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Platonist Philosophy 80 BC to Ad 250: An Introduction and Collection of Sources in Translation PDF

664 Pages·2017·4.17 MB·English
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PLATONIST PHILOSOPHY 80 bc to ad 250 AnIntroductionandCollectionof SourcesinTranslation ‘Middle’Platonismhassomeclaimtobethesinglemostinfluential philosophical movement of the last two thousand years, as the common background to ‘Neoplatonism’ and the early develop- ment of Christian theology. This book breaks with the tradition ofconsideringitprimarilyintermsofitssources,insteadputtingits contemporary philosophical engagements front and centre to reconstruct its philosophical motivations and activity across the fullrangeofitsinterests.Thevolumeexplorestheideasattheheart of Platonist philosophy in this period and includes a comprehen- sive selection of primary sources, a significant number of which appear in English translation for the first time, along with dedi- catedguidestothequestionsthathavebeen,andmightbe,asked aboutthemovement.Theresultisatoolintendedtohelpbringthe studyofMiddlePlatonismintomainstreamdiscussionsofancient philosophy. George Boys-Stones is Professor of Ancient Philosophy at Durham University and has published widely on Middle Platonism among other topics. He is co-editor of The Platonic Art of Philosophy (Cambridge, 2013) and author of Post-Hellenistic Philosophy (2001), whichlaidthegroundworkforthisvolume. cambridge source books in post-hellenistic philosophy Previoustitlesintheseries: PeripateticPhilosophy200bc toad 200:AnIntroductionand CollectionofSourcesinTranslation robert w. sharples 9780521884808(HB)/9780521711852(PB) PLATONIST PHILOSOPHY 80 bc to ad 250 An Introduction and Collection of Sources in Translation - GEORGE BOYS STONES DurhamUniversity UniversityPrintingHouse,Cambridgecb28bs,UnitedKingdom OneLibertyPlaza,20thFloor,NewYork,ny10006,USA 477WilliamstownRoad,PortMelbourne,vic3207,Australia 314–321,3rdFloor,Plot3,SplendorForum,JasolaDistrictCentre, NewDelhi–110025,India 79AnsonRoad,#06–04/06,Singapore079906 CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge. ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof education,learning,andresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence. www.cambridge.org Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9780521838580 doi:10.1017/9781139050203 ©CambridgeUniversityPress2018 Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements, noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress. Firstpublished2018 PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyClays,StIvesplc AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData names:Boys-Stones,G.R.,author,translator,compiler. title:Platonistphilosophy80BCtoAD250:anintroductionandcollectionofsources intranslation/GeorgeBoys–Stones,UniversityofDurham. description:NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2018.|Includesbibliographical referencesandindexes. identifiers:lccn2017019549|isbn9780521838580 subjects:lcsh:Platonists–Sources.|Churchhistory–Primitiveandearlychurch, ca.30–600–Sources classification:lccb517.b6792018|ddc184–dc23 LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2017019549 isbn978-0-521-83858-0Hardback CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof URLsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain, accurateorappropriate. Contents Acknowledgements pagexii ListofAbbreviations xiii Introduction:StudyingMiddlePlatonism 1 0.1 Post-HellenisticPhilosophy 1 0.2 MiddlePlatonismasaNewMovement 2 0.2.1 RootsintheLaterAcademy...? 2 0.2.2 …orPartofa‘PerennialTradition’? 4 0.3 DramatisPersonae 6 0.4 UsingthisVolume 10 0.4.1 CommentaryandNotes 10 0.4.2 TheTexts 11 0.4.3 AllusionstoPlato(andOthers) 12 NotesandFurtherReading 12 1 Plato’sAuthorityandtheHistoryofPhilosophy 24 1.1 PlatoasanAuthority 24 1.2 PlatoandtheHistoryofPhilosophy 26 1.2.1 DisagreeingwithPlato 26 1.2.2 MethodologicalImplications 28 1.2.3 Non-exclusiveAuthority 30 1.2.4 Plato’sSources 31 NotesandFurtherReading 33 Texts 38 2 MakingSenseoftheDialogues 50 2.1 CacophonytoPolyphony 50 2.2 ExegeticalPrinciples 51 2.2.1 SourcesforPlato’sViews 51 2.2.2 CriticalAxioms 52 v vi Contents 2.2.3 TextualCriticism 53 2.2.4 LiteraryCriticism 54 2.3 OrganisingtheDialogues 55 2.4 ReadingPractice 56 NotesandFurtherReading 57 Texts 68 i cosmology 81 3 CausalPrinciplesforaNon-materialistCosmology 83 3.1 AReturntoNon-materialCauses 83 3.2 TheLimitsofMaterialism 83 3.3 MattervsBody,andtheEfficacyoftheNon-material 86 NotesandFurtherReading 88 Texts 92 4 TheDebateoverMatterandtheProblemofEvil 103 4.1 SoWhatIsMatter? 103 4.1.1 Model1:SomethingandNothing.Eudorus,Moderatus andOthers 103 4.1.2 Model2:PureReceptivity?E.g.Dercyllides,Alcinous, Maximus 105 4.1.3 Model3:RawMobility.E.g.Plutarch,Atticus, Numenius 106 4.2 TheProblemofEvil 107 4.3 The‘Suitability’ofMatterforForm 109 NotesandFurtherReading 111 Texts 117 5 ParadigmForms 125 5.1 Introduction 125 5.2 TheNeedforTranscendentForms 125 5.2.1 TheChallenge 125 5.2.2 TheResponse 126 5.3 PuzzlesabouttheForms 127 5.3.1 TheThirdMan 128 5.3.2 TheScopeofForms 130 NotesandFurtherReading 133 Texts 138 Contents vii 6 TheCreatorGod 147 6.1 Introduction 147 6.2 DescriptionsofGod 148 6.2.1 GodasOne/Good/Beauty 148 6.2.2 GodasIntellect 149 6.3 God’sRelationshiptothe(Other)Forms 150 6.3.1 Position1:FormsPriortoGod? 150 6.3.2 Position2:FormsContainedinGod?(E.g.Alcinous) 151 6.3.3 Position3:FormsPosteriortoGod? 152 6.3.3.1 Plutarch,AtticusandOthers 153 6.3.3.2 Longinus 154 6.3.3.3 FormsastheLifeofGod 155 6.3.4 Position4:FormsPosteriortoOneGodandContained inAnother(e.g.Numenius) 156 6.3.5 PhiloofAlexandria 158 6.4 GodandReligion 160 NotesandFurtherReading 160 Texts 169 7 TheoriesofCreation 184 7.1 Introduction 184 7.2 CreatedTime 184 7.3 Creation 186 7.3.1 TheCaseforSempiternalism 186 7.3.2 TheCaseforTemporalCreation 187 7.3.3 TemporalCreationandPre-Cosmic‘Time’ 190 7.4 CreationandProvidence 191 7.5 ElementsofaCosmos 192 7.5.1 ElementsandQualities 193 7.5.2 ‘NaturalPlace’,andMorethanOneCosmos? 194 NotesandFurtherReading 195 Texts 198 8 WorldSoulandNature 212 8.1 Introduction 212 8.2 WorldSoulasDistributoryMechanism 213 8.3 WorldSoulandCosmicMovement 215 8.4 WorldSoulExtendsthroughtheCosmosbutGoverns fromtheHeavens 217 8.5 TheConstitutionoftheWorldSoul 218 viii Contents 8.5.1 MathematicalSubstance 218 8.5.1.1 Arithmetical 218 8.5.1.2 Geometrical 219 8.5.2 PhysicalSubstance 220 8.5.2.1 ProblemswiththeMathematicalTheories 220 8.5.2.2 Plutarch 220 8.5.2.2.1 FormsandWorldSoul 221 8.5.2.2.2 FormsintheWorldSoulAreUniversals 222 8.5.3 TheCaseofNumenius 224 NotesandFurtherReading 226 Excursus:DefiningNaturalSpecies 231 NotesandFurtherReading 234 Texts 237 9 IndividualSoulsandTheirFaculties 250 9.1 Introduction 250 9.2 TheRoleofIndividualSoul 251 9.2.1 TheSoulasCosmologicalInstrument 251 9.2.2 AutonomousAgency:ATeleologicalImperative 252 9.2.3 Composition 253 9.3 IndividualSoulandCognitiveActivity 256 9.3.1 PerceptionandMemory 256 9.3.2 Reason 257 9.4 IndividualSoulandPracticalAction 258 9.5 EmbodimentoftheSoul:CountingItsParts 260 9.6 Immortality 262 NotesandFurtherReading 263 Texts 268 10 LivingBeings:Gods,Daimons,Humans,Animals,Plants 288 10.1 Introduction 288 10.2 ACosmosFullofLife 288 10.2.1 Typology 288 10.2.2 CelestialGods 289 10.2.3 Daimons 291 10.2.4 AnimalsAquaticandTerrestrial 292 10.2.5 Plants 293 10.3 Descent 294 NotesandFurtherReading 295 Texts 301

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'Middle' Platonism has some claim to be the single most influential philosophical movement of the last two thousand years, as the common background to 'Neoplatonism' and the early development of Christian theology. This book breaks with the tradition of considering it primarily in terms of its sourc
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