The Life Worth Living in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy
$32.99 USD
- Author: David Machek, Universität Bern, Switzerland
- Date Published: May 2023
- availability: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
- format: Adobe eBook Reader
- isbn: 9781009257886
Find out more about Cambridge eBooks
$
32.99 USD
Adobe eBook Reader
Other available formats:
Hardback, Paperback
Looking for an inspection copy?
This title is not currently available on inspection
-
The account of the best life for humans – i.e. a happy or flourishing life – and what it might consist of was the central theme of ancient ethics. But what does it take to have a life that, if not happy, is at least worth living, compared with being dead or never having come into life? This question was also much discussed in antiquity, and David Machek's book reconstructs, for the first time, philosophical engagements with the question from Socrates to Plotinus. Machek's comprehensive book explores ancient views on a life worth living against a background of the pessimistic outlook on the human condition which was adopted by the Greek poets, and also shows the continuities and contrasts between the ancient perspective and modern philosophical debates about biomedical ethics and the ethics of procreation. His rich study of this relatively neglected theme offers a fresh and compelling narrative of ancient ethics.
Read more- Provides comprehensive discussion of a neglected theme in ancient ethics
- Offers a big-picture narrative of a theme that spans the entire ancient tradition
- Informs philosophers about ancient roots of contemporary ethical problems
Reviews & endorsements
'Machek's book on 'the life worth living' is a fascinating addition to the literature on ancient Greek and Roman ethics. It systematically investigates, with subtlety and rigor, important questions about a worthwhile life and the value of life that are peripheral to or ignored by standard studies of ancient ethical theory.' Richard Kraut, Northwestern University
See more reviews'[The book] is strongly to be commended for the freshness of the questions it poses and for the author's intelligent approach to answering them.' A. A. Long, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: May 2023
- format: Adobe eBook Reader
- isbn: 9781009257886
- availability: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Plato On Making Life Worth Living By Doing One's Job
2. Aristotle on the Natural Goodness of Life
3. Decoupling Happy Life from Life Worth Living in Stoicism
4. Threshold Nears the Target: Hellenistic Hedonists on the Life Worth Living
5. Peripatetics on Vicious Humans and Caged Animals
6. Plotinus on the Worth of Embodied Existence.
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email [email protected]
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×