The Spectrum of Animal Rationality in Plutarch
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Studies on Ancient Moral and Political Philosophy 1 What is Up to Us? Studies on Agency and Responsibility in Ancient Philosophy von Edited by Pierre Destrée, Ricardo Salles 1. Academia Verlag St. Augustin bei Bonn 2014 Verlag C.H. Beck im Internet: www.beck.de ISBN 978 3 89665 634 6 Zu Inhaltsverzeichnis schnell und portofrei erhältlich bei beck-shop.de DIE FACHBUCHHANDLUNG Pierre Destrée, Ricardo Salles and Marco Zingano 1 Introduction Pierre Destrée, Ricardo Salles and Marco Zingano The present volume brings together twenty contributions whose aim is to study the problem of moral responsibility as it arises in Antiquity in connection with the concept of what depends on us, or is up to us, through the expression eph’ hêmin and its Latin synonyms in nostra potestate and in nobis. The notion of what is up to us begins its philosophical lifetime with Aristotle. However, as the chapters by Monte Johnson and Pierre Destrée point out, it is already present in earlier authors such as Democritus and Plato, who clearly raise some of the issues that were linked to this notion in the later tradition. In Aristotle, the expression eph’ hêmin is frequently used in the plural to denote the things that are up to us in the sense that they are in our power to do or not to do. It plays a central role in his action theory insofar as the scope of deliberate choice is specifi- cally the set of these things (we deliberate about how to bring about things that it is up to us to achieve). -
The Nous: a Globe of Faces1
THE NOUS: A GLOBE OF FACES1 Theodore Sabo, North-West University, South Africa ([email protected]) Abstract: Plotinus inherited the concept of the Nous from the Middle Platonists and ultimately Plato. It was for him both the Demiurge and the abode of the Forms, and his attempts at describing it, often through the use of arresting metaphors, betray substantial eloquence. None of these metaphors is more unusual than that of the globe of faces which is evoked in the sixth Ennead and which is found to possess a notable corollary in the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the four living creatures. Plotinus’ metaphor reveals that, as in the case of Ezekiel, he was probably granted such a vision, and indeed his encounters with the Nous were not phenomena he considered lightly. Defining the Nous Plotinus’ Nous was a uniquely living entity of which there is a parallel in the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel. The concept of the Nous originated with Anaxagoras. 2 Although Empedocles’ Sphere was similarly a mind,3 Anaxagoras’ idea would win the day, and it would be lavished with much attention by the Middle and Neoplatonists. For Xenocrates the Nous was the supreme God, but for the Middle Platonists it was often the second hypostasis after the One.4 Plotinus, who likewise made the Nous his second hypostasis, equated it with the Demiurge of Plato’s Timaeus.5 He followed Antiochus of Ascalon rather than Plato in regarding it as not only the Demiurge but the Paradigm, the abode of the Forms.6 1 I would like to thank Mark Edwards, Eyjólfur Emilsson, and Svetla Slaveva-Griffin for their help with this article. -
Citations in Classics and Ancient History
Citations in Classics and Ancient History The most common style in use in the field of Classical Studies is the author-date style, also known as Chicago 2, but MLA is also quite common and perfectly acceptable. Quick guides for each of MLA and Chicago 2 are readily available as PDF downloads. The Chicago Manual of Style Online offers a guide on their web-page: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html The Modern Language Association (MLA) does not, but many educational institutions post an MLA guide for free access. While a specific citation style should be followed carefully, none take into account the specific practices of Classical Studies. They are all (Chicago, MLA and others) perfectly suitable for citing most resources, but should not be followed for citing ancient Greek and Latin primary source material, including primary sources in translation. Citing Primary Sources: Every ancient text has its own unique system for locating content by numbers. For example, Homer's Iliad is divided into 24 Books (what we might now call chapters) and the lines of each Book are numbered from line 1. Herodotus' Histories is divided into nine Books and each of these Books is divided into Chapters and each chapter into line numbers. The purpose of such a system is that the Iliad, or any primary source, can be cited in any language and from any publication and always refer to the same passage. That is why we do not cite Herodotus page 66. Page 66 in what publication, in what edition? Very early in your textbook, Apodexis Historia, a passage from Herodotus is reproduced. -
SCEPTICAL ARGUMENTATION and PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY: By
SCEPTICAL ARGUMENTATION AND PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY: TOPICS IN HELLENISTIC PHILOSOPHY by Máté Veres Submitted to Central European University Department of Philosophy In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy Supervisor: Prof. Gábor Betegh CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2016 Table of contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 7 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1. Keep calm and carry on: Sextan Pyrrhonism as a kind of philosophy ....... 17 1. Philosophy and inquiry ............................................................................................ 18 2. The road to Pyrrhonism ........................................................................................... 22 2.1. The 'origins' of scepticism (PH I. 12) ............................................................... 22 2.2. The goal of Pyrrhonism (PH I. 26 and 29)........................................................ 26 2.3. Men of talent ..................................................................................................... 34 3. The origin of Pyrrhonism ......................................................................................... 37 3.1. The Partisan Premise -
Thales of Miletus Sources and Interpretations Miletli Thales Kaynaklar Ve Yorumlar
Thales of Miletus Sources and Interpretations Miletli Thales Kaynaklar ve Yorumlar David Pierce October , Matematics Department Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul http://mat.msgsu.edu.tr/~dpierce/ Preface Here are notes of what I have been able to find or figure out about Thales of Miletus. They may be useful for anybody interested in Thales. They are not an essay, though they may lead to one. I focus mainly on the ancient sources that we have, and on the mathematics of Thales. I began this work in preparation to give one of several - minute talks at the Thales Meeting (Thales Buluşması) at the ruins of Miletus, now Milet, September , . The talks were in Turkish; the audience were from the general popu- lation. I chose for my title “Thales as the originator of the concept of proof” (Kanıt kavramının öncüsü olarak Thales). An English draft is in an appendix. The Thales Meeting was arranged by the Tourism Research Society (Turizm Araştırmaları Derneği, TURAD) and the office of the mayor of Didim. Part of Aydın province, the district of Didim encompasses the ancient cities of Priene and Miletus, along with the temple of Didyma. The temple was linked to Miletus, and Herodotus refers to it under the name of the family of priests, the Branchidae. I first visited Priene, Didyma, and Miletus in , when teaching at the Nesin Mathematics Village in Şirince, Selçuk, İzmir. The district of Selçuk contains also the ruins of Eph- esus, home town of Heraclitus. In , I drafted my Miletus talk in the Math Village. Since then, I have edited and added to these notes. -
Passionate Platonism: Plutarch on the Positive Role of Non-Rational Affects in the Good Life
Passionate Platonism: Plutarch on the Positive Role of Non-Rational Affects in the Good Life by David Ryan Morphew A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Classical Studies) in The University of Michigan 2018 Doctoral Committee: Professor Victor Caston, Chair Professor Sara Ahbel-Rappe Professor Richard Janko Professor Arlene Saxonhouse David Ryan Morphew [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4773-4952 ©David Ryan Morphew 2018 DEDICATION To my wife, Renae, whom I met as I began this project, and who has supported me throughout its development. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I am grateful to my advisors and dissertation committee for their encouragement, support, challenges, and constructive feedback. I am chiefly indebted to Victor Caston for his comments on successive versions of chapters, for his great insight and foresight in guiding me in the following project, and for steering me to work on Plutarch’s Moralia in the first place. No less am I thankful for what he has taught me about being a scholar, mentor, and teacher, by his advice and especially by his example. There is not space here to express in any adequate way my gratitude also to Sara Ahbel-Rappe and Richard Janko. They have been constant sources of inspiration. I continue to be in awe of their ability to provide constructive criticism and to give incisive critiques coupled with encouragement and suggestions. I am also indebted to Arlene Saxonhouse for helping me to see the scope and import of the following thesis not only as of interest to the history of philosophy but also in teaching our students to reflect on the kind of life that we want to live. -
Pyrrhonism and Cartesianism – Episode: External World and Aliens
Philosophy department, CEU Budapest, Hungary Table of Contents Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... Pyrrhonism and 2 List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 3 IntroductionCartesianism: ................................................................................................................................ external 4 1.Methodological and practical skepticism: theory and a way of life ........................................ 6 2.Hypothetical doubt,world practical concerns and and the existence aliens of the external world .................. 13 2.1. An explanation for Pyrrhonists not questioning the existence of the external world .... 18 In partial2.2. An analysisfulfillment of whether ofPyrrhonists the requirements could expand the scope for of theirthe skepticism to include the external world .................................................................................................... 21 3.Pyrrhonism, Cartesianism and degreesome epistemologically of Masters interesting of Artsquestions ..................... 27 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ by Tamara Rendulic 37 References ............................................................................................................................... -
73 the Pupils of Philo of Larissa and Philodemus' Stay in Sicily (Pherc. 1021, Col. Xxxiv 6-19)
This article provides a new edition of a passage from Philodemus’ Index Academicorum THE PUPILS OF PHILO (PHerc. 1021, col. XXXIV 6-19), in which pupils of Philo of Larissa are listed. Several OF LARISSA AND new reading allow for a better understanding of the content and rendering of this list, PHILODEMUS’ STAY one of which might even corroborate the hypothesis that Philodemus sojourned in Sicily. IN SICILY (PHERC. 1021, Keywords: Philo of Larissa, Heraclitus of Tyre, Philodemus, Sicily, Historia Academi- COL. XXXIV 6-19) corum Shortly before the end of his Index Academicorum Philodemus informs us about the life of Philo of Larissa (PHerc. 1021, coll. XXXIII f.).1 Notwithstanding KILIAN FLEISCHER its fragmentary state, the passage is highly valuable, since it preserves much otherwise unattested information on Philo and allows us to reconstruct to a certain extent his personal and philosophical development. The passage dealing with Philo ends with a list of pupils that was long thought to include the pupils of Antiochus of Ascalon. Puglia was the first to argue convincingly that the names listed represent pupils of Philo, not of Antiochus.2 In this contribution I will present a new edition of this list (col. XXXIV 6-19), based on autopsy and for the first time exploiting the multispectral digital images, I would like to express my gratitude to Nigel retta da M. GIGANTE, vol. XII (Napoli 1991); 1902 = S. MEKLER, Academicorum philoso- Wilson, David Blank, Tobias Reinhardt, Tizia- FLEISCHER 2014 = K. FLEISCHER, Der Akademi- phorum index Herculanensis (Berlin 1902); no Dorandi and Holger Essler for their advice ker Charmadas in Apollodors Chronik (PHerc. -
Herodotus and the Origins of Political Philosophy the Beginnings of Western Thought from the Viewpoint of Its Impending End
Herodotus and the Origins of Political Philosophy The Beginnings of Western Thought from the Viewpoint of its Impending End A doctoral thesis by O. H. Linderborg Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Engelska Parken, 7-0042, Thunbergsvägen 3H, Uppsala, Monday, 3 September 2018 at 14:00 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Docent Elton Barker (Open University). Abstract Linderborg, O. H. 2018. Herodotus and the Origins of Political Philosophy. The Beginnings of Western Thought from the Viewpoint of its Impending End. 224 pp. Uppsala: Department of Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University. ISBN 978-91-506-2703-9. This investigation proposes a historical theory of the origins of political philosophy. It is assumed that political philosophy was made possible by a new form of political thinking commencing with the inauguration of the first direct democracies in Ancient Greece. The pristine turn from elite rule to rule of the people – or to δημοκρατία, a term coined after the event – brought with it the first ever political theory, wherein fundamentally different societal orders, or different principles of societal rule, could be argumentatively compared. The inauguration of this alternative-envisioning “secular” political theory is equaled with the beginnings of classical political theory and explained as the outcome of the conjoining of a new form of constitutionalized political thought (cratistic thinking) and a new emphasis brought to the inner consistency of normative reasoning (‘internal critique’). The original form of political philosophy, Classical Political Philosophy, originated when a political thought launched, wherein non-divinely sanctioned visions of transcendence of the prevailing rule, as well as of the full range of alternatives disclosed by Classical Political Theory, first began to be envisioned. -
A Presocratics Reader
2. THE MILESIANS Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes were all from the city of Miletus in Ionia (now the western coast of Turkey) and make up what is referred to as the Milesian “school” of philosophy. Tradition reports that Thales was the teacher of Anaximander, who in turn taught Anaximenes. Aristotle begins his account of the history of philosophy as the search for causes and principles (in Metaphysics I) with these three. 2.1. Thales Thales appears on lists of the seven sages of Greece, a traditional catalog of wise men. The chronicler Apollodorus suggests that he was born around 625 BCE. We should accept this date only with caution, as Apollodorus usually calculated birthdates by assuming that a man was forty years old at the time of his “acme,” or greatest achievement. Thus, Apollodorus arrives at the date by assuming that Thales indeed predicted an eclipse in 585 BCE, and was forty at the time. Plato and Aristotle tell stories about Thales that show that even in ancient times philosophers had a mixed reputation for practicality. 1. (11A9) They say that once when Thales was gazing upwards while doing astronomy, he fell into a well, and that a witty and charming Thracian serving-girl made fun of him for being eager to know the things in the heavens but failing to notice what was just behind him and right by his feet. (Plato, Theaetetus 174a) 2. (11A10) The story goes that when they were reproaching him for his poverty, supposing that philosophy is useless, he learned from his astronomy that the olive crop would be large. -
The Fathers and Platonism
The “External Philosophy”: The Fathers and Platonism It is a commonplace of modern scholarship that the Fathers of the Church, Latin and Greek, were Platonist, with exceptions of Sts Leontios of Byzantium, John of Damascus and Gregory Palamas who were ostensibly Aristotelians. In the case of Platonism, it has a long tradition from ancient to modern times. There is more than one “Platonism.” The Platonism of Plato himself and Hellenic Platonism (before Alexander the Great), finally, there is Hellenistic Platonism (after Alexander’s conquest). The latter consists the schools of Plotinus (Neo- Platonism) or Antiochus of Ascalon (Middle Platonism) or some combination of the three above mentioned. With special regard to the influence of Greek philosophy in general and Platonism in particular on Christianity, many academics tend to agree with the thesis of the liberal Protestant church historian, Adolph von Harnack (1851-1930), that beginning with the Fathers of the second century, the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, was overwhelmed by Greek philosophy. He described this era in the life of the Church as “hellenization.” Not a few scholars believe that the Fathers were complicit with St Paul in the formation of a Christian metaphysic, or a Christian version of Greek philosophy. Roman Catholic theologians argue that in fact the Fathers, like the medieval Scholastics, created a synthesis of Plato or Aristotle and Christianity. Most Protestants like to think of these syntheses as a detriment to the Gospel and, therefore, justification for the Reformation and its adoption of the “original” ecclesiology. In part, historians promote the Protestant point of view. -
Stoic Ethics: Sketching Key Ideas
The Stoics | οἱ Στωικοί 7 Stoic Ethics: Sketching Key Ideas Sources. Early Stoics aim to systematise an ethics that roots in Socrates and a Cynic called Krates, who was a teacher of Zeno’s. Later Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius) discuss philosophical therapy, which could be seen as practical ethics. Note that therapeia (θεραπεία) means ‘looking after’ or ‘taking care’. 1. Impulse (ὁρμή, hormê): the soul’s movement towards an object; desires, wants, passions; in rational beings ideally grounded in assent. 2. Oikeiôsis (οἰκείωσις): the first impulse of everything is a sort of appropriation, or familiarisation; a sort of affiliation to something that belongs to the thing in question, hence everything seeks out what is suited to it. A thing’s first act of oikeiôsis is to maintain itself in existence, or to main its constitution (pneumatic coherence). This is like Spinoza’s conatus, according to which all things strive perservere in their being (Ethics IIIP6). Oikeiôsis is continuous: minimally, keeping tenor; maximally, appropriate the cosmic constitution. We are cosmopolites (πολίτης τοῦ κόσμου, politês tou kosmou). 3. Kathêkon (καθῆκον): proper function, whatever we do that is consistent with our nature and has a justification/reason; the appropriate. If x is part of our nature, then x-ing is best/rational for us to do. Prescriptive power. See LS53Q: impulsive impressions are evaluative, that x is kathêkon (for me). 4. Indifferents (ἀδιάφορος, adiaphoros): even what conventionally seems very valuable or disvaluable, such as health or poverty, the value of most things is indifferent, even death and life. Indifferents have no intrinsic moral value: they are neither good nor bad.