Plato's Cosmology and its Ethical Dimensions

Description

This work fills a gap in the Platonic literature. Though much has been written on Plato's ethics, his cosmology has received little attention in recent times, and its importance for his ethical thought has remained virtually unexplored. Focusing especially on the Timaeus, Philebus, Politicus and Laws, the book reveals a strongly symbiotic relation between cosmic and human order. It is argued that in his late period Plato presents a picture of an organic universe, endowed with structure and intrinsic value. Such a universe may serve as an ethical paradigm for humans even in the absence of good political institutions. But human beings in turn have responsibility for improving the overall quality of the universe, of which they are a part. The book breaks new ground both in its systematic presentation of Plato's late cosmology and in its highlighting of the close connections between that and the development of his ethics.

Gabriela R. Carone teaches at the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies.

'It is a significant contribution indeed to Plato scholarship - both daring and original. It is sure to be seen as an important work and to be much discussed.' C. D. C. Reeve, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill