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Product Description
`My present intention is to clear myself of any suspicion of partiality by presenting the views of the generality of philosophers concerning the nature of the gods.' Cicero's philosophical works are now exciting renewed interest, in part because he provides vital evidence of the views of the (largely lost) Greek philosophers of the Hellenistic age, and partly because of the light he casts on the intellectual life of first century Rome. The Nature of the Gods is a text of central significance, presenting a detailed account of the theologies of the Epicureans and of the Stoics, together with the critical objections to these doctrines raised by the Academic school. When these Greek theories of deity are translated into the Roman context, a fascinating clash of ideologies results. This fine translation by P. G. Walsh includes a summary of the Text, and an Index and Glossary of Names.
About the Author
P. G. Walsh is Emeritus Professor of Humanity at the University of Glasgow. His translation of Petronius's The Satyricon is highly acclaimed.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great book on the topic of philosophy and spirituality, I had thought that perhaps this would be a description of polytheism or the state religion of rome but its much better than that.
The book has a Contents (Abbreviations; Introduction; Summary of Text; Note on the Text and Translation; Select Bibliography; The Nature of The Gods; Explanatory Notes; Index and Glossary of Names), end notes and index. The Summary of Text is a form of contents itself, describing the structure of the book with Introduction; The Epicurean case; Cotta's criticism; The Stoic case in four parts; Cotta's criticisms of the Stoic thesis; Conclusion of the debate.
The introduction to the book is great, contextualising Cicero's writing and providing some information about Cicero himself and the schools of thought he features in the book (the Epicureans, the stoics and the academic school). It was interesting to read about the problems of presenting philosophical investigations and philosophy-spiritual cross overs in a time when state, society, private and public life where interwoven with religious beliefs and norms. For me that calls to mind Voltaire's saying about if God did not exist it would be necessary to invent him.
The content of chapters or books deal with questions of do Gods exist? What are they like? What do they do? What is the nature of divinity? Questions about divination, prophecy, human reason and cosmic harmony.
The Epicureans professing a belief in Gods as perfect beings living apart from human kind and not interacting with it, to be revered for their perfection. The Stoics professing a more cosmic view of existence and humankind within it. The academic school providing a critical appraisal of each.
It is really interesting to see how the reasoned arguments are developed and countered alone, whether you consider any of the points made to be valid or not. Personally I found it interesting to read about spiritual-philosophical views from a time when belief rather than doubt was more natural.
The book has a Contents (Abbreviations; Introduction; Summary of Text; Note on the Text and Translation; Select Bibliography; The Nature of The Gods; Explanatory Notes; Index and Glossary of Names), end notes and index. The Summary of Text is a form of contents itself, describing the structure of the book with Introduction; The Epicurean case; Cotta's criticism; The Stoic case in four parts; Cotta's criticisms of the Stoic thesis; Conclusion of the debate.
The introduction to the book is great, contextualising Cicero's writing and providing some information about Cicero himself and the schools of thought he features in the book (the Epicureans, the stoics and the academic school). It was interesting to read about the problems of presenting philosophical investigations and philosophy-spiritual cross overs in a time when state, society, private and public life where interwoven with religious beliefs and norms. For me that calls to mind Voltaire's saying about if God did not exist it would be necessary to invent him.
The content of chapters or books deal with questions of do Gods exist? What are they like? What do they do? What is the nature of divinity? Questions about divination, prophecy, human reason and cosmic harmony.
The Epicureans professing a belief in Gods as perfect beings living apart from human kind and not interacting with it, to be revered for their perfection. The Stoics professing a more cosmic view of existence and humankind within it. The academic school providing a critical appraisal of each.
It is really interesting to see how the reasoned arguments are developed and countered alone, whether you consider any of the points made to be valid or not. Personally I found it interesting to read about spiritual-philosophical views from a time when belief rather than doubt was more natural.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a fascinating read as he explores the nature of his Gods and gods in general and, at that time, there was a large pantheon. In many ways, it is such a current text, asking the same question people ask today. Although the gods and conclusions may be different, it is an interesting read and insight into the mind of one of the greatest thinkers of the time.
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