Presentation
The republication of Jean Brun’s “Que sais-je?” volumes devoted to Greek philosophy pays tribute to a major editorial achievement and makes available once again a set of classic syntheses that combine pedagogical clarity, scholarly rigor, and a vivid philosophical interpretation. From the Presocratics to Neoplatonism, including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Stoicism, and Epicureanism, these works go beyond simple introductions to offer a reading of ancient thought that is both rigorous and existential. Brun became professor at the University of Dijon in 1961 and developed a prolific body of work marked by his engagement with Kierkegaard and his critical reflection on modernity. Influenced by Kierkegaard, Pascal, and existential thinkers, he viewed philosophy not merely as a system of arguments but as an inner experience shaped by anxiety, finitude, and the quest for the absolute. His volumes on antiquity, written with remarkable concision and pedagogical skill, renewed the interpretation of Greek philosophers by highlighting their existential and metaphysical depth. For Jean Brun, ancient philosophy was neither an antiquarian relic nor an anachronistic object of study, but a living testimony to the human condition whose questions remain essential for understanding the limits and illusions of modernity.