Concepts of Space in Greek Thought (Philosophia Antiqua) (Philosophia Antiqua)

Concepts of Space in Greek Thought studies ancient Greek theories of physical space and place, in particular those of the classical and Hellenistic period. These theories are explained primarily with reference to the general philosophical or methodological framework within which they took shape. Special attention is paid to the nature and status of the sources. Two introductory chapters deal with the interrelations between various concepts of space and with Greek spatial terminology (including case studies of the Eleatics, Democritus and Epicurus). The remaining chapters contain detailed studies on the theories of space of Plato, Aristotle, the early Peripatetics and the Stoics. The book is especially useful for historians of ancient physics, but may also be of interest to students of Aristotelian dialectic, ancient metaphysics, doxography, and medieval and early modern physics. Concepts of Space in Greek Thought 3 Table of Contents 7 Abbreviations 9 Introduction 11 1 Writing the History of Concepts of Space 17 Introduction 17 1.1 Concepts of space and place within different theories 20 1.2 Initial and final descriptions 32 Conclusions 39 2 Topos, Chôra, Kenon: Some Case Studies 41 Introduction 41 2.1 Chôra and topos 43 2.2 To kenon 48 Conclusions 80 3 Concepts of Space in Plato's Timaeus 82 Introduction 82 3.1 The receptacle as matter and space 86 3.2 The receptacle as space: incompatible perspectives 103 3.3 Aristotle's criticisms of Plato's receptacle 120 Conclusions 128 4 Conceptions of Topos in Aristotle 131 Introduction 131 4.1 Topos and the category of quantity 133 4.2 The synthesizing approach 146 4.3 The developmental approach 153 4.4 Aristotle's dialectical method and the topos discussion of Phys. ∆ 163 4.5 Unorthodox conceptions of topos in the physical works 192 Conclusions 199 5 Problems in Aristotle's Theory of Place and Early Peripatetic Reactions 202 Introduction 202 5.1 A problem in Aristotle: natural place and the explanation of natural motion 205 5.2 The problem of the immobility of place 232 5.3 Theophrastus' critique of Aristotle's theory of place 241 5.4 Aristotle's theory of Place and Eudemus of Rhodes 258 Conclusions 268 6 Place, Space and Void in Stoic Thought 271 Introduction 271 6.1 Topos, chôra, and kenon: early Stoic technical terms and definitions 273 6.2 Chôra and the interpretation of Plutarch SR 1054b-1055a 292 6.3 The ontology of place and void in early Stoic thought 318 6.4 Posidonius and the Stoic theory of the extra-cosmic void 331 Conclusions 345 Appendix: the Stoic theory of space and Aristotelian Physics 346 Bibliography 351 Indices 361 (I} Index Locorum 361 (II} General Index 372 This work studies ancient Greek theories of physical space and place, in particular those of the classical and Hellenistic period. These theories are explained primarily with reference to the general philosophical or methodological framework within which they took shape. Special attention is paid to the nature and status of the sources. Two introductory chapters deal with the interrelations between various concepts of space and with Greek spatial terminology (including case studies of the Eleatics, Democritus and Epicurus). The remaining chapters contain detailed studies on the theories of space of Plato, Aristotle, the early Peripatetics and the Stoics. This book should be of particular interest for historians of ancient physics, but may also be of interest to students of Aristotelian dialect, ancient metaphysics, doxography and medieval and early modern physics. This book provides detailed information about the theories of place and space of the ancient atomists, Plato, Aristotle, Peripatetics, Stoics and others, about the historical and philosophical context of these theories and about the nature of the relevant sources.