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Traditions of Theology Philosophia Antiqua a Series of Studies on Ancient Philosophy Founded by J.H TRADITIONS OF THEOLOGY PHILOSOPHIA ANTIQUA A SERIES OF STUDIES ON ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY FOUNDED BY J.H. WASZINK† AND W.J. VERDENIUS† EDITED BY J. MANSFELD, D.T. RUNIA J.C.M. VAN WINDEN VOLUME LXXXIX DOROTHEA FREDE and ANDRÉ LAKS (eds.) TRADITIONS OF THEOLOGY TRADITIONS OF THEOLOGY STUDIES IN HELLENISTIC THEOLOGY, ITS BACKGROUND AND AFTERMATH EDITED BY DOROTHEA FREDE and ANDRÉ LAKS (eds.) BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON • KÖLN 2002 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Traditions of theology : studies in Hellenistic theology : its background and aftermath / edited by D. Frede and A. Laks. p cm.—(Philosophia antiqua, ISSN 0079-1687; v. 89) Papers presented at the 8th Symposium Hellenisticum, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, 1998. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004122648 (alk. paper) 1. Philosophy, Ancient—Congresses. 2. Theology—Congresses. 3. God (Greek religion)—Congresses. I. Frede, Dorothea, 1941- II. Laks, André. III. Symposium Hellenisticum (8th : 1998 : Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France) IV. Series. B187.T5 T73 2001 210’.938—dc21 2001043098 CIP Die Deutsche Bibliothek – CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Traditions of theology : studies in Hellenistic theology, its background and aftermath / ed. by D. Frede and A. Laks. – Leiden ; Boston ; Köln : Brill, 2001 (Philosophia antiqua ; Vol. 89) ISBN 90–04–12264–8 ISSN 0079-1687 ISBN 90 04 12264 8 © Copyright 2002 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands CONTENTS Introduction, Dorothea Frede et André Laks ..................................... vii Aristotelian Theology after Aristotle, Robert Sharples ................... 1 The Origins of Stoic God, David Sedley ......................................... 41 Theodicy and Providential Care in Stoicism, Dorothea Frede ....... 85 God and Human Knowledge in Seneca’s Natural Questions, Brad Inwood ......................................................................... 119 Epicurus as deus mortalis. Homoiosis theoi and Epicurean Self- cultivation, Michael Erler ........................................................... 159 ‘All Gods are True’ in Epicurus, Dirk Obbink ............................... 183 Plutarch and God: Theodicy and Cosmogony in the Thought of Plutarch, John Dillon .................................................................. 223 Sesto Empirico e l’astrologia, Emidio Spinelli ............................... 239 The beginnings of the end: Philo of Alexandria and Hellenistic Theology, David Runia ............................................................. 281 Indexes compiled by S. Fazzo and A. Laks Index Nominum ....................................................................... 317 Index Rerum............................................................................. 321 Index Locorum......................................................................... 325 INTRODUCTION D. Frede et A. Laks Le 8e Symposium Hellenisticum s’est tenu à la Maison de la Recherche de l’Université Charles de Gaulle-Lille 3, à Villeneuve d’Ascq, les 24– 29 Août 1998. Le financement en a été rendu possible grâce à des subventions du CNRS, du Ministère de l’Education nationale, et du Centre de Recherche Philologique de Université de Lille III (compo- sante de l’UMR 8519, “Savoirs et Textes”). Que ces institutions soient vivement remerciées de leur soutien. Christine Samain, avec sa gentillesse coutumière, s’est occupée du suivi administratifs des dossiers. Elisa Bozzelli a efficacement aidé à l’organisation matérielle du colloque. Participaient aux travaux: Keimpe Algra (Utrecht), Jean-François Balaudé (Paris), Julia Annas (University of Arizona), Bernard Besnier (ENS Saint-Cloud), Suzanne Bobzien (Oxford), Tad Brennan (Yale), Charles Brittain (Cornell), John Dillon (Dublin), Tiziano Dorandi (CNRS, Paris), Michael Erler (Erlangen), Dorothea Frede (Hambourg), Michael Frede (Oxford), Alain Gigandet (Paris XII), Brad Inwood (Toronto), André Laks (Lille), Carlos Lévy (Paris XII), Antony Long (Berkeley), Dirk Obbink (Oxford), René Piettre (EHESS, Paris), David Runia (Leiden), Malcolm Schofield (Cam- bridge), David Sedley (Cambridge), Robert Sharples (Londres), Teun Tieleman (Utrecht), Richard Sorabji (Londres), Emidio Spinelli (Rome), Steven White (Austin). Le présent volume réunit neuf des dix contributions qui furent présentées lors de ces journées. Conformément à une pratique bien établie, elles ont été révisées par les auteurs à la lumière des dis- cussions et de la relecture d’un des participants. Jaap Mansfeld, dans sa fonction de directeur de la collection Philosophia Antiqua, a également revu l’ensemble des articles qui lui étaient soumis pour publication. Nous lui en sommes très reconnaissants. ***** Le relation entre philosophie et théologie, au sein de la tradition occidentale, est loin d’avoir toujours été sereine. Ceci est certaine- viii d. frede et a. laks ment vrai du mariage agité entre philosophie ancienne et religion chrétienne. L’image de la philosophie comme “servante de la théo- logie” était censée régler, au Moyen-Age, le conflit hérité de l’Anti- quité tardive et de la tradition arabe. Mais les philosophes furent loin de toujours s’y plier. Selon la spirituelle suggestion de Kant, la servante devait précèder sa maîtresse pour l’éclairer, plutôt que de porter sa traîne ; ce renversement préludait à la séparation des disciplines, qui règne depuis. Cette querelle de préséance est inconnue en Grèce ancienne. La philosophie apparaît plutôt comme une parente que comme une servante de la théologie. A l’époche archaïque, on ne peut évidem- ment parler de théologie, conçue en tant que discipline systématique. La vie religieuse s’alimente à une multitude de traditions mytholo- giques et de cultes qui ne se réfèrent à aucune autorité théologique, texte sacré, ou doctrine arrêtée. Le caractère non théorique de la religion grecque explique que, en dépit de tensions incontestables entre les premiers philosophes d’une part, les croyances et les pra- tiques de l’autre, le régime fut plutôt celui d’une tolérance mutuelle. Les choses changèrent au Ve siècle, avec la remise en cause des formes de vie traditionnelle de la société grecque et la critique des fondements de la moralité populaire, ches les Sophistes et Socrate. Ce n’est donc pas par hasard si Platon fut le premier à forger le terme de “théologie” (yeolog¤a) pour désigner les opinions philoso- phiquement justifiables à propos des dieux, par opposition à ce qu’il tenait pour des récits moralement nocifs (R. 379a). Aristote devait user plus librement du mot “théologien” (yeolÒgow) à propos d’au- teurs comme Hésiode ou Orphée ; mais c’est aussi lui qui introduisit l’expression yeologikØ filosof¤a (“la philosophie théologique”) pour désigner techniquement la partie de la métaphysique qui s’in- téresse aux premiers principes de l’univers. Pourtant, si la “théologie” devait désormais jouer un rôle à part entière au sein de la philo- sophie, tant en physique qu’en métaphysique, ni Platon, ni Aristote, ni aucun de leurs successeurs ne prétendirent subordonner les croyances communes à l’autorité de la philosophie. Cette attitude ne résulte pas de la simple prudence ou de la précaution. Le désaccord entre les philosophes eux-mêmes était aussi trop grand pour permettre une telle subordination. En absence de toute orthodoxie, les essais de Platon et d’Aristote d’accommoder les croyances ordinaires à leurs positions théoriques non seulement diffèrent entre eux, mais varient d’un ouvrage à l’autre, en fonction du contexte. introduction ix A l’époque hellénistique, la discussion des problèmes théologiques devait s’intensifier et se diversifier. Les nouvelles écoles épicuriennes et stoïciennes en partie maintinrent, en partie remirent en question les principes théologiques de leurs prédécesseurs. La même chose vaut pour leur attitude envers la religion commune. Le souci d’attirer des adhérents provenant de toutes les couches de la société explique que les Epicuriens et les Stoïciens aient été encore plus disposés que Platon et Aristote à faire place à la religion traditionnelle dans leurs enseignements. Mais la tentative des nouveaux venus de donner un sens aux croyances communes ne peut pas être traitée comme le simple effet du prosélytisme. Chacune des deux écoles soutenant une philosophie de la nature différente, il leur incombait de rendre compte de ce qu’elles considéraient comme des éléments divins au sein du monde naturel. Les débats théologiques entre philosophies rivales sont par ailleurs caractérisés à l’époque hellénistique par une standardisation des questions posées et des réponses données. Bien que nous ne sachions que très peu de choses sur le développement des écoles au début de la période hellénistique, la compétition à la- quelle elles se livraient semble avoir fortement contribué à ce proces- sus. Chaque école se devait de développer une stratégie pour traiter une série de questions-types telles que : “les dieux existent-ils ?”, “quelle est leur nature” ? “se préoccupent-ils du monde
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