A.A.LongpresentsfourteenessaysonthethemesofselfhoodandrationalityinancientGreekphilosophy.Thediscussionrangesoversevencenturiesofinnovativethought,startingwithHeraclitus’injunctiontolistentothecosmiclogos,andconcludingwithPlotinus’criticismofthosewhomakeembodimentessentialtohumanidentity.FortheGreekphilosophersthenotionofarationalselfwasboundupwithquestionsaboutdivinityandhappinesscalledeudaimonia,meaningagod-favouredlifeoralifeoflikenesstothedivine.Whilethesequestionsareremotefromcurrentthought,Longalsosituatesthebook’sthemesinmoderndiscussionsoftheselfandtheself’snormativerelationtootherpeopleandtheworldatlarge.IdeasandbehaviourattributedtoSocratesanddevelopedbyPlatoareatthebook’scentre.Theyareprecededbyessaysthatexploregeneralfacetsofthesoul’srationality.LaterchaptersbringinsalientcontributionsmadebyAristotleandStoicphilosophers.Allbutoneofthesepieceshasbeenpreviouslypublishedinperiodicalsorconferencevolumes,buttheauthorhasrevisedandupdatedeverything.Thebookiswritteninastylethatmakesitaccessibletomanykindsofreader,notonlyprofessorsandgraduatestudentsbutalsoanyoneinterestedinthehistoryofouridentityasrationalanimals.
