Doxography

/dɒkˈsɒɡrəfi/ noun

Definition

The tradition or practice of recording and summarizing the doctrines and opinions of philosophers.

Etymology

From Greek 'doxa' (opinion) plus '-graphy' (writing), literally the 'writing of opinions'—a field that systematically documented what ancient philosophers believed.

Kelly Says

Without doxography, we'd barely know anything about ancient Greek philosophers—most of their original works are lost, so we rely on these compilations, which is both fortunate and frustrating for historians.

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