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Luis E. Navia provides a comprehensive examination of the ideas and contributions of a Greek philosopher who was influential in the development of classical Cynicism. Based on both primary and secondary sources as well as the findings of modern scholarship, it is a unique contribution to the study of Antisthenes. An important philosopher, only two English-language books about him have been published in the last eighty years. With his clear and accessible narrative style, Navia succeeds in reconstructing Antisthenes' biography resurrecting this ancient philosopher's ideas as still relevant to this day.
Navia describes an integral moment in the history of Greek philosophy--the presence of Antisthenes as a student of the Sophists, an associate of Socrates, and the originator of the Cynic movement. This detailed study of the principal sources, includes an index of relevant names, a bibliography of over two hundred and fifty titles, and an appendix consisting of an extensively annotated translation of Diogenes Laertius' biography of Antisthenes.
List of contents
Preface
Sources and Testimonies
A Biographical Sketch
The Interpretation of Homer
Saying Nothing about the No Thing
The Socratic Connection
Antishenes, the Absolute Dog
Simon the Shoemaker
Diogenes Laertius: The Life of Antisthenes
Bibliography
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
About the author
LUIS E. NAVIA is Professor of Philosophy at New York Institute of Technology. He has held various administrative positions, including the deanship of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Communications. He has published fourteen books—most recently Classical Cynicism: A Critical Study (Greenwood, 1996) and Diogenes of Sinope: The Man in the Tub (Greenwood, 1998)—and numerous articles.
