Ancient Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy

For the past forty years, most research on ancient philosophy in the English-speaking world has been shaped by the methods and style of analytic philosophy. This has sharpened our understanding of key doctrines, highlighted their philosophical relevance, and made it possible for ancient views to bear on current debates. This alliance of analytic philosophy and ancient philosophy also raises pressing methodological questions. To what extent are we allowed to supplement the claims of ancient philosophers with premises and concepts that the authors involved would not recognize? How can our understanding of the arguments of ancient philosophers profit from the study of non-argumentative aspects of their texts, like the use of myths or the dialogic form? How should we deal with texts whose standards of argument that are markedly different from our own, or which seek to promote specific forms of life, rather than establishing a specific body of truths?