The Philosophical Stage - by Joshua Billings (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A bold new reconception of ancient Greek drama as a mode of philosophical thinking

The Philosophical Stage offers an innovative approach to ancient Greek literature and thought that places drama at the heart of intellectual history. Drawing on evidence from tragedy and comedy, Joshua Billings shines new light on the development of early Greek philosophy, arguing that drama is our best source for understanding the intellectual culture of classical Athens.

In this incisive book, Billings recasts classical Greek intellectual history as a conversation across discourses and demonstrates the significance of dramatic reflections on widely shared theoretical questions. He argues that neither "literature" nor "philosophy" was a defined category in the fifth century BCE, and develops a method of reading dramatic form as a structured investigation of issues at the heart of the emerging discipline of philosophy.

A breathtaking work of intellectual history by one of today's most original classical scholars, The Philosophical Stage presents a novel approach to ancient drama and sets a path for a renewed understanding of early Greek thought.

Review Quotes

"[A] thoughtful examination of the breadth of intellectual thought in classical Greece."-- "Choice Reviews"

"A learned and disciplined study, The Philosophical Stage should become a starting place for future work on Greek drama and ancient philosophy. - Dustin W. Dixon, Classical Journal"

"Billings' study, with its novel approach, is a valuable and versatile resource. It is undoubtedly a useful addition to research concerning the complex relationship between early Western philosophical thought and ancient drama."---Visa Helenius, Arctos

"Longlisted for the Runciman Award, Anglo-Hellenic League"

About the Author

Joshua Billings is professor of classics at Princeton University. He is the author of Genealogy of the Tragic: Greek Tragedy and German Philosophy (Princeton), which won the 2015 Society for Classical Studies Charles J. Goodwin Award of Merit.