Griffiths, Jonathan Edward;
(2022)
Soul, Cosmos and Mathematics in Plato's Timaeus.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
Jonathan Griffiths - PhD thesis.pdf - Submitted Version Download (2MB) | Preview |
Abstract
This thesis examines the generation and immortality of soul and the cosmos according to Plato’s Timaeus and in its early Academic reception. In doing so, it develops a new and unified interpretation of the so-called ‘literalism’ controversy around the Timaeus and its relationship to other aspects of Plato’s thought. The thesis contains an introduction, six main chapters, and a conclusion. Chapter 1 compares the nature of soul’s immortality in the final argument of the Phaedo and the Timaeus, arguing against a traditional view that there is no difference in kind between the two works. Chapter 2 establishes some new connections between the Phaedo’s account of Socrates’ ‘autobiography’ and the Timaeus’ approach to natural philosophy. Chapter 3 defends the full and unqualified ‘literalism’ of the Timaeus’ origin-story, resolving some controversies between ‘literal’ and ‘non-literal’ interpreters which have not been satisfactorily answered before now. Chapter 4 presents a new account of the early Platonists’ reaction of the Timaeus which is closely co-ordinated with both the Timaeus’ account itself and the Platonists’ own natural-philosophical and metaphysical views. Chapter 5 argues for a compatibilist understanding of the soul’s generation in the Timaeus, the soul’s description as un-generated in the Phaedrus, and the demonstration of soul’s priority to body in the Laws. Chapter 6 examines the close relationship between geometry and natural philosophy across several Platonic dialogues and relates this to the early Platonists’ reading of the Timaeus. In the Conclusion, I emphasise the significance of this thesis for the interpretation of the Timaeus, its relationship to other Platonic works and its reception in the early Academy.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Soul, Cosmos and Mathematics in Plato's Timaeus |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| Keywords: | Plato, Timaeus, soul, cosmos, mathematics, Platonism |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Science and Technology Studies UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10149062 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
