Author Description

The problem of free will, human responsibility, and determinism is one that has fascinated philosophers and laymen alike from antiquity to the present day, and which is far from settled yet. The treatise To the Emperors on Fate and Responsibility by Alexander of Aphrodisias (c. 200 AD) is perhaps the most comprehensive discussion of this complex issue surviving from antiquity. After an introduction outlining the earlier history of the problem, it is here presented in a new English translation with a detailed commentary; a Greek text and an updated critical apparatus. Also included are a number of shorter discussions dealing with related topics selected from the body of writings attributed to Alexander.