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

by Thomas Kjeller Johansen

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781139809641
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/01/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dr Thomas Kjeller Johansen is Reader in Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of Aristotle on the Sense-Organs (0521 583381).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Introduction: Plato's tales of teleology; 1. What is the Timaeus-Critias about?; 2. The status of the Atlantis story; 3. The status of Timaeus' account; 4. Teleology and craftsmanship; 5. Necessity and teleology; 6. Space and motion; 7. Body, soul and tripartition; 8. Perception and cosmology; 9. Dialogue and dialectic; Epilogue; Bibliography; General index; Index locorum.

Editorial Reviews

"...lucid and carefully reasoned..."
-Lloyd P. Gerson, University of Toronto

"The authors detailed analyses of the role of necessary conditions, matter, and space in explanations of the nature of sensible particulars, of the soul as structure and embodied existence, and of the casual role of perception in securing empirical knowledge are convincing. Highly recommended."
-CHOICE

"[T]his monograph as a whole is plainly a major contribution to the study of the Timaeus, and will undoubtedly enhance the appreciation of that unduly neglected work."
-John Dillon, School of Classics, Trinity College, Ireland, Ancient Philosophy

From the Publisher