Plotinus the Master and the Apotheosis of Imperial Platonism PDF Download

Author: William H. F. Altman
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 1666944408
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 473

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Book Description
With both the Roman Empire and contemporary scholarship as backdrop, this book contrasts the Imperial Platonism of Plotinus with Plato's own by distinguishing one as a master enlightening disciples, and the other as an Athenian teacher who taught students to discover the truth for themselves in the Academy.

Author: William H. F. Altman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1666920061
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Universally regarded as Plato’s student in antiquity, it is the eloquent and patriotic orator Demosthenes—not the pro-Macedonian Aristotle who tutored Alexander the Great—who returned to the dangerous Cave of political life, and thus makes it possible to recover the Old Academy. In Plato and Demosthenes: Recovering the Old Academy, William H. F. Altman explores how Demosthenes—along with Phocion, Lycurgus, and Hyperides—add external and historical evidence for the hypothesis that Plato’s brilliant and challenging dialogues constituted the Academy’s original curriculum. Altman rejects the facile view that the eloquent Plato, a master speech-writer as well as the proponent of the transcendent and post-eudaemonist Idea of the Good, was rhetoric’s enemy. He shows how Demosthenes acquired the discipline necessary to become a great orator, first by shouting at the sea and then by summoning the Athenians to self-sacrifice in defense of their waning freedom. Demosthenes thus proved Socrates’ criticism of democracy and the democratic man wrong, just as Plato the Teacher had intended that his best students would, and as he continues to challenge us to do today.

Author: William H. F. Altman
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438490933
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 487

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Book Description
The ancient view that Plato and Xenophon were rivals at least had the merit of allowing them to respond to each other; in modern times, the view that Plato wrote first eliminates the possibility of an exchange between the only two Socratics whose writings are preserved intact. Challenging the chronological assumptions on which Plato's across-the-board priority currently rests, the purpose of The Relay Race of Virtue is to show that Plato and Xenophon were responding to each other and that we can gain a greater appreciation for both by recognizing the back-and-forth nature of their friendly dialogue. Instead of regarding Xenophon as Plato's inept copyist, William H. F. Altman presents him as first blazing the trail for his fellow Socratic and then learning from Plato in return. By emphasizing "Plato's Debts to Xenophon," Altman is charitable to both, justifying Socrates' belief (Memorabilia 1.2.8) "that those of his companions who adopted his principles of conduct would throughout life be good friends to him and to each other."

Author: David Apolloni
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780739144848
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book defends the view that a mysterious plural phrase at Phaedo 74 shows that the Self-Predication Assumptionthe idea that each Form is supposed to have the very characteristic it is supposed to instantiateis both plausible and leads to no infinite regress of Forms. It is an essential read for scholars, specialists and students with an interes

Author: David J. Yount
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472575229
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
In this insightful new book David J. Yount argues, against received wisdom, that there are no essential differences between the metaphysics of Plato and Plotinus. Yount covers the core principles of Plotinian thought: The One or Good, Intellect, and All-Soul (the Three Hypostases), Beauty, God(s), Forms, Emanation, Matter, and Evil. After addressing the interpretive issues that surround the authenticity of Plato's works, Plotinus: The Platonist deftly argues against the commonly held view that Plotinus is best interpreted as a Neo-Platonist, proposing he should be thought of as a Platonist proper. Yount presents thorough explanations and quotations from the works of each classical philosopher to demonstrate his thesis, concluding comprehensively that Plato and Plotinus do not essentially differ on their metaphysical conceptions. This is an ideal text for Plato and Plotinus scholars and academics, and excellent supplementary reading for upper-level undergraduates students and postgraduate students of ancient philosophy.

Author: Jed W. Atkins
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107513235
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
A prolific philosopher who also held Rome's highest political office, Cicero was uniquely qualified to write on political philosophy. In this book Professor Atkins provides a fresh interpretation of Cicero's central political dialogues - the Republic and Laws. Devoting careful attention to form as well as philosophy, Atkins argues that these dialogues together probe the limits of reason in political affairs and explore the resources available to the statesman given these limitations. He shows how Cicero appropriated and transformed Plato's thought to forge original and important works of political philosophy. The book demonstrates that Cicero's Republic and Laws are critical for understanding the history of the concepts of rights, the mixed constitution and natural law. It concludes by comparing Cicero's thought to the modern conservative tradition and argues that Cicero provides a perspective on utopia frequently absent from current philosophical treatments.

Author: Nicholas Thorne
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 9781793639066
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Liberation and Authority provides original, comparative readings of Plato's Gorgias, the first book of the Republic, and Thucydides' History, arguing that they share similarities not only in the oft-noted "natural justice" of Callicles, Thrasymachus, and the Melian Dialogue, but also in a development that runs through the whole of each.

Author: Eyjólfur K. Emilsson
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1134328761
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 421

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Book Description
Plotinus (AD 205-270) was the founder of Neoplatonism, whose thought has had a profound influence on medieval philosophy, and on Western philosophy more broadly. In this engaging book, Eyjólfur K. Emilsson introduces and explains the full spectrum of Plotinus' philosophy for those coming to his work for the first time.Beginning with a chapter-length overview of Plotinus' life and works which also assesses the Platonic, Aristotelian and Stoic traditions that influenced him. Emilsson goes on to address key topics including: Plotinus' originalitythe status of souls; Plotinus' languagethe notion of the One or the Good; Intellect, including Plotinus' holism; the physical world; the soul and the body, including emotions and the self; Plotinus' ethics; Plotinus' influence and legacy.Including a chronology, glossary of terms and suggestions for further reading, Plotinus is an ideal introduction to this major figure in Western philosophy, and is essential reading for students of ancient philosophy and classics.

Author: William H. F. Altman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781498527118
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book argues that Cicero deserves to be spoken of with more respect and to be studied with greater care. Using Plato's influence on Cicero's life and writings as a clue, Altman reveals the ineffable combination of qualities that enabled Cicero not only to revive Platonism, but also to rival Plato himself.

Author: Jenny Bryan
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521762944
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
Studies the philosophical development of the meaning of the Greek word eoikos, which can be used to describe similarity, plausibility or even suitability. It focuses on Xenophanes, Parmenides and Plato's Timaeus and shows how such a study serves to enhance our understanding of their epistemology and methodology.