A History of Greek Philosophy
by John Marshall (London 1891)

Notes, Study links, HTML editing, by Elpenor  © 2007 -

Elpenor's notes to the Preface

[1] Being based on the original works does not by itself grant authenticity; what you do with them is equally and even more important. Would a marxist interpretation of Plato be authentic, if based just on the dialogues and not to secondary literature? On the other hand, a person who understands Plato would offer an authentic reading, even when using secondary sources together with the original. Even if secondary literature is set aside, cultural presuppositions, personal taste and intelligence, etc., would still exert their influence on the study. Since a reading-void is impossible, authenticity is achieved by scholars and is estimated by their readers according to their paideia / kinship with the author they study – it can not be ‘proved’.

[2] There are no “questions of permanent significance and value” for all humanity, otherwise there wouldn’t have existed a single epoch, country or person, with no interest to these questions. Greek philosophy is important inside the Greek-European civilization. Empedocles' metaphysics are of no essential interest to a buddhist, for example.

 

Cf. Plato Home Page  Plato Complete Works  A Day in Old Athens

Early Presocratics and Pythagoreans - A Synopsis of Greek Philosophy

A History of the Byzantine Empire  Learning Greek    Greek Bilingual Anthology 

 

 

Previous / First (Cover) Page

First Chapter of the History : THALES

Jump : Preface, Miletus, Pythagoreans, Eleatics, Atomists, Sophists, Plato, Aristotle, Sceptics, Epicureans, Stoics

Cf. Οἱ Ἀρχαῖοι Ἕλληνες * A Short History of Ancient Greece  * A History of Ancient Greek Art
Development of Greek Philosophy

Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/history-of-philosophy/default.asp?pg=8