The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

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Much of what we know about the ancient Greek philosophers is contained in this collection of biographies written by Diogenes Laertius around the 4th century AD. Spanning the three centuries of wisdom's golden age, we begin with Thales born in 634 BC, and conclude with Epicurus who died in 270 BC. In abridging Diogenes' Lives, I have retained the essential details of this classic survey of Greek philosophers for casual enjoyment. These wise men of reason, ethics, and science are surprisingly easy to understand - if sometimes peculiar in their ideas and lifestyles. The reader will find as much interest in the often witty one-liners as amusement in their original, eccentric lives. Happily, the truths of human nature, and the folly of vanity and pride, have not changed much over the course of 2,500 years. A few very minor philosophers, along with scholarly footnotes, have been removed entirely. The original's detailed philosophical description has also been significantly reduced, as I believe such rigorous technical inquiry is better suited to advanced study and available elsewhere. Introductions to the various schools of thought are, however, included here with the lives of their founders. The following is merely a pleasant sampling of ways to think, to know, to be, or not to be. - William Pocock