Can I read Plato's natural philosophy : a study of the 'Timaeus-Critias' on EtoBox?

Plato's natural philosophy : a study of the 'Timaeus-Critias' by Thomas Kjeller Johansen is a nonfiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is Plato's natural philosophy : a study of the 'Timaeus-Critias' about?

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

Who reads Plato's natural philosophy : a study of the 'Timaeus-Critias'?

Author

Thomas Kjeller Johansen

Publisher

Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press

Published

2004

Language

EN

ISBN

9781107317888

Category

nonfiction

Subjects

History, Philosophy, Humanities