A
beginner’s bibliography of early Greek philosophy.
compiled by
Monte Johnson, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto
The
following is an annotated bibliography
for beginners researching early Greek philosophy. Notice that some of the early
Greek philosophers are commonly referred to as ‘Presocratics’, because many
(though not all) lived before the Socrates, and because philosophy is supposed
to have taken on a radically different character after Socrates and his pupil
Plato.
The
complete collection of fragments (in Greek with German translation and
commentary), which establishes the standard system of reference:
Diels,
H. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. 6th ed., rev. W. Kranz. 3
vols. Berlin, 1952.
Handy
translations of the fragments without commentary:
Freeman,
K. Ancilla to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers. Cambridge, MA, 1948.
Reprinted 1983.
Curd,
P. (ed.). A Presocratics Reader. Trans. R. McKirahan. Indianapolis,
1996.
Translations
with commentary:
Two classic
commentaries that provide interpretations, background, and discussion of
sources:
Burnet,
J. Early Greek Philosophy. 3rd ed. Cleveland and New York,
1930. Also available online.
Kirk,
G.S., J.E. Raven, and M. Schofield. The Presocratic Philosophers. 2nd
ed. Cambridge, 1983.
More recent
commentaries that take account of recent scholarship, and expand the scope of
early Greek philosophy to include the sophistic movement:
Waterfield,
Robin. The First Philosophers: The Presocratics and The Sophists.
Oxford, 2000.
McKirahan,
R.D. Philosophy Before Socrates. Indianapolis, 1994.
Studies of
individual philosophers, including text, translation, and commentary:
Kahn,
C.H. Anaximander and the Origins of Greek Cosmology. New York, 1960.
Kahn,
C.H. The Art and Thought of Heraclitus. Cambridge, 1979.
Lesher,
J.H. Xenophanes of Colophon. A text and translation with a commentary.
Gallop,
D. Parmenides of Elea: Fragments. A text and translation with an introduction.
Toronto, 1984.
Inwood,
B. The Poem of Empedocles. A text and translation with an
introduction. 2nd ed. Toronto, 2001.
Taylor,
C.C.W. The Atomists: Leucippus and Democritus. Fragments: A text and
translation with commentary. Toronto, 1999.
The best
one volume collection of essays, all by leading scholars in the field, which
includes a timeline, maps, biographies, and an excellent biography:
Long,
A. A. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Early Greek Philosophy. Cambridge,
1999. You can read a review of this book by Monte Johnson online.
The
following are also excellent collections:
Mourelatos,
A.P.D. (ed.) The Presocratics. Originally published 1974. Princeton,
1993.
Furley,
D.J. and R.E. Allen (eds.) Studies in Presocratic Philosophy. 2 vols.
London, 1970.
Three very
different attempts at a comprehensive survey of the thought of the early Greek
philosophers. The first is a full and leisurely discussion by a scholar of
seasoned judgment. The second is more up to date, rambunctious, and in some
quarters has set standards for
interpretation.
Guthrie, W.K.C. A History of Greek Philosophy (vols. 1-3).
Cambridge, 1962, 1965, 1969.
Barnes,
J. The Presocratic Philosophers. Revised ed. London, 1982.
A book on
Pythagoreanism by a master of early Greek philosophy has recently been
published:
Kahn,
C.H. Pythagoras
and the Pythagoreans : a brief history. Indianapolis, 2001.
Two studies
of Parmenides, very different from one another, but both paying due attention
to the poetical and literary aspects of the poem.
Mourelatos,
A.P.D. The Route of Parmenides: A study in word, image, and argument in the
fragements. New Haven, 1970.
Kingsley,
P. In the Dark Places of Wisdom. Inverness, CA, 1999.
A study of
Parmenides that focuses on his scientific influence:
Curd,
P. The Legacy of Parmenides. Princeton, 1998. A review of this book by
Monte Johnson can be read online.
An
absorbing study of Empedocles that questions many of the assumptions of
scholars writing on early Greek philosophy:
Kingsley,
P. Ancient Philosophy, Mystery, and Magic. Oxford, 1995.
No complete
works of any of the early Greek philosophers survives. We have to rely on
“fragments” of their writings culled from later writers, such as Aristotle. On
the basis of these fragments, we attempt to reconstruct their thought. But as
we do this, we must keep in mind that our sources wrote with their own intents
and purposes, and are often hostile to those whose work they mention,
paraphrase, or quote.
The early
Greek philosophers are referred to according to a standard set of citations
which were devised by a nineteenth century German philologist, Hermann Diels,
and his associate Walter Kranz. Their work is abbreviated “DK”. Each fragment
they compiled has a code, a ‘DK number’, such as 22B101. The first number,‘22’,
indicates the philosopher, in this case Heraclitus; the following letter
indicates whether the fragment is (A) testimony or (B) an actual quotation or
paraphrase; the final number indicates the fragment number. When quoting a
fragment, always give the name of the philosopher, the letters DK, and then
this number. Also provide the name of the translator. For example,
“Eyes are
more accurate witnesses than ears” (Heraclitus, DK 22B101, trans. McKirahan).
Some of the
larger fragments, especially poems, also have line numbers, which may be useful
in referring to specific arguments. For example,
“How could
what is be in the future? How could it come to be? For if it came into being,
it is not, nor if it is ever going to be. In this way, coming to be has been extinguished
and destruction is unheard of” (Parmenides, DK28b8 lines 19-21, trans.
McKirahan)