The Heirs of Plato is the first book exclusively devoted to an
in-depth study of the various directions in philosophy taken by
Plato's followers in the first seventy years or so following his death
in 347 BC. - the period generally known as 'The Old Academy'.
Speusippus, Xenocrates, and Polemon, the three successive heads of the
Academy in this period, though personally devoted to the memory of
Plato, were independent philosophers in their own right, and felt free
to develop his heritage in individual directions. This is also true of
other personalities attached to the school, such as Philippus of Opus,
Heraclides of Pontus, and Crantor of Soli. After an introductory
chapter on the school itself, and a summary of Plato's philosophical
heritage, John Dillon devotes a chapter to each of the school heads,
and another to the other chief characters, exploring both what holds
them together and what sets them apart. There is a final short chapter
devoted to the turn away from dogmatism to scepticism under Arcesilaus
in the 270s, and some reflections on the intellectual debt of Stoicism
to the thought of Polemon, in particular. Dillon's clear and
accessible book fills a significant gap in our understanding of
Plato's immediate philosophical influence, and will be of great value
to scholars and historians of ancient philosophy.
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A Study of the Old Academy (347-274 BC)
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780191519253
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Oxford University Press Academic UK
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter