The Mathematics of Plato's Academy

The Mathematics of Plato's Academy PDF Author: D. H. Fowler
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 442

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Book Description
This book presents a reinterpretation of early Greek mathematics, one of the most tantalizing intellectual subjects of the last 2,000 years. The first part offers several new interpretations of the idea of ratio in early Greek mathematics and illustrates them in detailed discussion of several texts. Part Two discusses the historical context of the subject--what we know of Plato's academy during his lifetime, the origin of our text of Euclid's Elements, and what we know of early Greek numerical practice. The book finishes with an account of the theory of continued fractions and its history since the 17th century.

The Mathematics of Plato's Academy

The Mathematics of Plato's Academy PDF Author: D. H. Fowler
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 442

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book presents a reinterpretation of early Greek mathematics, one of the most tantalizing intellectual subjects of the last 2,000 years. The first part offers several new interpretations of the idea of ratio in early Greek mathematics and illustrates them in detailed discussion of several texts. Part Two discusses the historical context of the subject--what we know of Plato's academy during his lifetime, the origin of our text of Euclid's Elements, and what we know of early Greek numerical practice. The book finishes with an account of the theory of continued fractions and its history since the 17th century.

The Mathematics of Plato's Academy

The Mathematics of Plato's Academy PDF Author: D. H. Fowler
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780198502586
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 490

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Book Description
This is an updated edition of a groundbreaking examination of early Greek mathematics. The author has revised parts of the text, updated the bibliography, and added a new Appendix where he takes a strong position in the continuing debate about the nature and range of classical mathematics. The first part presents several new interpretations of the idea of ratio in early Greek mathematics and illustrates these in detailed discussions of several texts. Part Two then focuses on the sources themselves and provides a critical look at our knowledge of Plato's Academy during his lifetime, at the source of our text of Euclid's Elements, and at our understanding of early Greek mathematics. The final part contrasts some of the evidence from early and late antiquity and then gives a historical account, beginning in the seventeenth century, of the modern theory of continued fractions, which underlies our reconstruction of early Greek mathematics.

Plato's Academy

Plato's Academy PDF Author: Paul Kalligas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108426441
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
A comprehensive, interdisciplinary history of Plato's Academy, the most prominent philosophical school in antiquity, which lasted for about 300 years. Also includes the first complete annotated translation in English of Philodemus' History of the Academy, preserved on a papyrus from Herculaneum.

The Heirs of Plato

The Heirs of Plato PDF Author: John Dillon
Publisher: Clarendon Press
ISBN: 0191519251
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
The Heirs of Plato is the first book exclusively devoted to an in-depth study of the various directions in philosophy taken by Plato's followers in the first seventy years or so following his death in 347 BC. - the period generally known as 'The Old Academy'. Speusippus, Xenocrates, and Polemon, the three successive heads of the Academy in this period, though personally devoted to the memory of Plato, were independent philosophers in their own right, and felt free to develop his heritage in individual directions. This is also true of other personalities attached to the school, such as Philippus of Opus, Heraclides of Pontus, and Crantor of Soli. After an introductory chapter on the school itself, and a summary of Plato's philosophical heritage, John Dillon devotes a chapter to each of the school heads, and another to the other chief characters, exploring both what holds them together and what sets them apart. There is a final short chapter devoted to the turn away from dogmatism to scepticism under Arcesilaus in the 270s, and some reflections on the intellectual debt of Stoicism to the thought of Polemon, in particular. Dillon's clear and accessible book fills a significant gap in our understanding of Plato's immediate philosophical influence, and will be of great value to scholars and historians of ancient philosophy.

A history of Greek mathematics

A history of Greek mathematics PDF Author: Thomas Little Heath
Publisher: Dalcassian Publishing Company
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description


Explorations in Ancient and Modern Philosophy

Explorations in Ancient and Modern Philosophy PDF Author: M. F. Burnyeat
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521750725
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 393

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Book Description
The first of two volumes collecting the published work of one of the greatest living ancient philosophers, M.F. Burnyeat.

The King of Infinite Space

The King of Infinite Space PDF Author: David Berlinski
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465038638
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Geometry defines the world around us, helping us make sense of everything from architecture to military science to fashion. And for over two thousand years, geometry has been equated with Euclid's Elements, arguably the most influential book in the history of mathematics In The King of Infinite Space, renowned mathematics writer David Berlinski provides a concise homage to this elusive mathematician and his staggering achievements. Berlinski shows that, for centuries, scientists and thinkers from Copernicus to Newton to Einstein have relied on Euclid's axiomatic system, a method of proof still taught in classrooms around the world. Euclid's use of elemental logic -- and the mathematical statements he and others built from it -- have dramatically expanded the frontiers of human knowledge. The King of Infinite Space presents a rich, accessible treatment of Euclid and his beautifully simple geometric system, which continues to shape the way we see the world.

The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library

The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library PDF Author: Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie
Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
ISBN: 1609253949
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
This anthology, the largest collection of Pythagorean writings ever to appear in English, contains the four ancient biographies of Pythagoras and over 25 Pythagorean and Neopythagorean writings from the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The material of this book is indispensable for anyone who wishes to understand the real spiritual roots of Western civilization.

The Cave and the Light

The Cave and the Light PDF Author: Arthur Herman
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0553907832
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 933

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Book Description
The definitive sequel to New York Times bestseller How the Scots Invented the Modern World is a magisterial account of how the two greatest thinkers of the ancient world, Plato and Aristotle, laid the foundations of Western culture—and how their rivalry shaped the essential features of our culture down to the present day. Plato came from a wealthy, connected Athenian family and lived a comfortable upper-class lifestyle until he met an odd little man named Socrates, who showed him a new world of ideas and ideals. Socrates taught Plato that a man must use reason to attain wisdom, and that the life of a lover of wisdom, a philosopher, was the pinnacle of achievement. Plato dedicated himself to living that ideal and went on to create a school, his famed Academy, to teach others the path to enlightenment through contemplation. However, the same Academy that spread Plato’s teachings also fostered his greatest rival. Born to a family of Greek physicians, Aristotle had learned early on the value of observation and hands-on experience. Rather than rely on pure contemplation, he insisted that the truest path to knowledge is through empirical discovery and exploration of the world around us. Aristotle, Plato’s most brilliant pupil, thus settled on a philosophy very different from his instructor’s and launched a rivalry with profound effects on Western culture. The two men disagreed on the fundamental purpose of the philosophy. For Plato, the image of the cave summed up man’s destined path, emerging from the darkness of material existence to the light of a higher and more spiritual truth. Aristotle thought otherwise. Instead of rising above mundane reality, he insisted, the philosopher’s job is to explain how the real world works, and how we can find our place in it. Aristotle set up a school in Athens to rival Plato’s Academy: the Lyceum. The competition that ensued between the two schools, and between Plato and Aristotle, set the world on an intellectual adventure that lasted through the Middle Ages and Renaissance and that still continues today. From Martin Luther (who named Aristotle the third great enemy of true religion, after the devil and the Pope) to Karl Marx (whose utopian views rival Plato’s), heroes and villains of history have been inspired and incensed by these two master philosophers—but never outside their influence. Accessible, riveting, and eloquently written, The Cave and the Light provides a stunning new perspective on the Western world, certain to open eyes and stir debate. Praise for The Cave and the Light “A sweeping intellectual history viewed through two ancient Greek lenses . . . breezy and enthusiastic but resting on a sturdy rock of research.”—Kirkus Reviews “Examining mathematics, politics, theology, and architecture, the book demonstrates the continuing relevance of the ancient world.”—Publishers Weekly “A fabulous way to understand over two millennia of history, all in one book.”—Library Journal “Entertaining and often illuminating.”—The Wall Street Journal

Plato: A Very Short Introduction

Plato: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Julia Annas
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019157922X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
This lively and accessible introduction to Plato focuses on the philosophy and argument of his writings, drawing the reader into Plato's way of doing philosophy, and the general themes of his thinking. This is not a book to leave the reader standing in the outer court of introduction and background information, but leads directly into Plato's argument. It looks at Plato as a thinker grappling with philosophical problems in a variety of ways, rather than a philosopher with a fully worked-out system. It includes a brief account of Plato's life and the various interpretations that have been drawn from the sparse remains of information. It stresses the importance of the founding of the Academy and the conception of philosophy as a subject. Julia Annas discusses Plato's style of writing: his use of the dialogue form, his use of what we today call fiction, and his philosophical transformation of myths. She also looks at his discussions of love and philosophy, his attitude to women, and to homosexual love, explores Plato's claim that virtue is sufficient for happiness, and touches on his arguments for the immortality of the soul and his ideas about the nature of the universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.