Browse results
Contributors
Katajun Amirpur, Sadik Jalal al-Azm, Serpil Çakır, Frank Darwiche, Bettina Dennerlein, Sarhan Dhouib, Zeynep Direk, Michael Frey, Urs Gösken, Ursula Günther, Reza Hajatpour, Jan-Peter Hartung, Christoph Herzog, Elisabeth Susanne Kassab, Mohamed Aziz Lahbabi, Kata Moser, Sait Özervarlı, Nils Riecken, Sajjad Rizvi, Ruggero Vimercati Sanseverino, Roman Seidel and Harald Viersen.
Contributors
Katajun Amirpur, Sadik Jalal al-Azm, Serpil Çakır, Frank Darwiche, Bettina Dennerlein, Sarhan Dhouib, Zeynep Direk, Michael Frey, Urs Gösken, Ursula Günther, Reza Hajatpour, Jan-Peter Hartung, Christoph Herzog, Elisabeth Susanne Kassab, Mohamed Aziz Lahbabi, Kata Moser, Sait Özervarlı, Nils Riecken, Sajjad Rizvi, Ruggero Vimercati Sanseverino, Roman Seidel and Harald Viersen.
The extensive and painstaking study of the surviving fragments leads to the radically innovative conclusion that this encyclopedic treatise, written by Porphyry in the last decades of the 3rd century CE, consisted of fifteen books organized in various sections. After an initial discussion of the nature of theurgy and of its subordinate role with respect to philosophy, Porphyry describes the entire history of Greek philosophy from Homer up to his own teacher Plotinus, to then go on to present “introductions” to the seven encyclical disciplines whose study is required for the comprehension of theosophy, that is, the esoteric speculation on the three parts of philosophy: anthropology-ethics, physics, and metaphysics-theology.
By harmonizing the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and the Chaldean Oracles, Porphyry intends to present the complete and definitive philosophic system, with the aim of showing the universal way for the liberation of the souls of initiates and of contextually fighting the final battle of the Greco-Roman civilization against Christianity.
The extensive and painstaking study of the surviving fragments leads to the radically innovative conclusion that this encyclopedic treatise, written by Porphyry in the last decades of the 3rd century CE, consisted of fifteen books organized in various sections. After an initial discussion of the nature of theurgy and of its subordinate role with respect to philosophy, Porphyry describes the entire history of Greek philosophy from Homer up to his own teacher Plotinus, to then go on to present “introductions” to the seven encyclical disciplines whose study is required for the comprehension of theosophy, that is, the esoteric speculation on the three parts of philosophy: anthropology-ethics, physics, and metaphysics-theology.
By harmonizing the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and the Chaldean Oracles, Porphyry intends to present the complete and definitive philosophic system, with the aim of showing the universal way for the liberation of the souls of initiates and of contextually fighting the final battle of the Greco-Roman civilization against Christianity.
Contributors
Peter Adamson, Amos Bertolacci, Hans Daiber, Frank Griffel, Dimitri Gutas, Hermann Landolt, Wilferd Madelung, Jon McGinnis, Ahmed H. al-Rahim, David C. Reisman, Ulrich Rudolph, Tony Street, Johannes Thomann, and Renate Würsch.
Contributors
Peter Adamson, Amos Bertolacci, Hans Daiber, Frank Griffel, Dimitri Gutas, Hermann Landolt, Wilferd Madelung, Jon McGinnis, Ahmed H. al-Rahim, David C. Reisman, Ulrich Rudolph, Tony Street, Johannes Thomann, and Renate Würsch.
Written between 386 and 390 during the excitement of his discovery of Neoplatonism, Augustine’s correspondence with his friend Nebridius is a distillation of Platonic questions concerning the infinite, the distinction between sensible and intelligible phenomena, the imagination and recollection, inspired dreams, assimilation to God, the “vehicle” of the soul, interiority, and individuality. In addition, the exchange contains major theological insights concerning the Incarnation and the Trinity. Thanks to these letters, which, as Nebridius himself says, make “Christ, Plato, and Plotinus heard,” we can better understand this incandescent moment in Augustine’s life when he converted to both philosophy and Christianity, as the Confessions will later testify.
Written between 386 and 390 during the excitement of his discovery of Neoplatonism, Augustine’s correspondence with his friend Nebridius is a distillation of Platonic questions concerning the infinite, the distinction between sensible and intelligible phenomena, the imagination and recollection, inspired dreams, assimilation to God, the “vehicle” of the soul, interiority, and individuality. In addition, the exchange contains major theological insights concerning the Incarnation and the Trinity. Thanks to these letters, which, as Nebridius himself says, make “Christ, Plato, and Plotinus heard,” we can better understand this incandescent moment in Augustine’s life when he converted to both philosophy and Christianity, as the Confessions will later testify.