Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy Books

Book SynopsisAn Innovating approach to Plato’s philosophy. Through a careful survey of several significant Platonic texts, mainly focussing on the nature of knowledge, Essays on Plato’s Epistemology offers the reader a fresh and promising approach to Plato’s philosophy as a whole. From the very earliest reception of Plato’s philosophy, there has been a conflict between a dogmatic and a sceptical interpretation of his work and thought. Moreover, the two sides are often associated, respectively, with a metaphysical and an anti-metaphysical approach. This book, continuing a line of thought that is nowadays strongly present in the secondary literature – and also followed by the author in over thirty years of research –, maintains that a third way of thinking is required. Against the widespread view that an anti-dogmatic philosophy must go together with an anti-metaphysical stance, Trabattoni shows that for Plato, on the contrary, a sober and reasonable assessment of both the powers and limits of human reason relies on a proper metaphysical outlook. Ebook available in Open Access.This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).Trade ReviewTrabattoni is to be thanked for seeking out an English translator in order to make his work more widely available.Lloyd P. Gerson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2016.10.20Table of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1. Thought as Inner Dialogue (Theaet. 189e4-190a6)Chapter 2. Logos and doxa: The Meaning of the Refutation of the Third Definition of Epistêmê in the TheaetetusChapter 3. Theaetetus 200d-201c: Truth without CertaintyChapter 4. Foundationalism or Coherentism? On the Third Definition of Epistêmê in the TheaetetusChapter 5. What is the Meaning of Plato's Theaetetus? Sοme Remarks on a New Annotated Translation of the DialogueChapter 6. David Sedley's TheaetetusChapter 7. The “Virtuous Circle” of Language. On the meaning of Plato's CratylusChapter 8. The Knowledge of the PhilosopherChapter 9. What Role do the Mathematical Sciences Play in the Metaphor of the Line?Chapter 10. Socrates' error in the ParmenidesChapter 11. On the Distinguishing Features of Plato's “Metaphysics” (Starting from the Parmenides)Chapter 12. Is There Such a Thing as a “Platonic theory of the Ideas” According to Aristotle?Chapter 13. The Unity of Virtue, Self-Predication and the “Third Man” in Protagoras 329e-332aChapter 14. Plato: Philosophy, Politics and Knowledge. An OverviewBibliography

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Book SynopsisThe idea of the body as a mirror of the soul has fascinated mankind throughout history. Being able to see through an individual, and drawing conclusions on their character solely based on a selection of external features, is the subject of physiognomy, and has a long tradition running well into recent times. However, the pre-modern, especially medieval background of this discipline has remained underexplored. The selected case studies in this volume each contribute to a better understanding of the history of physiognomy from antiquity to the Renaissance, and offer discussions on unedited treatises and on the application, development, and reception of this field of knowledge, as well as on visual sources inspired by physiognomic theory. Contributors: Eniko Bekes (Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Joel Biard (University of Tours), Lisa Devriese (KU Leuven), Maria Fernanda Ferrini (University of Macerata), Christophe Grellard (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes), Luis Campos Ribeiro (University of Lisbon), Maria Michela Sassi (University of Pisa), Oleg Voskoboynikov (Higher School of Economics Moscow), Steven J. Williams (New Mexico Highlands University), Joseph Ziegler (University of Haifa), Gabriella Zuccolin (University of Pavia)Trade ReviewThis careful and deeply researched volume absolutely highlights the richness of early physiognomic thought while offering methodological interventions around how to navigate limited sources. It is a robust chronological framing that combines historical, textual, and literary analysis, visual culture, anthropology, and translation studies to anchor medieval and Renaissance physiognomy both in antiquity and modern discourse. The book emerged from a conference; such an approach is often organized more around topic than theme and argument. The editor does an excellent job framing the texts in a way that is both coherent and cross-cutting, while at the same time allowing the chapters to stand alone as scholarly and pedagogical interventions, offering methodological and historical insights. Clear and cogent, this volume is accessible while remaining robust and rich; scholars will be taking up its provocations for many years to come.Sharrona Pearl, Isis, Volume 114, Number 1, March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1086/723688Assurément, le lecteur reste fasciné par les très nombreux aspects des cultures antique, médiévale et moderne que le sujet permet d’aborder : les contributions, tout en étant d’un niveau scientifique très élevé, restent tout à fait abordables. La force de ce recueil est d’offrir une approche chronologique qui facilite une compréhension globale des questionnements sur la physiognomonie. En effet, les AA. parviennent bien à mettre en avant tout ce que son étude peut offrir et réussissent conjointement à livrer une excellente introduction interdisciplinaire et transpériodique. Ninon Dubourg, Revue d'Histoire ecclésiastique, vol. 117/3-4, 2022Table of ContentsIllustrations Acknowledgements Lisa Devriese Physiognomy from Antiquity to the Renaissance : an Introduction Maria Michela Sassi The Beginnings of Physiognomy in Ancient Greece Maria Fernanda Ferrini Oἰνωποί/Aἰγωποί: Manuscript Tradition and Conjecture Enikő Békés The Physiognomy of Apostle Paul: Between Texts and Images Steven J. Williams Some Observations on the Scholarly Reception of Physiognomy in the Thirteenth and Early Fourteenth Century: Success, and the Limits of Success Lisa Devriese First Medieval Attestations of the Physiognomonica Oleg Voskoboynikov Michael Scotus’ Physiognomy: Notes on Text and Context Joël Biard and Christophe Grellard La place des Questiones circa librum de physionomia dans le système philosophique de Jean Buridan Gabriella Zuccolin Towards a Critical Edition of Michele Savonarola’s Speculum Physionomie Joseph Ziegler and Luís Campos Ribeiro Astral Physiognomy in the Fifteenth Century : the Case of the Illuminated Opening Folio of Rolandus Scriptoris’ Reductorium Phisonomie Notes on Contributors Index codicum manu scriptorum Index nominum

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Book SynopsisEpicureanism is not only a defence of pleasure: it is also a philosophy of science and knowledge. This edited collection explores new pathways for the study of Epicurean scientific thought, a hitherto still understudied domain, and engages systematically and critically with existing theories. It shows that the philosophy of Epicurus and his heirs, from antiquity to the classical age, founded a rigorous and coherent conception of knowledge. This first part of a two-volume set examines more specifically the contribution of Epicureanism in the fields of language, medicine, and meteorology (i.e., celestial, geological and atmospheric phenomena). Offering a renewed image of Epicureanism, the book includes studies on the nature of human language and on the linguistic aspects of scientific discourse; on the relationship between Epicureanism and ancient medicine, from Hippocrates to Galen; on meteorological phenomena and the method of explaining them; and on the reception of Epicurus's legacy in Gassendi. Contributors: Julie Giovacchini (CNRS, Paris), Francesca Masi (Universita Ca' Foscari Venezia), Dino De Sanctis (Universita degli Studi della Tuscia), Chiara Rover (Universitat Hamburg/MCAS), Enrico Piergiacomi (Universitat Zurich), David Leith (University of Exeter), Vincenzo Damiani (Universitat Ulm), David Konstan (New York University), Voula Tsouna (UC Santa Barbara), Jurgen Hammerstaedt (Universitat zu Koeln), Craig Martin (Universita Ca' Foscari Venezia), Frederik Bakker (Radboud Universiteit)Trade ReviewIn its systematic and careful use of the ancient and Early Modern texts this ‘Epucureanism and Scientific Debates’ shed new light upon familiar and less familiar topics. In my opinion, this volume has the potential to become the absolute work of reference for the various subjects that it covers.Wim Nijs, KU LeuvenTable of ContentsIntroduction Francesca Masi, Pierre-Marie Morel and Francesco VerdeThinking or Speaking: The Paradoxes of the Epicurean Theory of Language Julie GiovacchiniLanguage Theory, Scientific Terminology, and Linguistic Controversies in Epicurus’ On Nature Francesca MasiEpicurus and His Meteorological Lexicon in the Letter to Pythocles: Some Remarks Dino De SanctisThe Fragments of Epicurus’ Letters: Scientific Debates and New Perspectives Margherita ErbìLucretius’ Epistemological Language Chiara RoverMedicine and Responsibility: Hippocratic and Democritean Influences on Epicurus’ Περὶ φύσεως Book XXV? Enrico PiergiacomiMedicine and Atomism: Asclepiades of Bithynia and Epicurean Science David LeithPatterns of Reception of Epicureanism in Galen’s Writings Vincenzo Damiani Gravity and the Shape and Location of the Earth David KonstanThe Method of Multiple Explanations Revisited Voula TsounaThe Explanation of Meteorological Phenomena in the Philosophical Inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda Jürgen HammerstaedtGassendi’s Interpretation of Epicurus’ Method of Multiple Explanations: Between Scepticism and Probabilism Frederik BakkerObservation, Probabilism, and Humanist Methods of History in Pierre Gassendi’s Meteorology Craig MartinAbout the contributors Index of Ancient Names Index of Modern Names

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Book SynopsisA fundamental reappraisal of Plutarch's attitude towards rhetoric.Plutarch was not only a skilled writer, but also lived during the Second Sophistic, a period of cultural renaissance. This book offers new insights into Plutarch's seemingly moderate attitude towards rhetoric. The hypothesis explored in this study introduces, for the first time, the broader literary and cultural contexts that influenced and restricted the scope of Plutarch's message. When these contexts are considered, a new perspective emerges that differs from that found in earlier studies. It paints a picture of a philosopher who may not regard rhetoric as a lesser means of persuasion, but who faces challenges in openly articulating this stance in his public discourse.Ebook available in Open Access. This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

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Book SynopsisNew perspectives on Epicureanism in the fields of Epistemology and Ethics.Epicurean philosophy is a philosophy of knowledge, nature and pleasure. The second part of a two-volume set, this edited collection examines the core areas of Epicureanism : physiology, epistemology and ethics. The study is carried out from multiple perspectives: the reconstruction and analysis of primary sources, an examination of the debates and controversies surrounding the school of Epicurus, and a review of the reception of Epicurean philosophy. By challenging the widespread stereotype of Epicureanism as a dogmatic, closed system of thought, this volume offers a fresh outlook on this philosophy.The book includes studies of Epicureans linguistic theory and practice, many fundamental aspects of Epicurean epistemology, physiology and ethics and their reception, the communicative strategy of Epicurean works, and the relationship between philosophy and the sciences.

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