Nature and necessity in Aristotle’s "Physics"

Author(s): Jarosław Olesiak / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2015

In Physics II.8 Aristotle claims that the type of necessity found in natural processes is not simple necessity as the ancient physicalists maintained, but hypothetical necessity. The article first considers the textual context within which this issue arises. Then it examines two basic elements of Aristotle’s conceptual apparatus, nature and necessity. It considers his understanding of nature as an inner source of activity and calls attention to the ontological problem of the location of this source within the very entity whose source it is. Next, it examines the various sorts of necessity that Aristotle distinguishes, identifies the sense of necessity that is at work in the ancient physicalist account of natural coming to be, and contrasts it with the hypothetical necessity he proposes. It points out that there remains the unresolved problem of Aristotle’s use in the natural domain of the simple necessity that he elsewhere explicitly reserves to the realm of the unchanging and eternal.

The Feminine, the Origin of Evil and the Motion of Matter in Plutarch’s De animae procreatione

Author(s): Lunette Warren / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

Plutarch’s De animae procreatione is, by the author’s own admission, an unusual account of the cosmogony in the Timaeus, yet what is most original about it is often overlooked. The philosopher and biographer has a relatively positive view of women’s intellectual capabilities, including their ability to attain virtue, and as such the suggestion that the feminine principle of the cosmos is the origin of sublunary evil presents both an ethical and a metaphysical problem. Plutarch attempts to solve this problem by separating Matter from its movement, thus theorising a third kind, disorderly motion that ultimately causes evil. Even so, he maintains a close relationship between Motion and Matter by stressing their acosmic interaction, which allows for a degree of scepticism regarding the feminine and the female while creating space for the virtue of women. He does so by incorporating Matter and Motion into a single acosmic principle of disorder, the Indefinite Dyad. This division of kinds is apparent also in De Iside, where it becomes clear that Plutarch intends to frame the feminine as a potentially positive force in the cosmos.

Skeptiški svarstymai. Ciceronas „Apie Lemtį“

Author(s): Tatjana Aleknienė / Language(s): Lithuanian Issue: 102/2020

The new translation of Cicero’s De fato (On fate), which was published a few months ago by Jonas ir Jokūbas publishing house, is here reviewed in the spirit of academic skepticism. The value of book is weighed in utramque partem. This edition is undoubtedly useful as an authentic historical and philosophical account of philosophical discussion and disputes regarding the question of fate in 3rd - 1st centuries BC. The cover and the front matter of the book lead us to believe that this is the first volume for a series of Cicero’s philosophical works. It is indeed commendable that a group of scholars of philosophy (or, in case of De fato – of logic) and those of ancient philology were involved in the process of laying the groundwork for the series. The value of the book is somewhat lessened by the translator’s neglect of the historical context of Hellenistic philosophy in the introduction and the commentary. In the translation itself, there are quite a few inaccuracies and errors; Review of: Cicero „ON FATE“; Translated from Latin and with Introduction and Commentary by Živilė Pabijutaitė Vilnius: Jonas ir Jokūbas, 2019, 80 p. ISBN 978-609-8236-07-1; Review by: Tatjana Aleknienė

Что Афины Иерусалиму? Раннее христианство и Вторая софистика

Author(s): Aleksey Panteleev / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The article deals with the early Christian literature of the 2nd–3rd centuries in the context of the Second Sophistic. Famous sophists and Christian intellectuals were contemporaries, and they were educated by the same teachers. The focus of the article is on such themes as the claims of apologists for the status of ambassadors to the Roman emperors, the desire to demonstrate their education and include Christianity in the mainstream of development of ancient culture, an appeal to Greek history. When Christians tried to prove the truth of their views on the world and the deity and to demon-strate the superiority of their culture and their own tradition, they often used ideas and methods borrowed from the arsenal of Second sophistic.

Естественное право как способ достижения общего блага: интерпретация аргументов Фомы Аквинского и Дж. Финниса

Author(s): Anton Didikin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The paper interprets the arguments of Thomas Aquinas on natural law as a way to achieve the common good, which had a significant impact on John Finnis’ natural law theory. The author reveals the conceptual foundations of J. Finnis’ understanding the morally justified actions of people in the community aimed at the obtaining of basic benefits, and the debatable issues of his theory in modern philosophical and legal research. The author arrives to the conclusion that the reinterpretation of J. Finnis analysis of the grounds for ethically significant actions leads him to formulate an instrumental approach to natural law as a rational way to implement a decent life.

Еще раз к вопросу: счастлив ли пирронический скептик? О понятиях ἀταραξία и πάθος у Секста Эмпирика

Author(s): Denis Maslov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The article tackles the question whether the Pyrrhonian skeptic can be happy having “pathe” in his life. Thus, the consistency of Pyrrhonian skepticism is discussed. In the first section, I consider the notions of ataraxia and tarache. The source of unhappiness is considered by Sextus to be beliefs about the good and the evil, which give rise to intense longing that creates anxiety. Sceptical suspension of judgement extirpates beliefs and therefore this anxiety. In the second section, the notion of pathe is analyzed in comparison with the Stoics. Pathe, such as hunger, thirst, pain, etc., are inevitably and involuntarily present in the life and they create a certain kind of distress. Because of their unreasonable and necessary nature, pathe cannot be disposed of but are nevertheless moderate and hence bearable. The question is, therefore, whether pathe can cause distress directly or through compelling people to form beliefs, which is examined in the third section. Sextus clearly distinguishes between these things as being dependent (beliefs) and independent (pathe) from us. A presupposition that beliefs are exclusively in our power was widely held at the time. On that ground, I argue that pathe do not originate anxiety for they cannot compel us to form beliefs. In addition, such conditions do not cause great agitation and therefore they cannot be a source of unhappiness. Those who hold something for good or true are burdened with a double distress – mental suffering from beliefs and from pathos. Thus, the skeptical life is better off than the dogmatic one. In the last section, I try to show on example of mental pathe, which are not bodily (the search for truth, love for people, the ethos of the community), that even they do not compel the sceptic to form beliefs.

Математическая шутка из «Политика» и пределы рациональности в философии Платона

Author(s): Roman Svetlov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The «mathematical joke» from the Statesman is a good occasion for discussing the irrational in Plato's philosophy. This joke demonstrates that human nature is ungraspable in a rational way. Actually, the theme of human irrationality is present in a number of key-texts of Plato's anthropology. This topic is also important for other fundamental problems of his philosophy. The central word is «δύναμις», which is found in those texts of Plato, where he discusses the concepts of existence, knowledge, and the Form of the Good. The specificity of the using this word by Plato gives us an opportunity to have a new look at the basic strategies of his philosophy.

«Иное»: ноэсис и онтология («Софист» 255c8–d7)

Author(s): Irina Protopopova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The article provides a commentary on the “Sophist” 255c8–d7, where a question arises, whether it is necessary to introduce the eidos “Other” after the justification of Movement, Rest, Being, and Same as separate genera. In the discussion of the Other, two more eide resurface, τὰ αὐτὰ καθ' αὑτά and τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἄλλα, whose logical necessity in the course of the discussion stays in doubt. The question is raised, why was it necessary to introduce these types of being when discussing the genus of the “Other”? A brief summary of modern approaches to the passage is given; thereupon the ontological meaning of these eide is examined on the example of several Plato’s dialogues (“Phaedo”, “Symposium”, “Republic”, “Philebus”). Consulting the “Timaeus” allows us to show how these eide, in the form of two main genera (“paradigm” and “imprint”), relate to the division of existence into “self” and “reflection” in the “Sophist” (266a8–c4), and the third genus, “chora”, to the “nature of the Other” in the “Sophist”. The closeness of the descriptions of “chora” in the “Timaeus” with being figuring as Other in the analyzed passage from the “Sophist”, is reinforced by the description of being as Other in the “Parmenides”. It is concluded that the unexpected inclusion in the discussion of the five great genera of the two main eide of being indicates the ontological status of the “noetic whole” described through the interaction of the five great genera. In the final part of the paper, it is shown that the World Soul in the “Timaeus” is a “three-dimensional” cosmological image of the “noetic quintet” of the “Sophist”, which can probably explain the unnecessary, at first glance, inclusion of two ontological eide, τὰ αὐτὰ καθ' αὑτά and τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἄλλα, in the logical reasoning about the need for a genus of the “Other”.

Научный реализм в истории античной философии

Author(s): Alexander Sanzhenakov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The article is devoted to the consideration of the possibility of applying the methodological principles of scientific realism in the history of ancient philosophy. The author shows that in its strong version, scientific realism is not an appropriate basis for historical research, since it involves minimizing the number of interpretations of philo-sophical material of the past. Another serious drawback of applying strong versions of scientific realism in the history of philosophy is their focus on the correspondent theory of truth. This theory does not fit the historian of philosophy, since she aims not only at creating a realistic picture of the past, but also at incorporating the philosophical ideas of the past into the modern context, therefore a coherent theory of truth is more likely to meet her objectives. After a brief review of the weak versions of realism (H. Putnam’s “internal realism”, S. Blackburn’s “quasi-realism” and “sensibility theory”), the author concludes that these kinds of realism are more suitable for the history of philosophy in general and for the history of ancient philosophy in particular. As a result, the author concludes that the historian of philosophy must take into account the objectivity and independence of the philosophical ideas of the past, and inevitably be guided by his own conceptual and terminological facilities in order to incorporate the ideas of the past into the modern philosophical context.

Безымянные запахи: теория обоняния в «Тимее» Платона

Author(s): Nadezhda Volkova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The article is devoted to the problem of the sense of smell in Plato’s Timaeus. Any study of Plato’s doctrines requires first of all an examination of the rich tradition of the exegesis of his texts. In this article, author discusses the works of such famous scholars of Plato’s philosophy as Francis Cornford, Gregory Vlastos, Denis O’Brien and others. Despite the fact that the problem of the sense of smell is not among the central themes in Plato's cosmology, it turns out to be connected with many of them: the problem of the correspondence elements to forms of regular polyhedra, the problem of division into species of elements, the question of the structure of surfaces of regular polyhedra, etc. The author tried to present the question of the sense of smell in the Timaeus as a consistent theory, which can be placed in the context of the theories of his predecessors, such as Alcmaeon, Empedocles and Democritus, and his followers, first of all Aristotle. The author accepts the view that odours are mixtures of water and air (Vlastos). Reconstructing the theory of the sense of smell as a part of the whole theory of perception, the author comes to the conclusion that odours have no species and names because they don’t belong to the one idea of the element. Unlike colors, sounds and juices (which retain their identity even being mixed with other elements: color – with fire, taste – with water, sound – with air) odours have a half-formed, mixed, nature. In the light of this reconstruction, Plato’s theory of odours appears to pave the way to a more developed Aristotle’s theory of smell.

Гераклид Понтийский об удовольствии

Author(s): Eugene Afonasin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

Heraclides of Pontus (c. 388–310 BCE), a Platonic philosopher, worked in various literary genres. He discussed such typical Platonic topics as the transmigration of the soul, composed philosophical lives, dialogues or treaties about politics, literature, history, geography, etc., and wrote a series of works on astronomy and the philosophy of nature. Nothing is preserved. The present publication contains a collection of scant doxographic testimonies about Heraclides’ lost ethical and political writings. The evidences are translated and numbered according to a new edition by Schütrumpf et al. 2008.

Горгий Леонтийский. Фрагменты и свидетельства

Author(s): Eugene Afonasin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

Gorgias (483–375 BCE), a famous Ancient Greek philosopher and orator. According to ancient testimonies he was praised for his eloquence and published numerous literary works, but very little is preserved. The present publication contains a collection of scant doxographic evidence about Gorgias’ life and writings and a translation of two his extant speeches The Encomium on Helen and the Apologia of Palamedes. The evidences are based on A. Laks and G. Most’ Early Greek Philosophy (2016).

Страсбургский папирус Эмпедокла (окончание). Перевод и комментарий

Author(s): Anna Afonasina / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

The works completes a Russian commented translation of Empedocles’ fragments available from the Strasburg papyrus. I present here the sequence of the Ensembles b, d and f with the addition of some other fragments known before papyrus’ first publication in 1999. This badly fragmented piece of evidence is translated into Russian for the first time.

Письмо №33 Михаила Пселла: философское объяснение благоухания умерших тел

Author(s): Andrey Kurbanov,Lydia Spyridonova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2020

This article proposes a commentary and a Russian translation of Letter KD 33, written by the Byzantine philosopher Michael Psellos to his friend John Mauropous. Both correspondents were among the most prominent figures of the revival of Platonism in the 11th century. Their writings provide a notable example of the adaptation of Platonic philosophy to Byzantine needs. The letter was sent after a sorrowful event — the death of Mauropous’ brother, whose corpse, however, started to exude a sweet floral fragrance. Psellos argues that the “odor of sanctity” proceeds from the soul, which has received a divine myrrh, emanating from God. But how could it be that this supernatural aroma proceeds even after the soul’s departure? The author suggests that the human body par-takes not only of the earthly primary substances, but also of the ether, which is involved in forming the man’s logos. During the process of dissolution between soul and body, the intellectual fire burns the earthly substances of blood out, whereas its heavenly substance continues to remain. This ethereal essence, retaining the sweet-smelling aroma of the soul, exhales it around after the physical death.

LAKS, ANDRÊ: The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy. Its Origin, Development, and Significance

Author(s): Geoffrey S. Bowe / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

The review of: LAKS, ANDRÊ, trans. Glenn W. Most. The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy. Its Origin, Development, and Significance. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018, Pp. X | 137. Hardback, $29.95 ISBN 978-0-691-17545-4.

ACTUALITATEA NOŢIUNII MIMESIS

Author(s): Mihaela Pop / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1-2/2017

We believe that the most appropriate way we can approach the Aristotelian thought after 2400 years is to take a critical attitude to see to what extent elements of this thinking are present or have stimulated certain concepts of the contemporary artistic consciousness. That is why I opted for the re-reading of the mimesis notion to which Aristotle, but also Plato, contributed fundamentally.

arisTOTacum

Author(s): Diana Vasile / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1-2/2017

The article presents a review of the arisTOTacum lecture, performed by professor Dan Vasiliu during the Aristotel 2400 seminar and the impressions of the project collaborators.

Czy habitus jest nawykiem? Analiza definicji habitusu oraz jego roli w Arystotelesowskiej teorii działania

Author(s): Agata Machcewicz-Grad / Language(s): Polish Issue: XXV/2019

The article consists of two main parts in which I analyze the Aristotelian notion of habitus. The first examines it as an ontological notion which was introduced by Aristotle mainly in Categories and Metaphysics. In the second part I investigate the function of that notion within Aristotle’s action theory (in Nicomachean Ethics). The central question which arises in the course of the analysis is whether we should identify actions consequent upon habitus (or virtues and defects which are special cases of habitus) with actions consequent upon habit. A negative answer stems from Aristotle’s action theory: actions consequent upon habitus are not by definition unconscious or irrational. This answer turns to be more evident when Aristotle’s theory of practical reasoning is taken into account. Despite this, accustoming plays a significant role in the process of acquiring a habitus according to Aristotle.

The Physiology of Divination in Walter Burley

Author(s): Marek Gensler,Monika Mansfeld / Language(s): English Issue: XXV/2019

Walter Burley’s commentary on Aristotle’s De somno et vigilia, De insomniis, and De divinatione per somnium is an interesting presentation of early fourteenth century views concerning psychology and the physiology of sleep and dreaming. Prophetic dreams, the main subject of the third commented treatise, are interpreted as a special phenomenon belonging to that area of study. Supplementing the teaching of Aristotle with opinions found in commentaries of Albert the Great and Simon of Faversham, Burley tries to identify criteria that would allow a naturalist to establish the conditions of prophetic dreams. He does so by analysing the nature and conditions of sleep, and dreaming in general, and thus narrows down the characteristics of what amounts to a prophetic dream. It is interesting to see how Burley attempts to strengthen Aristotle’s position on prophetic dreams in order to secure stronger philosophical support for the thesis that prophetic dreams exist and function as means of communication between the deity and man.

Mor Segev, Aristotle on Religion, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017, 192 S.

Author(s): Henryk Anzulewicz / Language(s): German Issue: XXV/2019