Editing Thucydides (section)

== Philosophical outlook and influences ==

[[Paul Shorey]] calls Thucydides "a cynic devoid of moral sensibility".<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 144.<br>Endnote cites: Paul Shorey, “On the Implicit Ethics and Psychology of Thucydides”</ref> In addition, he notes that Thucydides conceived of [[human nature]] as strictly determined by one's physical and social environments, alongside basic desires.<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 144.</ref> [[Francis Cornford]] was more nuanced: Thucydides's political vision was informed by a tragic ethical vision, in which:
<blockquote>Man, isolated from, and opposed to, Nature, moves along a narrow path, unrelated to what lies beyond and lighted only by a few dim rays of human 'foresight'(γνώμη/''gnome''), or by the false, wandering fires of Hope. He bears within him, self-contained, his destiny in his own character: and this, with the purposes which arise out of it, shapes his course. That is all, in Thucydides' view, that we can say: except that, now and again, out of the surrounding darkness comes the blinding strokes of Fortune, unaccountable and unforeseen.'<ref>Benjamin Earley, [https://books.google.com/books?id=w6rbDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA41  ''The Thucydidean Turn: (Re)Interpreting Thucydides' Political Thought Before, During and After the Great War,'']  [[Bloomsbury Publishing]], 2020 {{isbn|978-1-350-12372-4}} pp. 40–43 [41], citing [[Francis Macdonald|F. M. Cornford Cornford]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=4BbEBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT78  ''Thucidides Mythistoricus,''] (1907) [[Routledge]] 2014 {{isbn|978-1-317-68751-1}} pp. 69–70.</ref></blockquote>

Thucydides's work indicates an influence from the teachings of the [[Sophist]]s that contributes substantially to the thinking and character of his ''History''.<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 22<br>The page itself refers to an endnote detailing that this conclusion is inspired by multiple works, including but not limited to: ''Athens as A Cultural Center'' by Martin Ostwald; ''Thucydides'' by John H. Finley; ''Intellectual Experiments of Greek Enlightenment'' by Friedrich Solmsen</ref> Possible evidence includes his skeptical ideas concerning justice and morality.<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 152.</ref> There are also elements within the ''History''—such as his views on nature revolving around the factual, empirical, and the non-anthropomorphic—which suggest that he was at least aware of the views of philosophers such as [[Anaxagoras]] and [[Democritus]]. There is also evidence of his knowledge concerning some of the corpus of Hippocratic medical writings.<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 147.</ref>

Thucydides was especially interested in the relationship between human intelligence and judgment,<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 156.</ref> fortune and necessity,<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 157.</ref> and the idea that history is too irrational and incalculable to predict.<ref>[[Zagorin, Perez]]. ''Thucydides.'' (Princeton University Press, 2015), p. 160.</ref>