I have attempted here to present a serviceable sketch of Greek philosophy from its beginnings in Ionia to its decline under the Roman empire, allowing the philosophers so far as possible to speak for themselves. The subject is vast, and the reader should not forget that what is provided here is no more than a sketch.
I have given a good deal of space to Plato and Aristotle, but their work is so pre-eminent both in scale and in value that I should like to explain why I have not given them more. The reason is that they are the subjects of separate volumes in this series, in which the treatment of their thought can properly be expanded beyond the limits of the present work.
In the writing of this book I have been aided more than I can say by the advice, guidance and practical help of my friend Mr. Geoffrey Warnock, of Magdalen College, Ox-ford. If there are any merits in the work, then he is entitled to his full share of credit. As for the defects, they, poor things, are my own.