Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-194) and indexes.

Preliminary material / GERD VAN RIEL -- INTRODUCTION / GERD VAN RIEL -- TWO PARADIGMS: PLATO AND ARISTOTLE / GERD VAN RIEL -- EXCURSUS: EPICUREANS AND STOICS / GERD VAN RIEL -- THE STANDARD NEOPLATONIC THEORY: PLOTINUS AND PROCLUS / GERD VAN RIEL -- A DIFFERENT VIEW: DAMASCIUS' COMMENTARY ON THE PHILEBUS / GERD VAN RIEL -- CONCLUSION / GERD VAN RIEL -- BIBLIOGRAPHY / GERD VAN RIEL -- Index rerum / GERD VAN RIEL -- Index locorum / GERD VAN RIEL -- Index nominum / GERD VAN RIEL -- PHILOSOPHIA ANTIQUA / J. MANSFELD , D.T. RUNIA and J.C.M. VAN WINDEN.

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This volume deals with the general theory of pleasure of Plato and his successors. The first part describes the two paradigms between which all theories of pleasure oscillate: Plato's definition of pleasure as the repletion of a lack, and Aristotle's view that pleasure is the perfect performance of an activity. After an excursus on Epicureans and Stoics, the book concentrates on Neoplatonism, opposing the 'standard Neoplatonic view' of Plotinus and Proclus to the original viewpoint of Damascius' commentary on Plato's Philebus . The volume sheds light on the discussion between hedonists and anti-hedonists, by concentrating on the 'crucial point' at which any philosophical analysis of the good life (hedonistic or other) ought to argue that the life of the philosopher is the most desirable, and thus truly pleasurable, life.