Platonism: A Concise History from the Early Academy to Late Antiquity

Description

The task of philosophy, the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze once wrote, is to 'overturn Platonism'. This might be true, if only we could define what Platonism is. In this clear and accessible book Mauro Bonazzi provides the first comprehensive introduction to ancient Platonism. He begins his story with Plato's Academy before moving on to the sceptical turn which occurred during the Hellenistic centuries. He then explains the theologically oriented interpretation of Plato typical of Middle Platonists and concludes with the metaphysical systems of the Neoplatonists. Platonism has often been regarded as no more than a trivial repetition of the same doctrines. This book, however, demonstrates how the attempts of Platonists over the centuries to engage with Plato's thought constitute one of the most philosophically challenging moments in the history of ancient philosophy.

MAURO BONAZZI is Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at Utrecht University. His books include The Sophists (Cambridge, 2020) and En quete des Idees. Platonisme et philosophie hellenistique (2015). He is currently completing a monograph on the uses and abuses of Greek thought in Modern philosophy.

'For roughly 900 years, the history of philosophy was virtually the history of Platonism, including both its opponents and its widely disparate defenders. In a book that is at once comprehensive and concise, lucid, and above all, accurate, Bonazzi has managed to provide a refined overview of that history. This is the book I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a reliable orientation to Platonism.' Lloyd Gerson, University of Toronto 'This concise and stimulating critical discussion of the entire tradition from the Early Academy to the Neoplatonic schools reveals the existence of multiple Platonisms. While they range philosophically from the scepticism of the Hellenistic Academy to the elaborate metaphysics of late Antiquity, Bonazzi shows very successfully how each of these iterations was motivated by the unifying influence of Plato's works.' Myrto Hatzimichali, University of Cambridge