Plato's Natural Philosophy: A Study of the Timaeus-Critias - Couverture souple

Johansen, Thomas Kjeller

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0521067480 ISBN 13 : 9780521067485

Editeur : Cambridge University Press, 2008

Synopsis

Book by Kjeller Johansen Thomas

A propos du livre

Revue de presse

Review of the hardback: 'If I were going to recommend to someone who had just read Timaeus one philosophical monograph on this work I cannot think of a better choice than Johansen's ... Traditional in its exegetical approach, yet properly critical of giants of the past like Taylor and Cornford, Plato's Natural Philosophy is a solid contribution to what is evidently a renaissance of interest in what is surely one of Plato's major works.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Review of the hardback: 'Johansen's book is a remarkable achievement. The presentation of the arguments is consistently clear and crisp, and interim conclusions make the work user-friendly. The result is a philosophically inspired and engaging book suitable equally for those who are struggling their way through the Timaeus for the first time and for those who are already saturated with the ever-growing scholarly literature.' Rhizai

Review of the hardback: 'This valuable work of scholarship, brimming with careful textual exegesis and original philosophical interpretation ... succeeds admirably ... infused by the spirit of the dialogue it explores.' The Classical Review

Review of the hardback: 'Johansen's book sets out many independently stimulating problems and individually motivated answers. However, as Johansen argues for both the dialogue and the cosmos he discusses, it is best appreciated when viewed as a finely constructed whole.' Journal of Hellenic Studies

Présentation de l'éditeur

Plato's dialogue the Timaeus-Critias presents two connected accounts, that of the story of Atlantis and its defeat by ancient Athens and that of the creation of the cosmos by a divine craftsman. This book offers a unified reading of the dialogue. It tackles a wide range of interpretative and philosophical issues. Topics discussed include the function of the famous Atlantis story, the notion of cosmology as 'myth' and as 'likely', and the role of God in Platonic cosmology. Other areas commented upon are Plato's concepts of 'necessity' and 'teleology', the nature of the 'receptacle', the relationship between the soul and the body, the use of perception in cosmology, and the work's peculiar monologue form. The unifying theme is teleology: Plato's attempt to show the cosmos to be organised for the good. A central lesson which emerges is that the Timaeus is closer to Aristotle's physics than previously thought.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Cambridge University Press
• Date d'édition: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0521067480
• ISBN 13: 9780521067485
• Reliure: Broché
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 228