Book contents
- Truth and Relativism in Ancient Philosophy
- Truth and Relativism in Ancient Philosophy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1Protagorean Relativism Revisited
- Chapter 2Variations of Subjectivism in Greek Philosophy
- Chapter 3Pinning Down Plato’s Protagoras
- Chapter 4Plato on Truth
- Chapter 5Truth and Relativity in Plato’s Phaedo
- Chapter 6Capacity, Being Relative-to, and Truth in Plato’s Sophist
- Chapter 7Does Aristotle’s Theory of Relativity Commit Him to Protagoreanism?
- Chapter 8Aristotle on Truth, Correspondence, and Relativity
- Chapter 9Relativity in Early Pyrrhonism
- Chapter 10Epicureans on Truth and Relativism
- Chapter 11The Stoics on Past and Future Truths
- Chapter 12Relativism and Skepticism without Disagreement
- Index Locorum
- General Index
- References
Introduction
Truth and Relativism in Ancient Greek Philosophy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 September 2026
Book contents
- Truth and Relativism in Ancient Philosophy
- Truth and Relativism in Ancient Philosophy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1Protagorean Relativism Revisited
- Chapter 2Variations of Subjectivism in Greek Philosophy
- Chapter 3Pinning Down Plato’s Protagoras
- Chapter 4Plato on Truth
- Chapter 5Truth and Relativity in Plato’s Phaedo
- Chapter 6Capacity, Being Relative-to, and Truth in Plato’s Sophist
- Chapter 7Does Aristotle’s Theory of Relativity Commit Him to Protagoreanism?
- Chapter 8Aristotle on Truth, Correspondence, and Relativity
- Chapter 9Relativity in Early Pyrrhonism
- Chapter 10Epicureans on Truth and Relativism
- Chapter 11The Stoics on Past and Future Truths
- Chapter 12Relativism and Skepticism without Disagreement
- Index Locorum
- General Index
- References
Summary
This volume investigates ancient Greek philosophical accounts of truth and the various ways in which truth might be deemed relative to certain parameters of assessment. Existing scholarship on ancient views concerning truth and relativism has primarily focused upon attempted refutations of certain ‘relativistic’ views associated with Protagoras, such as those offered by Plato and Aristotle. However, many ancient philosophers were in fact sympathetic to various ‘relativistic’ views, such as the view that apparently conflicting judgements or statements might be simultaneously correct or that truth-bearers may have different truth-values relative to different parameters of assessment and accordingly sought to find some place for relativity or relativism within their philosophical accounts. What follows is a historical and philosophical introduction to ancient views concerning truth and relativism.
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- Truth and Relativism in Ancient Philosophy , pp. 1 - 18Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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