Abstract John Cooper contends that ancient philosophers shared certain fundamental assumptions about the “motivating power” of truth and knowledge that have been abandoned by post-Renaissance philosophers. Consequently, he claims that those seeking philosophy as a guide to the good life can only find it in the works of ancient philosophers. I challenge that conclusion by arguing that philosophy as a way of life has not disappeared but has evolved. A key indicator of this continuity is the enduring presence of “professional” philosophers who, like their ancient counterparts, remain concerned with what used to be called “the state of one’s soul.”
Reza Hosseini (Mon,) studied this question.