The Routledge Handbook of Hellenistic Philosophy

Hellenistic philosophy concerns the thought of the Epicureans, Stoics, and Skeptics, the most influential philosophical groups in the era between the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE) and the defeat of the last Greek stronghold in the ancient world (31 BCE). The Routledge Handbook of Hellenistic Philosophy provides accessible yet rigorous introductions to the theories of knowledge, ethics, and physics belonging to each of the three schools, explores the fascinating ways in which interschool rivalries shaped the philosophies of the era, and offers unique insight into the relevance of Hellenistic views to issues today, such as environmental ethics, consumerism, and bioethics. Eleven countries are represented among the Handbook's 35 authors, whose chapters were written specifically for this volume and are organized thematically into six sections: - The people, history, and methods of Epicureanism, Stoicism, and Skepticism. - Earlier philosophical influences on Hellenistic thought, such as Aristotle, Socrates, and Presocratics. - The soul, perception, and knowledge. - God, fate, and the primary principles of nature and the universe. - Ethics, political theory, society, and community. - Hellenistic philosophy's relevance to contemporary life. Spanning from the ancient past to the present, this Handbook aims to show that Hellenistic philosophy has much to offer all thinking people of the twenty-first century.

Kelly Arenson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Duquesne University. She is the author of Health and Hedonism in Plato and Epicurus (2019).

Introduction Part I: Methods and Background 1. Epicurean Philosophy and Its Parts 2. The Stoics and their Philosophical System 3. Argumentative Strategies of Pyrrhonian and Academic Skeptics 4. Documenting Hellenistic Philosophy: Cicero as a Source and Philosopher Part II: Early Influences 5. Epicureans, Earlier Atomists, and Cyrenaics 6. Cynic Influences on Stoic Ethics 7. Stoics and Presocratic Materialists 8. Aristotelian and Stoic Virtue 9. Socratic Ignorance and Ethics in the Stoa 10. Academic Skepticism and the Socratic Method Part III: Soul, Perception, and Knowledge 11. Stoic Epistemology 12. The Stoic Theory of the Soul 13. Impressions and Truth in Epicurean Epistemology 14. Epicurus on Sense-Experience and the Fear of Death 15. Skeptical Defenses Against the Inaction Objection 16. Skeptical Responses to Stoics and Epicureans on the Criterion Part IV: First Principles, Nature, and Teleology 17. Epicureans on What There Is 18.Epicureans on Teleology and Freedom 19. Nature, God, and Determinism in Early Stoicism 20. Stoics and Epicureans on Language and the World 21. Free Will and Fate in Carneades' Academic Skepticism 22. Piety and Theology in the Stoics, Epicureans, and Pyrrhonian Skeptics Part V: Ethics, Politics, and Society 23. Tranquility as the Goal in Pyrrhonian Skepticism 24. Epicureans on Pleasure, Desire, and Happiness 25. Epicureans on Friendship, Politics, and Community 26. The Medicine of Salvation: Epicurean Education as Therapy 27. Moral Philosophy in the Imperial Roman Stoa 28. Academic Skeptics and Stoics on "Trying Your Best" and the Ultimate End of Action Part VI: The Hellenistic Legacy in Contemporary Issues 29. Is Skepticism Natural? Ancient and Modern Perspectives 30. Stoicism and Contemporary Medical Ethics 31. Stoic Therapy for Today's Troubles 32. Stoic Cosmopolitanism and Environmental Ethics 33. Feminism and Stoic Sagehood 34. Epicurean Advice for the Modern Consumer 35.Hellenistic Philosophy and the Origins of Economic Thought