Philosophy before the Greeks: The Pursuit of Truth in Ancient Babylonia

(Paperback)

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There is a growing recognition that philosophy isn't unique to the West, that it didn't begin only with the classical Greeks, and that Greek philosophy was influenced by Near Eastern traditions. Yet even today there is a widespread assumption that what came before the Greeks was "before philosophy." In Philosophy before the Greeks, Marc Van De Mier

Reviews

"Van De Mieroop is a highly respected Assyriologist, and his book provides a broad introduction to the intellectual principles which informed the long-lived and steady literary culture of 'Babylonia.'"--D. L. Dusenbury, Times Literary Supplement "Were this book a live performance, I would stand and applaud with vigor... I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in ancient history and philosophy. The clarity with which Van De Mieroop establishes his ideas result in a detailed, well-explained, and absolutely intriguing pioneer study on Babylonian epistemology and philosophy... For such ... a well-written, critical examination of what constitutes Babylonian philosophy, one would be foolish not to purchase and read it."--Biblical Review

Author Bio

Marc Van De Mieroop is professor of history at Columbia University. His books include The Ancient Mesopotamian City, King Hammurabi of Babylon, A History of the Ancient Near East, The Eastern Mediterranean in the Age of Ramesses II, and A History of Ancient Egypt.