Adam Beresford

I am currently working on Aristotle’s Ethics and Plato’s middle dialogues. My central interest is in the ancient debate over the basis of ethics (or of normativity), in the course of which naturalistic and humanistic ideas competed with Plato and his theistic predecessors and successors. (I see Aristotle as having a foot in both camps.) I am also interested in Darwinian theory, especially evolutionary psychology, and in applying it to our readings of ancient philosophy. Consequently I reject the widespread view that Greek ethical ideas were fundamentally different from our own. That has a bearing on my interest in translation. I am also investigating connections between Stoicism and very early Christianity. I maintain a strong side interest in Greek and Latin philology, and Classical history and literature.

Selected Publications

Plato, Protagoras and Meno, Penguin Books, 2005
Nobody’s Perfect: a new text and interpretation of Simonides PMG 542, forthcoming in Classical Philology

Courses Taught

Plato, Aristotle, Ancient Philosophy, Hellenistic Philosophy, Introduction to Philosophy

Webpage

Contact Information

Office: Wheatley 05-008
Phone: 617-287-6539
Email: adam.beresford@umb.edu