Plato's Cosmology and Its Ethical Dimensions

by Carone, Gabriela Roxana

• ISBN13: 9781107657045
• ISBN10: 1107657040
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-08-31
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

Although a great deal has been written on Plato's ethics, his cosmology has not received so much attention in recent times, and its importance for his ethical thought has remained under-explored. By offering integrated accounts of Timaeus, Philebus, Politicus and Laws X, the book reveals a strongly symbiotic relation between the cosmic and the human sphere. It is argued that in his late period Plato presents a picture of an organic universe, endowed with structure and intrinsic value, which both urges our respect and calls for our responsible intervention. Humans are thus seen as citizens of a universe that can provide a context for their flourishing even in the absence of good political institutions. The book sheds new light on many intricate metaphysical issues in late Plato, and brings out the close connections between his cosmology and the development of his ethics.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Demiurgy in the Timaeus

Cosmic God and human reason in the Timaeus

Creating mixtures in the Philebus

Cosmos and human happiness in Philebus

Reversing the myth of the Politicus

Cosmic and human drama in the Politicus

Good and evil in Laws X

Conclusion

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