Studies on the Neoplatonist Hierocles


Book Description

An updated & slightly abridged English translation of the author's previous work on the 5th century B.C. Neoplatonist Hierocles, published in various places. This work allows Hierocles' median position in the history of Neoplatonic philosophy, between Iamblichus & Syrianus-Proclus, to emerge. Contents: (I) Biographical Elements; (II) Hierocles' Ideas on the History of Platonic Philosophy; (III) Hierocles' Philosophical Ideas on Matter, the Demiurge, & the Soul; & (IV) Hierocles' Philosophical Ideas on Providence. Translated from the French.




Hierocles of Alexandria


Book Description

This is the first comprehensive work in English on the fifth-century Neoplatonic philosopher Hierocles. It contains a survey of his life, writings, and pagan and Christian surroundings, and examines the major tenets of his thought under the rubrics of contemplative philosophy, practical philosophy (civil and telestic), and providence. Schibli situates Hierocles in the mainstream of Neoplatonism from Plotinus to Damascius. Particularly helpful is the inclusion of a modern English translation of Hierocles' Commentary on the Golden Verses of the Pythagoreans and of the remnants of his treatise On Providence. The translations are fully annotated throughout.




Athenian and Alexandrian Neoplatonism and the Harmonization of Aristotle and Plato


Book Description

Athenian and Alexandrian Neoplatonism and the Harmonization of Aristotle and Plato by I. Hadot deals with the Neoplatonist tendency to harmonize the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. It shows that this harmonizing tendency, born in Middle Platonism, prevailed in Neoplatonism from Porphyry and Iamblichus, where it persisted until the end of this philosophy. Hadot aims to illustrate that it is not the different schools themselves, for instance those of Athens and Alexandria, that differ from one another by the intensity of the will to harmonization, but groups of philosophers within these schools.




Theosophy and the Study of Religion


Book Description

Since its emergence in the nineteenth century, the Theosophical Society has wielded enormous influence across diverse fields, none more so than the study of religion. This volume explores this legacy in North America, Europe, and India, demonstrating its impact on the conceptualization of “religion” and its influence on methods of comparison. Unveiling overlooked entanglements, the volume challenges standard narratives in the history of religious studies and interrogates the deliberate neglect of theosophy’s influence in the “secular” academy. In doing so, the work confronts lingering ghosts, urging a reappraisal that enriches the study of religion and offers prescriptions for its future.




Fate, Providence and Moral Responsibility in Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern Thought


Book Description

Essays on key moments in the intellectual history of the West This book forms a major contribution to the discussion on fate, providence and moral responsibility in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Early Modern times. Through 37 original papers, renowned scholars from many different countries, as well as a number of young and promising researchers, write the history of the philosophical problems of freedom and determinism since its origins in pre-socratic philosophy up to the seventeenth century. The main focus points are classic Antiquity (Plato and Aristotle), the Neoplatonic synthesis of late Antiquity (Plotinus, Proclus, Simplicius), and thirteenth-century scholasticism (Thomas Aquinas, Henry of Ghent). They do not only represent key moments in the intellectual history of the West, but are also the central figures and periods to which Carlos Steel, the dedicatary of this volume, has devoted his philosophical career.




Simplicius the Neoplatonist in Light of Contemporary Research


Book Description

Dieses Buch bietet, erstmals in englischer Sprache, eine Zusammenschau der modernen Forschung zu Simplikios' Leben und drei seiner funf Kommentare: Zu Epictetus' Encheiridion, zu Aristoteles' De anima und zu Aristoteles' Kategorien. Der biografische Teil bringt die historische Rolle dieses neoplatonischen Philosophen ans Licht. Geboren in Kilikien, Kleinasien, studierte er in Alexandria und Athen und beendete offenbar sein Leben in Syrien an der Grenze zwischen dem byzantinischen und sassanidischen Reich. Er war ein Vermittler zwischen der griechisch-romischen und der syrischen Philosophie, die die arabische Philosophie zu Beginn nahren sollte. Der zweite Teil des Buches, der sich mit Fragen der Lehre und der Autorschaft befasst, widmet sich auch dem zugrunde liegenden padagogischen Curriculum und den Methoden, die neoplatonischen Kommentaren eigen sind, die moderne Interpretation in Studien uber Simplicius und andere Neoplatonisten nur zu gerne ubersehen.




Hierocles of Alexandria


Book Description

Hierocles of Alexandria was a Neoplatonic philosopher of the fifth century AD. This book surveys his life, writings, and pagan and Christian surroundings, and succintly examines the major points of his philosophy.




The Neo-Platonists


Book Description




The Structure of Being


Book Description

Neoplatonism has sometimes been seen as a species of mysticism. This volume shows that Neoplatonism has, on the contrary, a characteristic and definable structure. It presents the logic of Neoplatonism and carefully distinguishes it from the logic of other forms of philosophy.




Neoplatonism and Contemporary Thought


Book Description

Leading scholars relate Neoplatonism to contemporary science and philosophy.