Meyer - Ancient ethics: a critical introduction

ANCIENT ETHICS

To understand ethical theory we need to understand its origins, just as knowledge of ancient philosophy cannot be complete without an understanding of the ethical tradition which formed such a crucial part of it. Ancient Ethics is a clear and thorough introduction to the birth of ethics in ancient Greece and Rome for anyone starting out in ethics.

Here, Susan Sauv Meyer details a history of ethical thought, from its beginnings in the writings of Plato and Aristotle through its development in the Hellenistic period by Epicureans and Stoics, with lucid and accessible explanations of their theories.

Throughout, she critically assesses the arguments on which their thoughts were based, incorporating the responses of their contemporary critics as well as modern-day assessments to show the reader how to think and critique philosophically.

This book will be ideal for anyone beginning an introductory course in ancient ethics or moral theory, anyone interested in learning more about the history of ethical philosophy, or simply those who wish to learn how to live well.

Susan Suav Meyer is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. She specialises in Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, and has published widely on the natural and ethical philosophy of the period, including Aristotle and Moral Responsibility (1993).

First published 2008
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.

To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledges collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.

2008 Susan Sauv Meyer

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Meyer, Susan Sauv.
Ancient ethics : a critical introduction / Susan Sauve Meyer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Ethics, Ancient. I. Title.
BJ161.M49 2007
170.938dc22
2007023583

ISBN 0-203-64389-5 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN10 0-415-94026-5 (hbk)
ISBN10 0-415-94027-3 (pbk)
ISBN10 0-203-64389-5 (ebk)
ISBN13 978-0-415-94026-9 (hbk)
ISBN13 978-0-415-94027-6 (pbk)
ISBN13 978-0-203-64389-1 (ebk)