Rationality in Greek Thought

This is a collection of essays that re-examines ancient ideas of reason and rationality. The application of changing notions of rationality down the ages has led to consistent misinterpretation of standard ancient philosophical texts, and the contributors here aim to redress the balance.

Rationality in Greek Thought - a collection of specially written essays by leading international scholars - fundamentally re-examines ancient ideas of reason and rationality. Conceptions of reason, rationality, and reasonableness have changed over time, and scholars have all too easily projected contemporary ideas of reason onto ancient thought. This tendency has made it impossible for us fully to understand either the central tenets of ancient philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, or empiricist tendencies in ancient thought.Rationality in Greek Thought examines distinctive aspects of ancient conceptions of reason, sharpening awareness of the considerable conceptual change, and helping to remove a serious obstacle to a full understanding of ancient philosophical texts. At the same time, the essays stimulate a re-assessment of our own ideas of reason and rationality, helping us set them in historical context, and explore alternatives to them.