Middle Stoicism: Posidonius (1)

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This brilliant development of Stoicism continued in a completely different way with the Syrian Posidonius of Apamea (135-51). A great traveler and great observer of nature, he visited all the coasts of the Mediterranean, Sicily, the coasts of the Adriatic, … Read More

Orthodoxy and heresies in the 4th and 5th centuries (2)

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As for Pelagianism, the starting point of the conflict was an attempt at monastic reform by the monk Pelagius, who, in order to combat Christians who excused themselves, on the grounds of the weakness of the flesh, for not carrying … Read More

Middle Stoicism: Panetius of Rhodes

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(Panetius of Rhodes) Panetius of Rhodes was one of the most curious characters of the late 2nd century. The friendship which linked Panetius (as well as the historian Polybius) to eminent Romans of his time, to Scipio Aemilianus and to … Read More

Cynical Hedonism (1)

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One of the first manifestations of a current of thought very distinct from Stoicism and Epicureanism  in the 3rd century, in agreement with Stoicism in using dialectic and with Epicureanism in denying Stoic beliefs, but radically hostile to the dogmatism … Read More

Milesian physics (3): A physics of geographers and meteorologists

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This interpretation fits with the thesis of the plurality of worlds, one of Anaximander’s theses which will be taken up by Anaximenes; he admits, in fact, the simultaneous existence of several worlds which are born and perish within the eternal … Read More

Philosophy of the 14th century: Duns Scotus (2)

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Duns Scotus also seems to abandon the principle of universal analogy which, for Bonaventure and even for Saint Thomas, was the great driving force of continuity. By declaring that Being has a univocal and not equivocal meaning with regard to … Read More

The Epicurean Canonical

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Epicurus,” says Cicero, “has many very brilliant words; but he hardly cares to remain in agreement with himself.” (6) His philosophy is in fact one of those which proceeds by discrete and separate evidences, each of which is sufficient in … Read More

Plato and Platonism

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From the time immediately following Plato, there has been disagreement about the meaning of his dialogues. From Antiquity to the present day, we see divergent doctrines claiming to be his inspiration; at the time of Cicero, for example, some attached … Read More

The Stoics and Hellenism (2)

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We know the broad outlines of the political history of Greece at this time; it is a closed field where the successors of Alexander, particularly the kings of Macedonia and the Ptolemies, confront each other. The cities or leagues of … Read More

The diffusion of Aristotle’s works in the West during the 13th century

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The complete knowledge of Aristotle’s works, translated into Latin, either from Arabic or from Greek, open up to philosophical thought a field hitherto almost unknown and give for the first time the direct revelation of a pagan thought, which has … Read More

Muslim Theologians of the Middle Ages Eastern Philosophy

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Their belonging to Islam remains, however, a fundamental fact. The Koran has not engendered, as we know, any dogmatic theology analogous to that which dominated Europe. There are several reasons for this; first, most of the theological controversies arose from … Read More

Baruch Spinoza: Life, environment and works

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The environment from which Spinoza emerged, the Jewry of Amsterdam, and the one in which he lived, are very complex; religious concerns dominated there, but with certain nuances that need to be clarified. The Portuguese Jews, from whom Spinoza emerged, … Read More

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