David Machek

I am a philosopher with interests in ancient philosophy. In my academic work, I research both Greco-Roman and Chinese thought, pleading for a global perspective on philosophy of the ancient world. 

My recent monograph (The Life Worth Living in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, CUP 2023) discusses philosophical views about the value of human life, with special interest in lives that are less than good.  Here is a non-academic summary of the book for the Psyche magazine, and here a recent academic review. 

My current book project, under contract with Bloomsbury Press, is a comparative study of Greek and Chinese theories of ethical self-cultivation. 

In September 2023, I have started as a Principal Investigator of "Role-Ethics in Ancient and Contemporary Philosophy" project at Charles University in Prague.

A current CV is here. For drafts of my academic publications, please check my PhilPeople profile, or get in touch at david.machek@unibe.ch.