James Warren
Biographic Data
| ID | 3938274 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James Warren |
| GIVEN NAMES | James |
| FAMILY NAME | Warren |
| SIGNATURE | WARREN J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cambridge |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6197-9687 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 57 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 24 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 51 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 6 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1917 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Epicureans on Freedom and Responsibility
This chapter presents and evaluates the Epicureans’ account of voluntary action and moral responsibility, and the grounds for that account in Epicurean psychology, physics, logic, and metaphysics. The Epicureans think that we often act as we do because of our beliefs, desires, and character and that we should be held responsible for such actions. In order to make this compatible with their cosmology, they infer that there must be a novel form of …
Cicero's Tusculan Disputations
Cicero composed the Tusculan Disputations in the summer of 45 BC at a time of great personal and political turmoil. He was grieving for the death of his daughter Tullia earlier that year, while Caesar's defeat of Pompey's forces at Munda and return to Rome as dictator was causing him great fears and concerns for himself, his friends and the Republic itself. This collection of new essays offers a holistic critical commentary on this important work…
Leontius, Odysseus, and Self-Reproach
In Plato’s Republic , Socrates’ account of a soul with more than one part or power provides ways of accounting for interesting self-directed or reflexive reactive attitudes, including ‘self-reproach’, the analysis of which is otherwise not at all straightforward. Thinking about these attitudes reveals some fundamental characteristics of how Socrates imagines the relationships between the parts of the soul. This is illustrated by looking again at …
Conceptualising Concepts in Greek Philosophy
Death
Roman philosophical authors inherit a set of arguments and claims about death from their Greek predecessors but develop and modify them in important ways. Most obviously, they take on the central disagreement between those who believe that after death the soul remains and those who believe that death is the total annihilation of the person. They also think about the nature and value of death in the context of standing Roman notions of duty, pieta…
Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy
Socrates and the Symmetry Argument
In the pseudo-Platonic dialogue Axiochus, Socrates deploys a variety of arguments to soothe Axiochus’ fear of death. One of these is the ‘symmetry argument’ that tries to demonstrate that the state we will be in post mortem is no more harmful than the state we were in before birth. This argument is often associated with Epicureanism and with their commitment to the mortality of the soul, and it is therefore sometimes thought that Socrates’ use of…
Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy
Regret: A Study in Ancient Moral Psychology
Greeks on Greekness: Viewing the Greek Past under the Roman Empire
Epicureans on Hidden Beliefs
Epicurean accounts of philosophical therapy—as involving, for example, repetitive practices, as well as argumentation—allow that a person may fail to know himself because he fails to know what he believes. This chapter considers two Epicurean texts that offer categorizations of kinds of belief and attempts to distinguish a class of what we might call ‘hidden’ beliefs: beliefs that can be extremely damaging but are difficult to identify and remove…
Body and Soul in Hellenistic Philosophy
Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy
Authors and Authorities in Ancient Philosophy
Pyrrhonian Skepticism in Diogenes Laertius
Pyrrhonian skepticism has gradually gained a stellar reputation. Rather than being dismissed as extremist and evidently implausible, as it often was in the past, it is now recognized as a philosophically sophisticated outlook, sympathetic to today's commitment to science as a long-term enterprise. Ancient skepticism is now seen as an important position in the history of philosophy and as addressing core questions in epistemology. It is worthwhile…
Pyrrhonian Skepticism in Diogenes Laertius
Pyrrhonische Skepsis bei Diogenes Laertius.
Epicurean pleasure in Cicero’s De Finibus
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Developing an equitable and sustainable mobility strategy for Havana
The particular political, economic and social conditions of the state of Cuba, in the Caribbean, have created unique possibilities for the development of a sustainable transport system in its capital city, Havana. This paper reports on the outcomes of a project to identify the possibilities and priorities for a long-term strategy for equitable and sustainable mobility for Havana. This involved almost 100 participants from Cuba and the UK in the 1…
The Pleasures of Reason in Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic Hedonists
Human lives are full of pleasures and pains. And humans are creatures that are able to think: to learn, understand, remember and recall, plan and anticipate. Ancient philosophers were interested in both of these facts and, what is more, were interested in how these two facts are related to one another. There appear to be, after all, pleasures and pains associated with learning and inquiring, recollecting and anticipating. We enjoy finding somethi…
Gods and men in Xenophanes
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Politeia in Greek and Roman Philosophy
This is the first exploration of how ideas of politeia (constitution) structure both political and extra-political relations throughout the entirety of Greek and Roman philosophy, ranging from Presocratic to classical, Hellenistic, and Neoplatonic thought. A highly distinguished international team of scholars investigate topics such as the Athenian, Spartan and Platonic visions of politeia, the reshaping of Greek and Latin vocabularies of politic…
Routledge Companion to Ancient Philosophy
Comparing Lives in Plato, Laws 5
In Laws 5 (732d-734e), the Athenian argues in favour of virtuous over vicious lives on the basis that the former are preferable to the latter when we consider the pleasures and pains in each. This essay offers an interpretation of the argument which does not attribute to the Athenian an exclusively hedonist axiology. It argues for a new reading of the division of ‘types of life’ at 733c-d and suggests that the Athenian relies on the conclusion es…
Socrates And The Patients: Republic IX, 583c-585a
Republic IX 583c-585a presents something surprisingly unusual in ancient accounts of pleasure and pain: an argument in favour of the view that there are three relevant hedonic states: pleasure, pain, and an intermediate. The argument turns on the proposal that a person’s evaluation of their current state may be misled by a comparison with a prior or subsequent state. The argument also refers to ‘pure’ and anticipated pleasures. The brief remarks …
Pleasure, Plutarch's Non Posse and Plato's Republic
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Women's and men's willingness to self-disclose to therapists and friends: The moderating influence of instrumental, expressive, masculine, and feminine topics
Epicureans and the Present Past
This essay offers a reading of a difficult passage in the first book of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura in which the poet first explains the Epicurean account of time and then responds to a worry about the status of the past (1.459-82). It identifies two possible readings of the passage, one of which is compatible with the claim that the Epicureans were presentists about the past. Other evidence, particularly from Cicero De Fato, suggests that the Epi…
Lucretian Palingenesis Recycled
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Socrates And The Patients: Republic IX, 583c-585a
Republic IX 583c-585a presents something surprisingly unusual in ancient accounts of pleasure and pain: an argument in favour of the view that there are three relevant hedonic states: pleasure, pain, and an intermediate. The argument turns on the proposal that a person’s evaluation of their current state may be misled by a comparison with a prior or subsequent state. The argument also refers to ‘pure’ and anticipated pleasures. The brief remarks …
The Rangoon Jail Riot of 1930 and the Prison Administration of British Burma
The paper opens with a description of a riot that occurred in the Rangoon Central Jail in June 1930, and then considers the subsequent enquiries into its causes and into the conduct of the prison staff. It is argued that the administration of the jail was marked by arbitrary corruption and brutality, and that this was due in part to the preponderance of Indian staff. A new Indian superintendent, intent on wiping out corrupt practices, is appointe…
Democritus, the Epicureans, death, and dying
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. As you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button
Developing an equitable and sustainable mobility strategy for Havana
The particular political, economic and social conditions of the state of Cuba, in the Caribbean, have created unique possibilities for the development of a sustainable transport system in its capital city, Havana. This paper reports on the outcomes of a project to identify the possibilities and priorities for a long-term strategy for equitable and sustainable mobility for Havana. This involved almost 100 participants from Cuba and the UK in the 1…
Pleasure, Plutarch's Non Posse and Plato's Republic
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Ancient atomists on the plurality of worlds
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Lucretius, Symmetry arguments, and fearing death
This paper identifies two possible versions of the Epicurean 'Symmetry argument', both of which claim that post mortem non-existence is relevantly like prenatal non-existence and that therefore our attitude to the former should be the same as that towards the latter. One version addresses the fear of the state of being dead by making it equivalent to the state of not yet being born; the other addresses the prospective fear of dying by relating it…
Warren-Adams Letters
Women's and men's willingness to self-disclose to therapists and friends: The moderating influence of instrumental, expressive, masculine, and feminine topics
The Impact of Geographic Accessibility on the Intensity and Quality of Depression Treatment
OBJECTIVES: For depression, this research measures the impact of travel time on visit frequency and the probability of receiving treatment in concordance with AHCPR guidelines. METHODS: The medical, insurance, and pharmacy records of a community-based sample of 435 subjects with current depression were abstracted to identify those treated for depression, to determine the number of depression visits made over a 6-month period, and to ascertain whe…
Small wars and military culture
Epicurean Immortality
The study of Epicurean theology is, and has been for some time, a battleground. Great effort has been expended in the discussion of what, and how θεoι ... εισιν (Ep. Men. 123), but despite the vast majority of writing on this topic being concerned with the ontological and epistemological issues which arise from Epicurean theism, the major role played by the gods in Epicurus’ thought is ethical. They are, however they ‘are’, perfect Epicureans in …
Diogenes Epikourios: Keep taking the tablets
The Epicurean inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda is an intriguing monument. Here and in what follows, I stress its monumentality and physical form, not only because this is what ensures its uniqueness as a source for Epicurean philosophy, but also because it has not always been given due attention by those commentators who have chosen to write about Diogenes and his inscription. For example, in her recent monograph on Diogenes, Pamela Gordon har…
New Lands, Old Ties and Prostitution: A Voiceless Voice
The role of prostitution overseas in Japan's economic expansion in the Meiji-Taisho period has become the subject of historical investigation
Epicurus' dying wishes
It is now a recognised phenomenon in the study of ancient philosophy – especially of the Hellenistic period – that the various philosophical schools disseminated or fabricated stories about the life of their chosen founder which were supposed to embody the theories – especially the ethical theories – to which that school subscribed. This may be termed ‘biodoxography’: the presentation and manipulation of purportedly biographical anecdotes in orde…
Epicurus and the Pleasures of the Future
Epicurus claims that each agent should act to maximize their own pleasure, and also that this maximization should take into account the whole of a life. It does not matter when the pleasure occurs so long as over time one experiences the most pleasure possible. His view is therefore an agent-relative but time-neutral version of hedonism.
Socratic Suicide
When is it rational to commit suicide? More specifically, when is it rational for a Platonist to commit suicide, and more worryingly, is it ever not rational for a Platonist to commit suicide? If the Phaedo wants us to learn that the soul is immortal, and that philosophy is a preparation for a state better than incarnation, then why does it begin with a discussion defending the prohibition of suicide? In the course of that discussion, Socrates of…
Lucretius, Symmetry arguments, and fearing death
This paper identifies two possible versions of the Epicurean 'Symmetry argument', both of which claim that post mortem non-existence is relevantly like prenatal non-existence and that therefore our attitude to the former should be the same as that towards the latter. One version addresses the fear of the state of being dead by making it equivalent to the state of not yet being born; the other addresses the prospective fear of dying by relating it…
Lucretian Palingenesis Recycled
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Empirical Bi-Action Tables: A Tool for the Evaluation and Optimization of Text-Input Systems. Application I: Stylus Keyboards
We introduce a technique that, given any text input system A and novice user u, will predict the peak expert input speed of u on A, avoiding the costly process of actually training u to expert level. Here, peak refers to periods of ideal performance, free from hesitation, or concentration lapse and expert refers to asymptotic competence (e.g., touch typing, in the case of a two-handed keyboard). The technique is intended as a feedback mechanism i…
The Rangoon Jail Riot of 1930 and the Prison Administration of British Burma
The paper opens with a description of a riot that occurred in the Rangoon Central Jail in June 1930, and then considers the subsequent enquiries into its causes and into the conduct of the prison staff. It is argued that the administration of the jail was marked by arbitrary corruption and brutality, and that this was due in part to the preponderance of Indian staff. A new Indian superintendent, intent on wiping out corrupt practices, is appointe…
Democritus, the Epicureans, death, and dying
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. As you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button
Sextus Empiricus and the Tripartition of Time
A discussion of the arguments against the existence of time based upon its tripartition into past, present, and future found in SE M 10.197-202. It uncovers Sextus' major premises and assumptions for these arguments and, in particular, criticises his argument that the past and future do not exist because the former is no longer and the latter is not yet. It also places these arguments within the larger structure of Sextus' arguments on time in SE…
Facing Death: Epicurus and his critics
James Warren examines and evaluates the argument that death is 'nothing to us'. He sets this against modern philosophical accounts of how death can be a harm and asks whether a life free from all fear of death is an attractive option and what the consequences would be of a full acceptance of the Epicureans' views.
Ancient atomists on the plurality of worlds
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Does Improving Geographic Access to VA Primary Care Services Impact Patients' Patterns of Utilization and Costs
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been establishing community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) across the country to improve veterans' access to and use of primary care services, thereby decreasing the need for costly specialty outpatient and inpatient care. Using a quasi-experimental, pre-post study design, we examined whether the establishment of CBOCs has affected access, use, and costs for VA patients residing in their catchment are…
Psychic Disharmony: Philoponus and Epicurus on Plato’s Phaedo
Many of the Hellenistic philosophers were avid and careful readers of Platonic dialogues. Epicurus was no exception. Despite his generally hostile attitude to other philosophers (and especially to the suggestion that he might have learnt anything from them), there is good reason to think that Epicurus read and thought seriously about Platonic works. One might imagine that to any philosopher living and teaching in Athens the Platonic corpus would …
Epicureans and the Present Past
This essay offers a reading of a difficult passage in the first book of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura in which the poet first explains the Epicurean account of time and then responds to a worry about the status of the past (1.459-82). It identifies two possible readings of the passage, one of which is compatible with the claim that the Epicureans were presentists about the past. Other evidence, particularly from Cicero De Fato, suggests that the Epi…
Facing Death: Epicurus and His Critics
Anaxagoras On Perception, Pleasure, And Pain
Although he is known primarily for his thesis of universal mixture and his use of Nous as some kind of cosmogonic principle, Anaxagoras also overed more detailed accounts of various topics in natural philosophy. Like many other early natural philosophers, he gave an account of humans’ interaction with the world via the powers of perception.
The Cambridge Companion to Lucretius
Lucretius' didactic poem De rerum natura ('On the Nature of Things') is an impassioned and visionary presentation of the materialist philosophy of Epicurus, and one of the most powerful poetic texts of antiquity. After its rediscovery in 1417 it became a controversial and seminal work in successive phases of literary history, the history of science, and the Enlightenment. In this 2007 Cambridge Companion experts in the history of literature, phil…
Diogenes Laërtius, biographer of philosophy
One way to ‘organise knowledge’ is to write a history of a discipline or area of study, tracing its development from its origins to its present state. By choosing what to include and what to exclude the author of such a history delimits that area of knowledge and makes clear those figures or groups thought to have contributed to its development, and arranges them in a way which presents their relationship to one another as practitioners or inquir…
Philosophy (38 works) · Classical Philosophy and Thought (37 works) · Epistemology (34 works) · Psychology (18 works) · Art (16 works) · Classical Antiquity Studies (16 works) · History (16 works) · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies (12 works) · Literature (12 works) · Political science (12 works)