Neoplatonism and the philosophy of nature / edited by James Wilberding and Christoph Horn.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Horn, Christoph, editor.

Wilberding, James, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Neoplatonism.

Philosophy of nature--History.

Philosophy of nature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 257 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This volume dispels the idea that Platonism was an otherworldly enterprise which neglected thestudy of the natural world. Leading scholars examine how the Platonists of late antiquity sought to understand and explain natural phenomena: their essays offer a new understanding of the metaphysics of Platonism, and its place in the history of science.

Contents:

The general metaphysics of nature: Plotinus on logos / Lloyd P. Gerson. The significance of 'physics' in Porphyry : the problem of body and matter / Andrew Smith. Self-motion and reflection : Hermias and Proclus on the harmony of Plato and Aristotle on the soul / Stephen Menn. Nature in Proclus : from irrational immanent principle to goddess / Alain Lernould. Platonism in early modern natural philosophy : the case of Leibniz and Conway / Christia Mercer

Platonic approaches to individual sciences: Aristotelian objections and post-Aristotelian responses to Plato's elemental theory / Ian Mueller. In defence of geometric atomism : explaining elemental properties / Jan Opsomer. Plato's geography : Damascius' interpretation of the Phaedo myth / Carlos Steel. Neoplatonists on 'spontaneous' generation / James Wilberding. Aspects of biology in Plotinus / Christoph Horn.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed on May 15, 2012).

Other Format:

Print version

ISBN:

0-19-173901-4

0-19-969371-4