Demiurge and Providence

Demiurge and Providence PDF Author: Gretchen J. Reydams-Schils
Publisher: Brepols Pub
ISBN: 9782503506562
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 297

Get Book

Book Description
Of the rich legacy of the Timaeus, this study deals with the cross-pollination between Stoic and Platonist readings of Timaeus, spanning the period from Plato's writings to that of the so-called Middle Platonist authors. Plato's Timaeus and Stoic doctrine had their fates intertwined from very early on, both in polemical and reconciliatory contexts. The blend of Platonic and Stoic elements ultimately constituted one of the main conceptual bridges between the pagan tradition on the one hand and the Judeo-Christian, in its own search for the distinction between transcendence and immanence, on the other. Contrary to the received opinion, later platonist authors do not merely borrow Stoic terminology. Rather, in a genuine 'discourse of assimilation' the Stoic analysis of the universe has left a profound mark on Platonist views of the principles, of the place of humans in the universe, as well as of human freedom and its interaction with divine Providence.

Demiurge and Providence

Demiurge and Providence PDF Author: Gretchen J. Reydams-Schils
Publisher: Brepols Pub
ISBN: 9782503506562
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 297

Get Book

Book Description
Of the rich legacy of the Timaeus, this study deals with the cross-pollination between Stoic and Platonist readings of Timaeus, spanning the period from Plato's writings to that of the so-called Middle Platonist authors. Plato's Timaeus and Stoic doctrine had their fates intertwined from very early on, both in polemical and reconciliatory contexts. The blend of Platonic and Stoic elements ultimately constituted one of the main conceptual bridges between the pagan tradition on the one hand and the Judeo-Christian, in its own search for the distinction between transcendence and immanence, on the other. Contrary to the received opinion, later platonist authors do not merely borrow Stoic terminology. Rather, in a genuine 'discourse of assimilation' the Stoic analysis of the universe has left a profound mark on Platonist views of the principles, of the place of humans in the universe, as well as of human freedom and its interaction with divine Providence.

Demiurge and Providence. Stoic and Platonist Readings of Plato's Timaeus

Demiurge and Providence. Stoic and Platonist Readings of Plato's Timaeus PDF Author: Gretchen J. Reydams-Schils
Publisher:
ISBN: 9782503572550
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300

Get Book

Book Description


Ten Gifts of the Demiurge

Ten Gifts of the Demiurge PDF Author: Emilie Kutash
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1472519817
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Get Book

Book Description
Proclus' commentary on Plato's "Timaeus" is perhaps the most important surviving Neoplatonic commentary. In it Proclus contemplates nature's mysterious origins and at the same time employs the deductive rigour required to address perennial philosophical questions. Nature, for him, is both divine and mathematically transparent. He renders theories of Time, Eternity, Providence, Evil, Soul and Intellect and constructs an elaborate ontology that includes mathematics and astronomy. He gives ample play to pagan theology too, frequently lapsing into the arcane language of the "Chaldaean Oracles". "Ten Gifts of the Demiurge" is an essential companion to this rich but complex and densely wrought text, providing an analysis of its arguments and showing that it, like the cosmos Proclus reveres, is a living coherent whole. The book provides aides to understanding Proclus' work within the complex background of Neoplatonic philosophy, familiarising the reader with the political context of the Athenian school, analysing Proclus' key terminology, and giving background to the philosophical arguments and ancient sciences upon which Proclus draws.Above all, it helps the reader appreciate the varicoloured light that Proclus sheds on the secrets of nature.

Ten Gifts of the Demiurge

Ten Gifts of the Demiurge PDF Author: Emilie Kutash
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1472519825
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 535

Get Book

Book Description
Proclus' commentary on Plato's "Timaeus" is perhaps the most important surviving Neoplatonic commentary. In it Proclus contemplates nature's mysterious origins and at the same time employs the deductive rigour required to address perennial philosophical questions. Nature, for him, is both divine and mathematically transparent. He renders theories of Time, Eternity, Providence, Evil, Soul and Intellect and constructs an elaborate ontology that includes mathematics and astronomy. He gives ample play to pagan theology too, frequently lapsing into the arcane language of the "Chaldaean Oracles". "Ten Gifts of the Demiurge" is an essential companion to this rich but complex and densely wrought text, providing an analysis of its arguments and showing that it, like the cosmos Proclus reveres, is a living coherent whole. The book provides aides to understanding Proclus' work within the complex background of Neoplatonic philosophy, familiarising the reader with the political context of the Athenian school, analysing Proclus' key terminology, and giving background to the philosophical arguments and ancient sciences upon which Proclus draws.Above all, it helps the reader appreciate the varicoloured light that Proclus sheds on the secrets of nature.

Fate, Providence and Free Will: Philosophy and Religion in Dialogue in the Early Imperial Age

Fate, Providence and Free Will: Philosophy and Religion in Dialogue in the Early Imperial Age PDF Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004436383
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 343

Get Book

Book Description
This volume offers a collection of papers about the notions of fate, providence, and free will, as developed and debated in philosophy and religion in the early Imperial age (ca. 31 BCE-250 CE).

The Demiurge in Ancient Thought

The Demiurge in Ancient Thought PDF Author: Carl Séan O'Brien
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316240657
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 351

Get Book

Book Description
How was the world generated and how does matter continue to be ordered so that the world can continue functioning? Questions like these have existed as long as humanity has been capable of rational thought. In antiquity, Plato's Timaeus introduced the concept of the Demiurge, or Craftsman-god, to answer them. This lucid and wide-ranging book argues that the concept of the Demiurge was highly influential on the many discussions operating in Middle Platonist, Gnostic, Hermetic and Christian contexts in the first three centuries AD. It explores key metaphysical problems such as the origin of evil, the relationship between matter and the First Principle and the deployment of ever-increasing numbers of secondary deities to insulate the First Principle from the sensible world. It also focuses on the decreasing importance of demiurgy in Neoplatonism, with its postulation of procession and return.

The Demiurge in Ancient Thought

The Demiurge in Ancient Thought PDF Author: Carl Séan O'Brien
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110707536X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 351

Get Book

Book Description
This book examines religious and 'scientific'/philosophical accounts of world-generation as represented by the figure of the Demiurge, or Craftsman-god.

Selfhood and the Soul

Selfhood and the Soul PDF Author: Richard Seaford
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191083038
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Get Book

Book Description
Selfhood and the Soul is a collection of new and original essays in honour of Christopher Gill, Emeritus Professor of Ancient Thought at the University of Exeter. All of the essays in the volume contribute to a shared project - the exploration of ancient concepts of self and soul, understood in a broad sense - and, as in the work of the honorand himself, they are distinguished by a diversity of approach and subject matter, ranging widely across disciplinary boundaries to cover ancient philosophy, psychology, medical writing, and literary criticism. They can be read separately or together, taking the reader on a journey through topics and themes as varied as money, love, hope, pleasure, rage, free will, metempsychosis, Roman imperialism, cookery, and the Underworld, yet all committed to examining central issues about the experience of being a person and the question of how best to live. The international line-up of contributors includes many established figures in the disciplines of classical literature, ancient philosophy, and ancient medicine, as well as several younger scholars. All have been inspired by Christopher Gill's contributions to scholarly research in these fields and their collective work aspires to honour through imitation his remarkable combination of range with focus.

Divine Providence in Philo of Alexandria

Divine Providence in Philo of Alexandria PDF Author: Peter Frick
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
ISBN: 9783161471414
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 254

Get Book

Book Description
In his study Peter Frick starts with the examination of the theocentric structure of Philo's thought as outlined in the important passage De Opificio Mundi 171-2 where Philo correlates the idea of providence with his concept of God and the theory of creation. On this basis, any adequate understanding of providence in Philo must begin with the correlation between the formal aspects of the Philonic concept of God, especially the idea of God's transcendence, and Philo's conceptualization of the idea of providence in light of these formal aspects. In particular, the issue is how Philo can predicate that God is provident in nature, although God cannot be apprehended in his essence. Moreover, Philo explains the immanence of God in the cosmos in terms of the Logos and the divine powers, one of which he specifically characterizes as the providential power. Both the aspects of divine transcendence and immanence cohere in Philo's theory of creation. He conceives of the role of providence in cosmological matters as being responsible for the design, administration and continuous existence of the created universe. Two further issues, the questions of astral fatalism and theodicy, are critically important for a thorough understanding of Philo's conception of divine providence. Philo rejects the assumption implied in astral fatalism that the stars are transcendent divinities and thus have causal powers over human affairs. And he rejects astral fatalism because it renders absurd the notion of moral responsibility. Concerning the question of theodicy, Philo proceeds from the Platonic premise that God is not the cause for evil in any way. For him, the existence of moral evil exonerates God and his providence as the cause for evil and anchors the blame in the person.

Calcidius on Plato's Timaeus

Calcidius on Plato's Timaeus PDF Author: Gretchen Reydams-Schils
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108420567
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 255

Get Book

Book Description
The first study in its entirety of this fourth-century Latin commentary on Plato's Timaeus, also addressing the Latin translation.