Originally published in 1967. Ludwig Edelstein characterizes the idea of "progress" in Greek and Roman times. He analyzes the ancients' belief in "a tendency inherent in nature or in man to pass through a regular sequence of stages of development in past, present, and future, the latter stages being—with perhaps occasional retardations or minor regressions—superior to the earlier." Edelstein's contemporaries asserted that the Greeks and Romans were entirely ignorant of a belief in progress in this sense of (...) the term. In arguing against this dominant thesis, Edelstein draws from the conclusions of scholars of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and discusses ideas of Auguste Comte and Wilhelm Dilthey. (shrink)

Largely in consequence of the acceptance of the Seventh Letter, there has even arisen a new concept of Plato, the man, and of his work....

This article takes some first steps towards the establishment of the intellectual biography of the medical historian, classicist, and moral philosopher Ludwig Edelstein . Based on scattered archival records, it sheds light on Edelstein's early career in Germany, the decisions he was forced to make in 1933 when he left Germany and the events that led to his appointment as associate professor at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University in the autumn of 1934. The representative nature of Edelstein's (...) case will be highlighted in terms of both the history of exile and the history of the academic disciplines involved ; in doing so, the article attempts to reinscribe Edelstein's achievements and influence back into their respective discourses. (shrink)

Ludwig Edelstein is well-known for his work on the history of anceint medicine and ancient philosophy, and to both of these areas he made contributions of primary importance. This collection, originally published in 1987, makes avaialable Edelstein’s main papers to scholars and students, and includes papers from 1931-1965.