The Handbook of Platonism (Clarendon Later Ancient Philosopher) (Clarendon Later Ancient Philosophers)

John Dillon presents the first English translation of Alcinous's Handbook of Platonism , accompanied by an introduction and a philosophical commentary that reveal the intellectual background to the ideas in the work. The Handbook purports to be an introduction to the doctrines of Plato, but in fact gives us an excellent survey of Platonist thought in the second century A.D. Cover......Page 1 Front......Page 2 Copyright......Page 5 Preface......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 List of Abbreviations......Page 9 1. The Author......Page 10 2. The Work......Page 14 2.1 Logic......Page 16 2.2 Physics......Page 18 2.3 Ethics......Page 23 3· Stylistic and Structural Features of the Treatise:The Question of Sources......Page 28 4.1 Logic......Page 31 4.2 Physics......Page 32 4·3 Ethics......Page 38 4·4 Conclusion......Page 41 5.2 Printed Texts......Page 42 TRANSLATION......Page 46 2. The Contemplative and the Practical Life......Page 48 3· The Parts of Philosophy......Page 49 4· The Judging of Truth and Theory of Knowledge......Page 50 5· Dialectic......Page 53 6. Syllogistic......Page 55 7. Mathematics......Page 58 8. Matter......Page 60 9· The Forms......Page 61 10. God......Page 62 11. The Incorporeality of Qualities......Page 64 12. The Generation of the World......Page 65 13. The Formation of the Elements......Page 67 14. The Soul of the World, the Stars, the Planets......Page 68 15. The Created Gods......Page 70 17. The Construction of the Human Body......Page 71 18. The Sense of Sight......Page 72 19. Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch......Page 73 22. The Diseases of Man and Their Causes......Page 75 24. The Soul and Its Parts......Page 76 25. The Immortality of the Soul......Page 77 26. Man and Fate......Page 79 27. The Highest Good and Happiness......Page 80 28. The End for Man: Likeness to God......Page 82 29. Virtue......Page 83 30. Good Natural Dispositions and Progress towards Virtue......Page 85 31. The Involuntariness of Vice......Page 86 32. The Emotions......Page 87 33· Friendship and Love......Page 89 34· Politics: The Various Types of State and Constitution......Page 91 36. Conclusion......Page 92 COMMENTARY......Page 94 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 257 INDEX LOCORUM......Page 262 INDEX NOMINUM......Page 268 SUBJECT INDEX......Page 271 Cover 1 Front 2 Copyright 5 Preface 6 Contents 8 List of Abbreviations 9 INTRODUCTION 10 1. The Author 10 2. The Work 14 2.1 Logic 16 2.2 Physics 18 2.3 Ethics 23 3路 Stylistic and Structural Features of the Treatise:The Question of Sources 28 4路 The Didaskalikos in Context: The Middle-Platonic Background 31 4.1 Logic 31 4.2 Physics 32 4路3 Ethics 38 4路4 Conclusion 41 5路 A Note on the Manuscript Tradition, and on Previous Editions and Translations 42 5.1 The Manuscript 42 5.2 Printed Texts 42 TRANSLATION 46 1. Definition of Philosophy and the Philosopher 48 2. The Contemplative and the Practical Life 48 3路 The Parts of Philosophy 49 4路 The Judging of Truth and Theory of Knowledge 50 5路 Dialectic 53 6. Syllogistic 55 7. Mathematics 58 8. Matter 60 9路 The Forms 61 10. God 62 11. The Incorporeality of Qualities 64 12. The Generation of the World 65 13. The Formation of the Elements 67 14. The Soul of the World, the Stars, the Planets 68 15. The Created Gods 70 16. Creation of Man and Other Living Beings 71 17. The Construction of the Human Body 71 18. The Sense of Sight 72 19. Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch 73 20. Heaviness and Lightness 75 21. Breathing 75 22. The Diseases of Man and Their Causes 75 23. The Soul in Relation to the Body 76 24. The Soul and Its Parts 76 25. The Immortality of the Soul 77 26. Man and Fate 79 27. The Highest Good and Happiness 80 28. The End for Man: Likeness to God 82 29. Virtue 83 30. Good Natural Dispositions and Progress towards Virtue 85 31. The Involuntariness of Vice 86 32. The Emotions 87 33路 Friendship and Love 89 34路 Politics: The Various Types of State and Constitution 91 35路 The Difference between the Philosopher and the Sophist 92 36. Conclusion 92 COMMENTARY 94 BIBLIOGRAPHY 257 INDEX LOCORUM 262 INDEX NOMINUM 268 SUBJECT INDEX 271 The Handbook of Platonism, or Didaskalikos, attributed to Alcinous (long identified with the Middle Platonist Albinus, but on inadequate grounds), is a central text of later Platonism. In Byzantine times, in the Italian Renaissance, and even up to 1800, it was regarded as an ideal introduction to Plato's thought. In fact it is far from being this, but it is an excellent source for our understanding of Platonism in the second century AD. Neglected after a more accurate view of Plato's thought established itself in the nineteenth century, the Handbook is only now coming to be properly appreciated for what it is. It presents a survey of Platonist doctrine, divided into the topics of Logic, Physics, and Ethics, and pervaded with Aristotelian and Stoic doctrines, all of which are claimed for Plato. John Dillon presents an English translation of this work, accompanied by an introduction and a philosophical commentary in which he disentangles the various strands of influence, elucidates the complex scholastic tradition that lies behind, and thus reveals the sources and subsequent influence of the ideas expounded

John Dillon presents the first English translation of Alcinous's Handbook of Platonism, accompanied by an introduction and a philosophical commentary which reveal the intellectual background to the ideas in the work. The Handbook purports to be an introduction to the doctrines of Plato, but in fact gives us an excellent survey of Platonist thought in the second century A.D.

John Dillon presents an English translation of Alcinous' Handbook of Platonism, accompanied by an introduction and a philosophical commentary which explain the ideas in the work and show their intellectual and historical context. The Handbook purports to be an introduction to the doctrines of Plato, but in fact gives us an excellent survey of Platonist thought in the second century AD. 1. The following is a presentation of the principal doctrines of Plato .