Ancient Concepts of Philosophy (Hardcover)

What is philosophy and why is it worthwhile devoting one's life to it? From Socrates to Wittgenstein, the range of answers has been extreme. Dr Jordan traces the emergence of the idea that the philosopher leads a valuable and happy style of life, and he argues that it is in this respect that ancient concepts of philosophy differ most significantly from our own. Conversely, he aims to establish how far the more ambitious claims made by ancient philosophers are still tenable today. A fresh approach to questions about the value of philosophy, this book shows that there is much to be learnt from the ancient philosophers' differing conceptions of the ideal human life, the life of philosophy.