Reason and Necessity

Essays on Plato's Timaeus

edited by M. R. Wright

Book cover: Reason and Necessity

Extent: 191 pages

Publisher: The Classical Press of Wales

Subjects: Classical Studies

Series: Athens

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(November 2023)

ISBN: 9781914535253

Price: $36.00

Out of stock

(Hardback) (Out of print)

(December 2000)

ISBN: 9780715630570

6.1 x 9.17 inches

Price: $77.00

Out of stock

(PDF) (Published)

(December 2000)

ISBN: 9781914535154

Price: $62.00

Plato’s Timaeus contains a powerful and influential myth, of the construction of the universe by a divine craftsman. A god imposes reason on necessity, to bring order from a primeval ‘receptacle’ of disordered matter. There results the ‘child’ that is the cosmos – a copy of an eternally-existing perfect model. Here eight new essays from a distinguished international cast, explore aspects of this challenging work: the principles of the mythical narrative, how the world soul and human body are formed, implications for illness – mental and physical, the importance of music and harmonious proportion. Later developments are also treated: Aristotle’s theory of generation, the commentary of Proclus and elements of modern evolutionary theory.

Preface Introduction Outline of topics in Plato's Timaeus xvi 1. Myth, science and reason in the Timaeus - M.R. Wright 2. How to build a world soul: a practical guide - Sergio Zedda 3. How to build a human body: an idealist's guide - Scott Burgess 4. The body's fault? Plato's Timaeus on psychic illness - Christopher Gill 5. Timaeus on music and the liver - Andrew Barker 6. Aristotle's understanding of Plato's Receptacle - Lesley Dean-Jones 7. Proclus on demiurgy and procession in the Timaeus - Jan Opsomer 8. Zoogony and evolution in Plato's Timaeus, the Presocratics, Lucretius and Darwin -Gordon Campbell Bibliography of main editions Index locorum General index

  • Edited by M. R. Wright