The Shift in Research Priorities of the Later Greek Philosophy

Abstract

The later Greek philosophy existed during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. These philosophical thoughts saw new changes in a new social history context, and this change was mainly manifested in the decline of natural philosophy and its ethical overtones. This paper explores the specific reasons for this shift, starting from its social roots. The paper provides an in-depth analysis of the manifestations of ethicalisation by taking the philosophy of Epicureanism and Stoicism as examples to deepen the reader s understanding of this general trend and explicitly analyses the differences and commonalities between different schools of the ethical philosophy. The paper also explores the academic values and historical influences of the later Greek philosophy in the long history of philosophy. The author argues that interpreting the causes and significance of the shifts in philosophy will not only help to sort out the development of Western philosophy, but also bring inspiration and significance to the development of philosophy today.