Plato's Philosophy of Science

349 Pages·2001·40.217 MB·English

by  Andrew Gregory

Plato's Philosophy of Science
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Plato's
Philosophy of
Science
Andrew Gregory
Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Pic
B L O O M S B U RY
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Bloomsbury Academic
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BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks
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First published in 2001 by
Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.
© Andrew Gregory, 2000
Andrew Gregory has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
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acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this
publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: HB: 978-0-7156-2987-1
ePDF: 978-1-4725-0237-7
ePub: 978-1-4725-0238-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Typeset by Ray Davies
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
I The development of Plato's views 3
II Why teleology? 5
III Plato and scientific realism 8
IV Observation and experiment 10
V Geometrical atomism 13
1. Cosmology, Cosmogony and Teleology 17
I Plato and modern cosmology 17
II The chaos of the elements 22
III Chaos and cosmogony 24
IV Atomists, physiologoi and cosmoi 26
V Recurring cosmological problems 30
VI Biology and zoogony 34
VII Empedocles 37
VIII The shapes and sizes of atoms 39
IX A teleological cosmos vs. multiple entities 42
X Cosmological reasons for teleology 45
2. Astronomy, Observation and Experiment 48
I Two worlds and investigation 49
II The dynamics of investigation 51
III Vlastos on investigation 53
IV Doing astronomy and teaching astronomy 55
V 'Real'astronomy 58
VI The Republic and other works 61
VII Celestial motion in the Republic 64
VIII Timaeus 68b-d 67
IX Plato and experiment 70
vi Contents
3. Meno's Paradox and Underdetermination 74
I The modern underdetermination problem 75
II The Duhem-Quine thesis 78
III Meno's paradox 80
IV Socrates' autobiography 82
V Teleology and the Phaedo 85
VI Healthy hypotheses 87
VII Teleology and epistemology 90
VIII Duhem and instrumentalism 93
IX Saving the phenomena 97
4. Celestial Motion in the Timaeus 101
I Disorderly and degenerating cosmologies 101
II The myth of the Politicus 103
III Celestial motion in the Timaeus 105
IV Celestial motion in later Plato 109
V The Politicus myth and the Timaeus 111
VI Reason and necessity 113
VII Implications for causation 115
VIII Political, social and moral decline 118
IX The implications of a stable cosmology 121
5. Plato and the Development of Greek Astronomy 124
I The Republic and the myth of Er 125
II The Timaeus model 128
III Retrogression and deviation in latitude 131
IV Venus, Mercury and the contrary power 136
V Eclipses and occlusions 139
VI Variations in planetary velocity and distance 145
VII Prototype or finished article? 148
VIII The astronomical and cosmological traditions 153
IX Plato and Eudoxus 155
X Meno's paradox and astronomy 157
6. Plato and the Development of Greek Cosmology 159
I Plato and the Presocratics 160
II Plato and geocentrism 162
III The Greeks and geocentrism 164
IV The animate heavens 167
V Nomological realism 170
VI Civil law and physical law 173
Contents vii
VII Analogues for physical processes 175
VIII Plato and subsequent astronomy 178
IX Plato and subsequent cosmology 183
7. Geometrical Atomism - Flux and Language 187
I The receptacle and language 188
II Some paradoxes 191
III Geometrical atomism 194
IV Letters, syllables and triangles 196
V The evidence of Aristotle 200
VI The ageing process 203
VII The gold example 205
VIII Geometrical atomism and Socrates' dream 208
IX Geometrical atomism and language 210
8. Geometrical Atomism - Matter and Space 214
I The receptacle and metaphors 215
II The Timaeus and empty space 217
III Material metaphors 218
IV Spatial metaphors 221
V The receptacle and qualities 223
VI Perception in the Timaeus and Theaetetus 227
VII The evidence of Aristotle 229
VIII Plato, Democritus and Descartes 231
IX Teleology and bonding 235
X The significance of geometrical atomism 238
9. Epistemology in the Timaeus and Philebus 241
I World soul and human souls 242
II Souls and common concepts 245
III Souls and epistemology 247
IV Timaeus 27c-29d and two worlds (TW) theory 250
V Two worlds and stability 253
VI Writing and paidia 255
VII Plato and myth 258
VIII Interpreting the Timaeus 259
IX The Philebus and divine cosmology 262
viii Contents
10. Conclusion 265
I The role of empirical work 265
II Plato as a scientific (proto-)realist 266
III Reasons for teleology 267
IV The aims of the investigation of nature 269
V Plato's developing philosophy of science 270
VI Criticisms of the atomists and physiologoi 271
VII Plato relative to the atomists and physiologoi 273
VIII Plato's philosophy of science 274
Notes 275
Bibliography 307
Index Locorum 325
Index of Names 330
General Index 332
Acknowledgements
A book always owes a great many debts of gratitude, so let me begin with
a blanket thank you to all those with whom I have discussed Plato and
ancient science over the past few years. Special thanks are due to Bob
Sharpies, Verity Harte, M.M. McCabe and Hasok Chang who have all
read, commented on, and discussed parts of this book. I would also like to
thank the ancient philosophy reading group at KCL, and audiences to
whom I have given papers, especially at the Institute of Classical Studies
and at UCL.
On the technical side, Amanda dos Santos has done sterling work in
preparing many of the diagrams. I would also like to thank Deborah Blake
and Ray Davies at Duckworth for their patience and efficiency in prepar­
ing the book for production.
Last, but by no means least, I would like to thank Sheelagh Doherty for
her support and patience during the long process of writing this book.
Without her, and those mentioned above, this would have been a poorer
effort.
Department of Science and Technology Studies Andrew Gregory
University College London
December 2000