The way Plato discusses time and its relation to the cosmos has puzzled and divided his readers from the very beginning. This originated rich and diverse readings that shaped and contributed to the cosmological discussion of the Hellenistic and Late Antiquity periods. Modern scholars too, have offered many and often opposed views on the matter.
This book assembles an international team of scholars to move forward the study of Plato’s conception of time, to find fresh insights for interpreting his cosmology, and to reimagine the ancient Platonic tradition.
Daniel Vázquez, PhD (KCL), is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Philosophy at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. He is a Core Member at the Trinity Plato Centre, Dublin, and has spent research visiting periods at Trinity College Dublin, La Sapienza, Princeton, Oxford, Cornell, and Yale.
Alberto Ross, PhD (Navarra), is Professor of Philosophy at the Panamerican University in Mexico City. He has spent research visiting periods at the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies, the Centre Léon-Robin and the University of St Andrews. He is the author of Dios, eternidad y movimiento en Aristóteles (EUNSA).
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction: Time and the Cosmos in Plato and the Platonic Tradition
Daniel Vázquez
1 Continuity and Community in the Myth of the Statesman Jenny Bryan
2 The Demiurge and His Place in Plato’s Metaphysics and Cosmology
Viktor Ilievski
3 Goodbye to the Demiurge? Timaeus’ Discourse as a Thought Experiment Luca Pitteloud
4 Before the Creation of Time in Plato’s Timaeus Daniel Vázquez
5 Time and Light in Plato’s Timaeus Carolina Araújo
6 Eternity, Instantaneity, and Temporality Tackling the Problem of Time in Plato’s Cosmology Silvia De Bianchi
7 Is the Prime Mover a Soul? A Critique of a Platonic Thesis in Physics viii Alberto Ross
8 Stoic Cosmic Intelligence and Its Platonic Background
Ricardo Salles
Index Nominum
Index Locorum
Anyone interested in Plato, the Platonic tradition (including Aristotle and the Stoics), ancient philosophy more generally, the history of cosmology, the development of the concept of time, and the relation between God and the world.