Traces the history of ancient Greek thinking about causation and explanation. This book examines how the Greeks dealt with questions about how and why things happen as and when they do, about the basic constitution and structure of things, about function and purpose, laws of nature, chance, coincidence, and responsibility.

Introduction ; 1. The Presocratics ; 2. Science and Sophistry ; 3. Plato ; 4. Aristotle: Explanation and Nature ; 5. Aristotle: Explanation and the World ; 6. The Atomists ; 7. The Stoics ; 8. The Sceptics ; 9. Explanation in the Medical Schools ; 10. The Age of Synthesis ; 11. Science and Explanation ; 12. The Neoplatonists ; Appendix; Bibliography; Index

A fascinating book. It contains a sweeping survey of approaches to causation and explanation from the Presocratic philosophers (sixth century BC) to the Neo-platonist philosophers (third century AD). Hankinson pays a visit to every major figure and movement in between: the sophists, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Sceptics, the Epicureans and a variety of medical writers, early and late ... impressive ... Hankinson's observations are regularly intriguing, at times refreshingly trenchant, and in some cases straightforwardly arresting ... the history itself is excellent: clear, intelligently conceived and executed, and broadly accessible. Those in search of a philosophically astute history of clasical philosophy given in terms of one of its own central unifying obsessions will delight in reading R. J. Hankinson's work.

`Review from previous edition 'This book is nothing less than a history of ancient Greek philosophy from the beginnings up to the end of the Academy in CE 520 focussing on causes and explanations ... The scope of this book is truly impressive ... I am not aware of another contemporary work of scholarship in ancient philosophy that covers such a vast amount of material ... Hankinson writes vividly and with precision and he is analytically acute, dissecting sometimes with exquisite care the various possible interpretations of philosophical claims before opting in most cases for the obvious. Perhaps understandably, there is a great deal more precise analysis applied to the more familiar territory of 4th century philosophy than to the later period where the amount of material is dauntingly immense'' Lloyd Gerson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review `'This is a big book in every sense of the word - lengthy, thorough and important, and impressive in scope. In this book he evinces a lucid and magisterial touch with all periods of Greek thought, from the Presocratics to the Neoplatonists. What impresses one about Hankinson's book is not just its breadth, but also its depth. Because of the clarity of his writing and exposition, this wealth of detail does not detract from the overarching story Hankinson has to tell. At the same time, because of all the detail, new insights and interpretations abound, and one can find neat ways of expressing old insights on almost every page. And so the book becomes an invaluable source for any student of almost any thinker in the history of Greek philosophy and science. I have no doubt that it will stand as one of the landmarks of scholarly work on Greek thought in the last quarter of this century.'' Robin Waterfield - Heythrop Journal `'It is a masterpiece of synthesis which bears the fruit of many years of detailed work on causation and explanation. It covers the whole of ancient philosophy (from the Presocratics to Neoplatinism), science (i.e. medicine, the mathematical sciences) and astrology.'' Keimpe Algra, Phronesis

a ground-breaking work in the history of ancient thought very ambitious in conception and broad in scope the most important book yet by a notable scholar a rich resource of information and analysis for future research no knowledge of Greek need -- all transliterated and explained acclaimed by the reviewers

a ground-breaking work in the history of ancient thought very ambitious in conception and broad in scope the most important book yet by a notable scholar a rich resource of information and analysis for future research no knowledge of Greek need -- all transliterated and explained acclaimed by the reviewers