HoP 078 - Middle Men - the Platonic Revival
Pioneering thinkers Eudorus, Alcinous, and Numenius fuse Pythagoreanism with Platonism and pave the way for Plotinus.
Episodes
History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Peter Adamson, Professor of Philosophy at the LMU in Munich and at King's College London, takes listeners through the history of philosophy, "without any gaps". www.historyofphilosophy.net
Episodes
HoP 077 - Caesarian Section – Philosophy in the Roman Empire
In late antiquity, Aristotelianism and Platonism made a comeback, and pagan philosophy developed alongside Judaism and Christianity.
HoP 076 - R.J. Hankinson on Galen
Jim Hankinson tells Peter about the life, work and philosophical contributions of Galen
HoP 075 - The Joy of Sects - Ancient Medicine and Philosophy
Hellenistic doctors discover the nerves and argue about method; Galen passes judgment
HoP 074 - Tony Long on the Self in Hellenistic Philosophy
Leading Hellenistic philosophy scholar Tony Long talks to Peter about the self, ethics and politics in the Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics
HoP 073 - Healthy Skepticism - Sextus Empiricus
Sextus Empiricus pushes skepticism to its limits with his uncompromising Pyrrhonism
HoP 072 - Raphael Woolf on Cicero
Peter discusses Cicero's method and philosophical allegiances with Raphael Woolf
HoP 071 - Rhetorical Questions - Cicero
Cicero, inspired by the skepticism of the New Academy, uses his literary talents to present the wisdom of the Greeks
HoP 070 - The Know-Nothing Party - the Skeptical Academy
The Skeptical Academy attacks Stoic claims that certain knowledge is possible
HoP 069 - Beyond Belief - Pyrrho and Skepticism
Peter begins to examine ancient Skepticism, beginning with Pyrrho's life and doctrines, or lack thereof
HoP 068 - John Sellars on the Roman Stoics
John Sellars joins Peter to discuss the Roman Stoics and their "art of living"
HoP 067 - The Philosopher King - Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations are a classic of Stoicism written by the most powerful philosopher who ever lived
HoP 066 - You Can Chain My Leg - Epictetus
Epictetus, greatest of the Roman Stoics, tells you how to set yourself free
HoP 065 - Anger Management - Seneca
Seneca wields his rhetorically charged Latin to advance Stoic ethical theory
HoP 064 - David Sedley on Stoicism
David Sedley discusses the Stoic school and its evolution
HoP 063 - Like a Rolling Stone - Stoic Ethics
The Stoic ethical theory insists that perfection is possible, and that moral responsibility is compatible with determinism
HoP 062 - We Didn’t Start the Fire - the Stoics on Nature
The Stoic cosmos: suffused with divinity, surrounded by void, and endlessly repeating
HoP 061 - Nobody’s Perfect - the Stoics on Knowledge
The Stoics set out and defend an ambitious theory of knowledge, where it is possible to avoid all error
HoP 060 - Walking on Eggshells - the Stoics on Logic
Introducing the early Stoics, Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus, and their innovations in logic
HoP 059 - James Warren on Epicureanism
James Warren chats with Peter about the pleasures of Epicureanism
HoP 058 - Reaping the Harvest - Lucretius
In "On the Nature of Things" Lucretius sets Epicureanism into Latin poetic verse
HoP 057 - Nothing to Fear - Epicureans on Death and the Gods
The Epicureans reassure us against the terrors of death and punishment by the gods
HoP 056 - Am I Bothered? - Epicurean Ethics
Pleasure is the good, according to Epicurus. But how do we live most pleasantly?
HoP 055 - The Constant Gardener - Epicurus and his Principles
Epicurus sets out an empiricist theory of knowledge and atomist physics, in support of hedonism
HoP 054 - Instant Gratification - the Cyrenaics
The Cyrenaics, the ultimate pleasure seekers of ancient philosophy
Filling the Gaps - a Brief History of Nothing
A recording of Peter's lecture delivered on Oct 25, 2011, at the Arts and Humanities festival on "The Power of Stories" at King's College London.
HoP 053 - Beware of the Philosopher - the Cynics
Diogenes and the other Cynics “deface the currency” by exposing the hypocrisy of Greek society.
HoP 052 - Fighting Over Socrates - the Hellenistic Schools
Introducing the Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans and Cynics, the schools of the Hellenistic age
HoP 051 - The Next Generation - the Followers of Plato and Aristotle
The Old Academy and Theophrastus carry on the legacy of Plato and Aristotle
HoP 050 - MM McCabe and Raphael Woolf on Aristotle on Plato
Peter's colleagues MM McCabe and Raphael Woolf join him for a special 50th episode interview, to discuss Aristotle's reactions to his teacher Plato