How were the aims of philosophy and the responsibilities of philosophers conceived in ancient Greece and China? How were the learned elite recruited and controlled; how were their speculations and advice influenced by the different types of audiences they faced and the institutions in which they worked? How was a yearning for invulnerability reconciled with a sense of human frailty? In each chapter of this fascinating analysis ancient Greek and Chinese ideas and practices are used as a basis for critical reflections on the predicaments we continue to face today, with a particular focus on the key Greek ideas of the equal participation of all citizens in the political process, and on the key Chinese one of a dedication to the ideal of the welfare of all under heaven

Sir Geoffrey Lloyd is Emeritus Professor of Ancient Philosophy and Science, University of Cambridge. He is the author of 16 books, the most recent of which are Ambitions of Curiosity (2002), The Way and the Word (2002), Greek Thought (edited with J. Brunschwig, 2003), In the Grip of Disease (2003) and Ancient Worlds Modern Reflections (2003).