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Volume XXXVII (2022)
This volume, the 37th year of published proceedings, contains five papers and commentaries presented to the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy during 2022. Topics: Plato: Phaedo, where Socrates undermines his explicit arguments for immortality with quotes from his predecessors; Statesman, with Socrates’ impending death an occasion to reconsider the roles of dialectic, expertise, myth, image and law; Aristotle: De Caelo, examining inclination, natural places, and the elements, with a strong dissent in the comment; Metaphysics N that differentiate mathematical features from natural explanation, with the comment raising challenging anomalies. Finally, Plotinus on union with the One and human happiness, as frequent and common. The comments challenge or sustain the theses in the main papers.
Volume XXXVII (2022)
This volume, the 37th year of published proceedings, contains five papers and commentaries presented to the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy during 2022. Topics: Plato: Phaedo, where Socrates undermines his explicit arguments for immortality with quotes from his predecessors; Statesman, with Socrates’ impending death an occasion to reconsider the roles of dialectic, expertise, myth, image and law; Aristotle: De Caelo, examining inclination, natural places, and the elements, with a strong dissent in the comment; Metaphysics N that differentiate mathematical features from natural explanation, with the comment raising challenging anomalies. Finally, Plotinus on union with the One and human happiness, as frequent and common. The comments challenge or sustain the theses in the main papers.
An Inquiry into the Textual Transmission of Porphyry’s Philosophy according to the Chaldean Oracles
Author:
This book gives us a new perspective on the Philosophy according to the Chaldean Oracles by Porphyry of Tyre (ca. 232/305 CE), demonstrating that much of what we thought we knew about this work and its fragments is mistaken. Here, for the first time, the attempt is made at reconstructing the original text by following the vicissitudes of its reception and transmission from Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance up to modern scholarship.
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.
An Inquiry into the Textual Transmission of Porphyry’s Philosophy according to the Chaldean Oracles
Author:
This book gives us a new perspective on the Philosophy according to the Chaldean Oracles by Porphyry of Tyre (ca. 232/305 CE), demonstrating that much of what we thought we knew about this work and its fragments is mistaken. Here, for the first time, the attempt is made at reconstructing the original text by following the vicissitudes of its reception and transmission from Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance up to modern scholarship.
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.
Critical edition of the Arabic version, French Translation and English Introduction
Editor:
Averroes’ Middle Commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysics reveals the original version, previously considered lost, of a landmark work in Arabic philosophy. Undoubtedly authored by the Cordovan thinker Averroes (1126-1198), this “middle” commentary is distinct from the Long Commentary and the Short Commentary in method, several doctrinal elements, and scope (it includes books M and N of the Stagirite’s treatise). These points and the transmission of the Middle Commentary at the crossroads of Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin traditions are addressed in the introduction, which also establishes that the work was extensively quoted by the mystical philosopher Ibn Sabʿīn (13th c.). The edition of the text and the facing translation follow. At the end of the book are Ibn Sabʿīn’s quotations, along with extensive indexes.
Critical edition of the Arabic version, French Translation and English Introduction
Editor:
Averroes’ Middle Commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysics reveals the original version, previously considered lost, of a landmark work in Arabic philosophy. Undoubtedly authored by the Cordovan thinker Averroes (1126-1198), this “middle” commentary is distinct from the Long Commentary and the Short Commentary in method, several doctrinal elements, and scope (it includes books M and N of the Stagirite’s treatise). These points and the transmission of the Middle Commentary at the crossroads of Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin traditions are addressed in the introduction, which also establishes that the work was extensively quoted by the mystical philosopher Ibn Sabʿīn (13th c.). The edition of the text and the facing translation follow. At the end of the book are Ibn Sabʿīn’s quotations, along with extensive indexes.
Studies in Ancient Philosophy
Series Editors:
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Editor-in-Chief:
Philosophia Antiqua is the leading series specializing in books on Ancient Philosophy, covering the entire history of the subject from the Presocratics through Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics to the Neoplatonists of late Antiquity. The series has recently tended to emphasize areas that once used to be under-represented in the literature, for example Hellenistic philosophy, the skeptical tradition, Galen and other non-Platonist authors of later Antiquity, but this merely reflects a shifting focus in the field and is not a matter of deliberate policy. The over-riding concern of the series is to promote scholarship of the highest quality and originality, publishing work specifically oriented towards texts (editions, commentaries, translations), but also monographs, including both those that offer new readings of familiar – or less familiar – texts and those that explore the intersections between ancient and modern topics and approaches. Volumes are published in English, French and German. The series includes edited volumes that show a clear and coherent focus, but does not normally host Festschriften or Memorial volumes.
Texts and Studies
Philosophy as a Way of Life (PWL) is both a meta-philosophy and a methodological approach to the study of philosophy, inspired by the work of the French scholar Pierre Hadot (1922-2010). As a methodology, PWL emphasizes that all ancient philosophical works reflect pedagogical and psychagogic concerns, and argues that these features should continue to be taken into account in contemporary philosophy. It is based largely on the practice of “spiritual exercises”, intended to transform the practitioner’s way of perceiving the world, and hence her mode of being, in order to enable her to lead a freer, more happy existence. Thus, PWL views philosophy in its fullest sense as profoundly transformational.
Philosophy as a Way of Life: Texts and Studies will make available English translations of key studies on PWL and publish scholarly monographs and edited collections that consider its different aspects and implications.
Books in this series will explore PWL in antiquity, the renaissance, the early modern period, and up to the present, PWL as a methodological approach to the history of philosophy, the implications of PWL for understanding education and its history, the cross-cultural possibilities it opens up, the relationships between PWL, virtue ethics and philosophy of culture, and the different literary genres of PWL, including the way these genres impact the style and content of ancient, medieval and early modern philosophical works.
Philosophy as a Way of Life: Texts and Studies will make available English translations of key studies on PWL and publish scholarly monographs and edited collections that consider its different aspects and implications.
Books in this series will explore PWL in antiquity, the renaissance, the early modern period, and up to the present, PWL as a methodological approach to the history of philosophy, the implications of PWL for understanding education and its history, the cross-cultural possibilities it opens up, the relationships between PWL, virtue ethics and philosophy of culture, and the different literary genres of PWL, including the way these genres impact the style and content of ancient, medieval and early modern philosophical works.
A Case Study Approach
Author:
How Latin philosophical vocabulary developed through the translation of Greek sources, the varieties of translation practices Roman philosophers favoured, and how these practices evolved over time are the overarching themes of this monograph. A first of its kind, this comparative study analyzes the creation of philosophical vocabulary in Lucretius, Cicero, Apuleius, Calcidius, and Boethius. It highlights a Latin literary tradition in which the dominance of Greek philosophical expression was challenged and renovated over time through the individual translation choices of different Latin authors. Included are full glossaries of Latin and Greek philosophical terms with explanatory notes for the reader.
A Case Study Approach
Author:
How Latin philosophical vocabulary developed through the translation of Greek sources, the varieties of translation practices Roman philosophers favoured, and how these practices evolved over time are the overarching themes of this monograph. A first of its kind, this comparative study analyzes the creation of philosophical vocabulary in Lucretius, Cicero, Apuleius, Calcidius, and Boethius. It highlights a Latin literary tradition in which the dominance of Greek philosophical expression was challenged and renovated over time through the individual translation choices of different Latin authors. Included are full glossaries of Latin and Greek philosophical terms with explanatory notes for the reader.
Volume 2/1: 11th-12th Centuries: Central and Eastern Regions
Translator:
Philosophy in the Islamic World is a comprehensive and unprecedented four-volume reference work devoted to the history of philosophy in the realms of Islam, from its beginnings in the eighth century AD down to modern times. In the period covered by this second volume (eleventh and twelfth centuries). Both major and minor figures of the period are covered, giving details of biography and doctrine, as well as detailed lists and summaries of each author’s works. This is the English version of the relevant volume of the Ueberweg, the most authoritative German reference work on the history of philosophy ( Philosophie in der Islamischen Welt Band II: 11.–12. Jahrhundert. Zentrale und östliche Gebiete , Basel: Schwabe, 2021).
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.
Volume 2/1: 11th-12th Centuries: Central and Eastern Regions
Philosophy in the Islamic World is a comprehensive and unprecedented four-volume reference work devoted to the history of philosophy in the realms of Islam, from its beginnings in the eighth century AD down to modern times. In the period covered by this second volume (eleventh and twelfth centuries). Both major and minor figures of the period are covered, giving details of biography and doctrine, as well as detailed lists and summaries of each author’s works. This is the English version of the relevant volume of the Ueberweg, the most authoritative German reference work on the history of philosophy ( Philosophie in der Islamischen Welt Band II: 11.–12. Jahrhundert. Zentrale und östliche Gebiete , Basel: Schwabe, 2021).
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.
In the Posterior Analytics Aristotle contrasts demonstrations with syllogisms through signs. In the Prior Analytics he defines a sign as a demonstrative premise. One is thus led to ask: is a sign a demonstration?
This book reconstructs the history of the notion of “demonstration through signs” from roughly the third through to the thirteenth century. It examines the work of Aristotle’s Greek, Arabic, and Latin commentators, both within and outside the tradition of the Posterior Analytics.
This book reconstructs the history of the notion of “demonstration through signs” from roughly the third through to the thirteenth century. It examines the work of Aristotle’s Greek, Arabic, and Latin commentators, both within and outside the tradition of the Posterior Analytics.
In the Posterior Analytics Aristotle contrasts demonstrations with syllogisms through signs. In the Prior Analytics he defines a sign as a demonstrative premise. One is thus led to ask: is a sign a demonstration?
This book reconstructs the history of the notion of “demonstration through signs” from roughly the third through to the thirteenth century. It examines the work of Aristotle’s Greek, Arabic, and Latin commentators, both within and outside the tradition of the Posterior Analytics.
This book reconstructs the history of the notion of “demonstration through signs” from roughly the third through to the thirteenth century. It examines the work of Aristotle’s Greek, Arabic, and Latin commentators, both within and outside the tradition of the Posterior Analytics.