It has been much disputed to what extent thinkers in Greek and Roman antiquity adhered to ideas of evolution and progress in human affairs. Did they lack any conception of process in time, or did they anticipate Darwinian and Lamarckian hypotheses?
The Origins of Civilization in Greek and Roman Thought, first published in1986, comprehensively examines this issue. Beginning with creation myths – Mother Earth and Pandora, the anti-progressive ideas of the Golden Age, and the cyclical theories of Orphism – Professor Blundell goes on to explore the origins of scientific speculation among the Pre-Socratics, its development into the teleological science of Aristotle, and the advent of the progressivist views of the Stoics. Attention is also given to the ‘primitivist’ debate, involving ideas about the noble savage and reflections of such speculation in poetry, and finally the relationship between nature and culture in ancient thought is investigated.
By:
Sue Blundell Imprint: Routledge Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
Weight: 453g ISBN:9780415748209 ISBN 10: 0415748208 Series:Routledge Revivals Pages: 244 Publication Date:22 September 2014 Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
,
A / AS level
Format:Hardback Publisher's Status: Active
