Abstract

This collection consists of seven papers in ancient philosophy, originally published in various journals and now reprinted as a book. All but the final essay are of interest primarily to students of Plato. The final essay is on Aristotle’s concept of acrasia but touching as it does on a central problem in ethics, it cannot be regarded merely as a contribution to the history of philosophy. Robinson makes many acute criticisms of Aristotle and especially of his ‘great despair’ about the possibility of a rational discussion of the principles of morality. Part of the strength of this essay is due to the fact that Robinson’s own feelings are very much engaged. This engagement is obvious also in his review of Popper’s The Open Society and its Enemies, an excellent if infuriating piece of work, which he recommends to Platonists as the freshest and most original treatment of Plato since Burnet’s Greek Philosophy. Robinson is in sympathy with Popper but that fact does not prevent him making many valuable modifications of Popper’s overall thesis.