Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers: An Edited Translation

Description

A pioneering work in the history of philosophy, the ancient text of the Lives presents engaging portraits of nearly a hundred Greek philosophers. It blends biography with bibliography and surveys of leading theories, peppered with punchy anecdotes, pithy maxims, and even snatches of poetry, much of it by the philosophers themselves. The work presents a systematic genealogy of Greek philosophy from its origins in the sixth century BCE to its flowering in Plato's Academy and the Hellenistic schools. In this fully up-to-date and accessible translation, based on the most accurate texts and the latest advances in scholarship, Stephen White provides a valuable resource for students and scholars of ancient philosophy. Highlights include extended treatment of the 'Seven Sages' (Book 1), Socrates and his Socratic followers (Book 2), Plato (Book 3), Aristotle and his school (Book 5), Diogenes the Cynic (Book 6), Stoicism (Book 7), Pythagoreans (Book 8), Pyrrhonian skepticism (Book 9), and Epicureanism (Book 10).

Stephen White is Professor of Classics and Philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin. He is the author of Sovereign Virtue: Aristotle on Prosperity and Happiness (1992) and of articles on many topics in ancient philosophy and literature. With William Fortenbaugh, he is the co-editor of volumes on Lyco of Troas and Hieronymus of Rhodes (2004) and Aristo of Ceos (2006).

'... White's text is a model of usability, reliability, and philosophical integrity.' Christopher Moore, Bryn Mawr Classical Review '[an] important, accessible collection ... Recommended.' R. Cormier, Choice Connect