This volume investigates central metaphysical and ethical questions in ancient Greek thought through the lens of specific dialogues and treatises by Plato and Aristotle. The editors, Julia E. Annas and Robert H. Grimm, compile scholarly proceedings from the 1986 Oberlin Colloquium on Ancient Philosophy. The text presents rigorous analytical arguments regarding the nature of being, the structure of virtue, and the mechanics of ancient logic and political theory.

Experts recognize this volume as a significant record of mid-1980s academic discourse on classical metaphysics and ethics. Readers frequently note the high level of technical density, making it a resource primarily intended for scholars and advanced students of ancient philosophy.