Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics

Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics

Author: Anna Marmodoro

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-09-28

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0197577172

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This book investigates the thought of two of the most influential philosophers of antiquity, Plato and his predecessor Anaxagoras, with respect to their metaphysical accounts of objects and their properties. The book introduces a fresh perspective on these two thinkers' ideas, displaying the debt of Plato's theory on Anaxagoras's, and principally arguing that their core metaphysical concept is overlap; overlap between properties and things in the world. Initially Plato endorses Anaxagoras's model of constitutional overlap, and subsequently develops qualitative overlap. Overlap is the crux to our understanding of objects participating in Forms in Plato's metaphysics; of Plato's account of relata without relations; of the role of Forms as causes; of the metaphysics of necessity; and of the role of the Great Kinds and of the paradeigma in the development of Plato's thought. Anna Marmodoro argues that Plato is ground-breaking in the history of metaphysics, in different ways from those acknowledged so far, and with respect to more metaphysical questions than had been hitherto appreciated; e.g. Plato's treatment of structure as property; of complexity; and his introduction of the first ever account of metaphysical emergence. In addition to these results, Marmodoro makes Anaxagoras's and Plato's systems philosophically accessible to us, today's philosophers, by applying conceptual tools from analytic metaphysics to the study of ancient metaphysics. In this way, the book brings Anaxagoras's and Plato's ideas to bear on todays' philosophical discussions and opens up new venues of research for current philosophical discussions.


Book Synopsis Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics by : Anna Marmodoro

Download or read book Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics written by Anna Marmodoro and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the thought of two of the most influential philosophers of antiquity, Plato and his predecessor Anaxagoras, with respect to their metaphysical accounts of objects and their properties. The book introduces a fresh perspective on these two thinkers' ideas, displaying the debt of Plato's theory on Anaxagoras's, and principally arguing that their core metaphysical concept is overlap; overlap between properties and things in the world. Initially Plato endorses Anaxagoras's model of constitutional overlap, and subsequently develops qualitative overlap. Overlap is the crux to our understanding of objects participating in Forms in Plato's metaphysics; of Plato's account of relata without relations; of the role of Forms as causes; of the metaphysics of necessity; and of the role of the Great Kinds and of the paradeigma in the development of Plato's thought. Anna Marmodoro argues that Plato is ground-breaking in the history of metaphysics, in different ways from those acknowledged so far, and with respect to more metaphysical questions than had been hitherto appreciated; e.g. Plato's treatment of structure as property; of complexity; and his introduction of the first ever account of metaphysical emergence. In addition to these results, Marmodoro makes Anaxagoras's and Plato's systems philosophically accessible to us, today's philosophers, by applying conceptual tools from analytic metaphysics to the study of ancient metaphysics. In this way, the book brings Anaxagoras's and Plato's ideas to bear on todays' philosophical discussions and opens up new venues of research for current philosophical discussions.


Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics

Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics

Author: Anna Marmodoro

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0197577156

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book investigates the thought of two of the most influential philosophers from antiquity, Plato and his predecessor Anaxagoras, with respect to their metaphysical account of objects and their properties. The book's subject matter is of wide interest to philosophers and historians of philosophy alike. The methodology applied in the study of the subject matter in this book also facilitates reaching out to both domains of readership. The innovative (and possiblycontroversial) claims made in the book will spark debate and bring the book at the forefront of current discussions in philosophy.


Book Synopsis Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics by : Anna Marmodoro

Download or read book Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics written by Anna Marmodoro and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the thought of two of the most influential philosophers from antiquity, Plato and his predecessor Anaxagoras, with respect to their metaphysical account of objects and their properties. The book's subject matter is of wide interest to philosophers and historians of philosophy alike. The methodology applied in the study of the subject matter in this book also facilitates reaching out to both domains of readership. The innovative (and possiblycontroversial) claims made in the book will spark debate and bring the book at the forefront of current discussions in philosophy.


Plato, Metaphysics and the Forms

Plato, Metaphysics and the Forms

Author: Francis A. Grabowski

Publisher: Continuum

Published: 2008-06-24

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13:

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An important new monograph on Plato's metaphysics, focusing on the theory of the forms, which is the central philosophical concept in Plato's theory.


Book Synopsis Plato, Metaphysics and the Forms by : Francis A. Grabowski

Download or read book Plato, Metaphysics and the Forms written by Francis A. Grabowski and published by Continuum. This book was released on 2008-06-24 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An important new monograph on Plato's metaphysics, focusing on the theory of the forms, which is the central philosophical concept in Plato's theory.


Plato's Forms

Plato's Forms

Author: William A. Welton

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 9780739105146

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The "theory of forms" usually attributed to Plato is one of the most famous of philosophical theories, yet it has engendered such controversy in the literature on Plato that scholars even debate whether or not such a theory exists in his texts. Plato's Forms: Varieties of Interpretation is an ambitious work that brings together, in a single volume, widely divergent approaches to the topic of the forms in Plato's dialogues. With contributions rooted in both Anglo-American and Continental philosophy, the book illustrates the contentious role the forms have played in Platonic scholarship and suggests new approaches to a central problem of Plato studies.


Book Synopsis Plato's Forms by : William A. Welton

Download or read book Plato's Forms written by William A. Welton and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "theory of forms" usually attributed to Plato is one of the most famous of philosophical theories, yet it has engendered such controversy in the literature on Plato that scholars even debate whether or not such a theory exists in his texts. Plato's Forms: Varieties of Interpretation is an ambitious work that brings together, in a single volume, widely divergent approaches to the topic of the forms in Plato's dialogues. With contributions rooted in both Anglo-American and Continental philosophy, the book illustrates the contentious role the forms have played in Platonic scholarship and suggests new approaches to a central problem of Plato studies.


Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth

Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth

Author: Blake E. Hestir

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-04-21

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 1107132320

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Blake E. Hestir's examination of Plato's conception of truth challenges a long tradition of interpretation in ancient scholarship.


Book Synopsis Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth by : Blake E. Hestir

Download or read book Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth written by Blake E. Hestir and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Blake E. Hestir's examination of Plato's conception of truth challenges a long tradition of interpretation in ancient scholarship.


Forms, Matter and Mind

Forms, Matter and Mind

Author: E. N. Ostenfeld

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 940097681X

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The present work is an attempt to analyse critically Plato's views on mind and body and more particularly on the mind-body relationship within the wider setting of Plato's metaphysics. We seek to achieve this by a philosophical examination"-of the dialogues on the basis of a generally accepted order (some revision of this order is a by-product of our examination). Strictly speaking "soul" ought perhaps to be substituted for "mind" in the above. But it seems to be in terms of "mind" that modern philosophers deal with and refer to the problem that Plato tackled (mainly) in terms of psyche, and as it is part of the motivation for dealing with Plato's treatment that it is of importance for the modern debate, it has been felt necessary to stress the rough identity* of the problem in the title of the book (and in the Introduction, in the title of Part Three and a few other places). Below this superordinate level we try to keep "mind" as a translation typically of nous and "soul" as a translation of psyche.


Book Synopsis Forms, Matter and Mind by : E. N. Ostenfeld

Download or read book Forms, Matter and Mind written by E. N. Ostenfeld and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present work is an attempt to analyse critically Plato's views on mind and body and more particularly on the mind-body relationship within the wider setting of Plato's metaphysics. We seek to achieve this by a philosophical examination"-of the dialogues on the basis of a generally accepted order (some revision of this order is a by-product of our examination). Strictly speaking "soul" ought perhaps to be substituted for "mind" in the above. But it seems to be in terms of "mind" that modern philosophers deal with and refer to the problem that Plato tackled (mainly) in terms of psyche, and as it is part of the motivation for dealing with Plato's treatment that it is of importance for the modern debate, it has been felt necessary to stress the rough identity* of the problem in the title of the book (and in the Introduction, in the title of Part Three and a few other places). Below this superordinate level we try to keep "mind" as a translation typically of nous and "soul" as a translation of psyche.


Unity and Development in Plato's Metaphysics (RLE: Plato)

Unity and Development in Plato's Metaphysics (RLE: Plato)

Author: William Prior

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-12-13

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 1136236023

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Studies of Plato’s metaphysics have tended to emphasise either the radical change between the early Theory of Forms and the late doctrines of the Timaeus and the Sophist, or to insist on a unity of approach that is unchanged throughout Plato’s career. The author lays out an alternative approach. Focussing on two metaphysical doctrines of central importance to Plato’s thought – the Theory of Forms and the doctrine of Being and Becoming – he suggests a continuous progress can be traced through Plato’s works. He presents his argument through an examination of the metaphysical sections of six of the dialogues: the Euthyphro, Phaedo, Republic, Parmenides, Timaeus, and Sophist.


Book Synopsis Unity and Development in Plato's Metaphysics (RLE: Plato) by : William Prior

Download or read book Unity and Development in Plato's Metaphysics (RLE: Plato) written by William Prior and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-12-13 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Studies of Plato’s metaphysics have tended to emphasise either the radical change between the early Theory of Forms and the late doctrines of the Timaeus and the Sophist, or to insist on a unity of approach that is unchanged throughout Plato’s career. The author lays out an alternative approach. Focussing on two metaphysical doctrines of central importance to Plato’s thought – the Theory of Forms and the doctrine of Being and Becoming – he suggests a continuous progress can be traced through Plato’s works. He presents his argument through an examination of the metaphysical sections of six of the dialogues: the Euthyphro, Phaedo, Republic, Parmenides, Timaeus, and Sophist.


Inquiry, Forms, and Substances

Inquiry, Forms, and Substances

Author: Thomas Blackson

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 9401102813

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i. Introductory remarks 1 Plato, but not Socrates, concluded that the Forms are substances. Whether the Forms are substances is not an issue that Socrates had in mind. He did not deny it, but neither did he affirm it. If Socrates were asked a series of questions designed to determine whether he believed that the Forms are substances, he would admit that he had no opinion about this philosophical issue. Unlike Plato, Socrates was not a metaphysician. The same, of course, would not have always been true of Plato. Unlike Socrates, he was a metaphysician. At some point in his career, and at least by the time of the Phaedo and the Republic, Plato did what Socrates never thought to do. Plato considered the question and concluded that the Forms are substances. Although this development occurred more than two thousand years ago, time has not eclipsed its importance. It is one of the most seminal events in the history of the philosophy. With his defense of Socrates's method of intellectual inquiry, and the development of his Theory of Forms, Plato caused a now familiar cluster of metaphysical and epistemological issues to become central to philosophy.


Book Synopsis Inquiry, Forms, and Substances by : Thomas Blackson

Download or read book Inquiry, Forms, and Substances written by Thomas Blackson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: i. Introductory remarks 1 Plato, but not Socrates, concluded that the Forms are substances. Whether the Forms are substances is not an issue that Socrates had in mind. He did not deny it, but neither did he affirm it. If Socrates were asked a series of questions designed to determine whether he believed that the Forms are substances, he would admit that he had no opinion about this philosophical issue. Unlike Plato, Socrates was not a metaphysician. The same, of course, would not have always been true of Plato. Unlike Socrates, he was a metaphysician. At some point in his career, and at least by the time of the Phaedo and the Republic, Plato did what Socrates never thought to do. Plato considered the question and concluded that the Forms are substances. Although this development occurred more than two thousand years ago, time has not eclipsed its importance. It is one of the most seminal events in the history of the philosophy. With his defense of Socrates's method of intellectual inquiry, and the development of his Theory of Forms, Plato caused a now familiar cluster of metaphysical and epistemological issues to become central to philosophy.


Image and Reality in Plato's Metaphysics

Image and Reality in Plato's Metaphysics

Author: Richard Patterson

Publisher:

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Image and Reality in Plato's Metaphysics by : Richard Patterson

Download or read book Image and Reality in Plato's Metaphysics written by Richard Patterson and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


The Dialectic of Essence

The Dialectic of Essence

Author: Allan Silverman

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2009-02-09

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 1400825342

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The Dialectic of Essence offers a systematic new account of Plato's metaphysics. Allan Silverman argues that the best way to make sense of the metaphysics as a whole is to examine carefully what Plato says about ousia (essence) from the Meno through the middle period dialogues, the Phaedo and the Republic, and into several late dialogues including the Parmenides, the Sophist, the Philebus, and the Timaeus. This book focuses on three fundamental facets of the metaphysics: the theory of Forms; the nature of particulars; and Plato's understanding of the nature of metaphysical inquiry. Silverman seeks to show how Plato conceives of "Being" as a unique way in which an essence is related to a Form. Conversely, partaking ("having") is the way in which a material particular is related to its properties: Particulars, thus, in an important sense lack essence. Additionally, the author closely analyzes Plato's idea that the relation between Forms and particulars is mediated by form-copies. Even when some late dialogues provide a richer account of particulars, Silverman maintains that particulars are still denied essence. Indeed, with the Timaeus's introduction of the receptacle, there are no particulars of the traditional variety. This book cogently demonstrates that when we understand that Plato's concern with essence lies at the root of his metaphysics, we are better equipped to find our way through the labyrinth of his dialogues and to better appreciate how they form a coherent theory.


Book Synopsis The Dialectic of Essence by : Allan Silverman

Download or read book The Dialectic of Essence written by Allan Silverman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2009-02-09 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Dialectic of Essence offers a systematic new account of Plato's metaphysics. Allan Silverman argues that the best way to make sense of the metaphysics as a whole is to examine carefully what Plato says about ousia (essence) from the Meno through the middle period dialogues, the Phaedo and the Republic, and into several late dialogues including the Parmenides, the Sophist, the Philebus, and the Timaeus. This book focuses on three fundamental facets of the metaphysics: the theory of Forms; the nature of particulars; and Plato's understanding of the nature of metaphysical inquiry. Silverman seeks to show how Plato conceives of "Being" as a unique way in which an essence is related to a Form. Conversely, partaking ("having") is the way in which a material particular is related to its properties: Particulars, thus, in an important sense lack essence. Additionally, the author closely analyzes Plato's idea that the relation between Forms and particulars is mediated by form-copies. Even when some late dialogues provide a richer account of particulars, Silverman maintains that particulars are still denied essence. Indeed, with the Timaeus's introduction of the receptacle, there are no particulars of the traditional variety. This book cogently demonstrates that when we understand that Plato's concern with essence lies at the root of his metaphysics, we are better equipped to find our way through the labyrinth of his dialogues and to better appreciate how they form a coherent theory.