Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog

News and views about philosophy, the academic profession, academic freedom, intellectual culture, and other topics. The world’s most popular philosophy blog, since 2003.

  1. Fool's avatar
  2. Santa Monica's avatar
  3. Charles Bakker's avatar
  4. Matty Silverstein's avatar
  5. Jason's avatar
  6. Nathan Meyvis's avatar
  7. Stefan Sciaraffa's avatar

    The McMaster Department of Philosophy has now put together the following notice commemorating Barry: Barry Allen: A Philosophical Life Barry…

The best post-WWII Anglophone scholars of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy: the poll results and discussion

Brian Leiter

So with 300 votes cast in our latest poll, here are the results

1. Myles Burnyeat  (Condorcet winner: wins contests with all other choices)
2. Gregory Vlastos  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 106–102
3. Terence H. Irwin  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 145–60, loses to Gregory Vlastos by 134–52
4. Michael Frede  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 117–70, loses to Terence H. Irwin by 93–84
5. Jonathan Barnes  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 130–62, loses to Michael Frede by 114–67
6. G.E.L. Owen  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 141–38, loses to Jonathan Barnes by 107–64
7. Julia Annas  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 157–47, loses to G.E.L. Owen by 96–78
8. John M. Cooper  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 158–34, loses to Julia Annas by 106–71
9. Richard Sorabji  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 165–34, loses to John M. Cooper by 97–76
10. David N. Sedley  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 166–18, loses to Richard Sorabji by 83–78
11. Sarah Waterlow Broadie  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 167–31, loses to David N. Sedley by 101–63
12. J.L. Ackrill  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 157–30, loses to Sarah Waterlow Broadie by 93–63
13. Richard H. Kraut  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 165–23, loses to J.L. Ackrill by 96–50
14. Martha C. Nussbaum  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 170–40, loses to Richard H. Kraut by 76–75
15. Gisela Striker  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 173–12, loses to Martha C. Nussbaum by 96–60
16. Gail Fine  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 173–19, loses to Gisela Striker by 80–49
17. Alan Code  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 171–14, loses to Gail Fine by 81–46
18. Anthony A. Long  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 173–13, loses to Alan Code by 73–56
19. Malcolm Schofield  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 176–12, loses to Anthony A. Long by 68–56
20. Charles Kahn  loses to Myles Burnyeat by 170–16, loses to Malcolm Schofield by 74–48

Note some omissions from the poll noted in the prior thread.

Putting aside the ordinal ranking, the top ten mostly makes sense.  I was astonished that Guthrie was not in the top 20.  I was also astonished that Code was not in the top ten.  In any case, comments are open for discussion. 

Leave a Reply to Matthew Kramer Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

7 responses to “The best post-WWII Anglophone scholars of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy: the poll results and discussion”

  1. Blinn Combs

    That Cherniss didn't make the top five is a disgrace.

    Reply
  2. lowly grad student

    Stephen Menn seems to me a significant omission, although I have no idea whether or not he would have made the top 20.

    BL COMMENT: I do not believe he is over 60, which was the age cut-off for living scholars.

    Reply
  3. James C. Klagge

    I think Brickhouse & Smith, as a team, could have been in the top 20.

    Reply
  4. Matthew Kramer

    Was Geoffrey Kirk included in the poll? If so, I'm baffled that he did not finish among the top 20.

    BL COMMENT: He was not, and could have been–though in general those working on the Presocratic figures and/or working on philosophy and literature in the ancient world did not fare as well here.

    Reply
  5. Phil Horky

    Just a bit surprised to read Brian's comment that "in general those working on the Presocratic figures and/or working on philosophy and literature in the ancient world did not fare as well here". Among the 'top 20', figures who have done significant work on Presocratics and/or philosophy and literature include: Barnes, Broadie, Burnyeat, Frede, Kahn, Long, Nussbaum, Owen, Sedley, Schofield, and Vlastos. That's 11 of the 'top 20' (and it's very likely that cases could be made for some others in the 'top 20' along the same lines).

    BL COMMENT: I probably wasn't too clear, sorry. The folks you mention are all pretty squarely philosophers, working in a mode familiar to philosophers (there are perhaps two exceptions in the top 20). Look at who is outside the top 20, and you'll see what I mean, about work on the Presocratics being undervalued. Almost everyone you note did not work *primarily* on the Presocratics, unles I'm mistaken.

    Reply
  6. Russell Blackford

    I share the astonishment about Guthrie.

    Reply
  7. a student

    I think Thomas Robinson should also be included in the poll.

    —–
    KEYWORDS:
    Primary Blog

    Reply

Designed with WordPress