classical philosophy from Homer to Augustine. There are chapters on the Homeric background; the "Presocratics," including writers (e.g., Herodotus, Aeschylus, Thucydides) not usually counted as philosophers; Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; Epicureanism; Stoicism; Plotinus; and Christianity. The treatment is thematic, critical, and selective (there is no discussion, e.g., of Pythagoras, Parmenides, Zeno, or Empedocles). Philosophical material is often helpfully related to its historical background. Although this book is written for beginners, anyone interested in ancient thought will find it worth reading. Richard Hogan, Southeastern Massachusetts Univ., North Dartmouth

Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"No comparable introductory work available in English has its virtues of spanning a wide chronological range and being philosophically sophisticated and informed. It deserves to be widely used, because it is widely useful....This is the best available history of ancient philosophy for beginners."--Philosophical Review

"A readable and lucid introduction; this book can be used in both graduate and undergraduate surveys."--David Larmour, Texas Tech University

"Offers the student a thoughtful and 'reasonable' overall look at the origins of Classical thought."--James T. Svendsen, University of Utah

"This is an excellent introductory text for students with very little background in philosophy. The writing is both engaging and lucid, the arguments are well formed, and the treatment of philosophers is both fairminded and judicious. Especially helpful is the author's material on philosophical movements subsequent to Aristotle."--William A. Sumruld College of the Southwest

"Exactly what I need as a background reader for the medieval philosophy course I'm preparing: very concise, broad, and accurate."--Alan Nelson, University of California, Irvine