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The belief in the immortality of the soul has been described as one of the “twin pillars of Platonism” and is famously defended by Socrates in Plato’s Phaedo. The ancient commentaries on the dialogue by Olympiodorus and Damascius offer a unique perspective on the reception of this belief in the Platonic tradition. Through a detailed discussion of topics such as suicide, the life of the philosopher and arguments for immortality, this study demonstrates the commentators’ serious engagement with problems in Plato’s text as well as the dialogue's importance to Neoplatonic ethics. The book will be of interest to students of Plato and the Platonic tradition, and to those working on ancient ethics and psychology.
Price: $181.00
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Series: Studies in Platonism, Neoplatonism, and the Platonic Tradition
Publication Date:
27 July 2011
ISBN: 9789004207172
Format: Hardcover
"This is an excellent book which makes a great contribution not only to the literature on the commentary tradition of the Phaedo, but also to the study of Neoplatonic commentaries and the way in which such commentaries should be read. Sarah Klitenic Wear, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 8.5.2012.
"Gertz has done many services in this volume, and it is likely not an exaggeration to hold his work as a model approach to dealing with the Neoplatonic commentary genre and its difficulties of interpretation." Dennis Clark, The International Journal of the Platonic 8:1 (2014), pp. 107-109.
"A huge amount of scholarship has evidently gone into producing this volume, and the result is a book that makes a significant contribution to research in this area and that most certainly delivers on its goal of helping us to see the Phaedo through late Neoplatonic spectacles." G. Fay Edwards, Philosophical Review 123:2 (2014), pp. 231-234.
"This book should be on the reading list of all who study the nature of soul in Plato, the place of the Phaedo in the Neoplatonic curriculum, Plato’s theory of recollection and the forms in souls, Plato’s myths, transmission patterns among Neoplatonic commentators, and ethical issues such as philosophical purification, suicide, the relationship between civic and contemplative virtues, providence, and others." Donka D. Markus, Ancient Philosophy 33:2 (2013), pp. 464-469.
"Gertz has done many services in this volume, and it is likely not an exaggeration to hold his work as a model approach to dealing with the Neoplatonic commentary genre and its difficulties of interpretation." Dennis Clark, The International Journal of the Platonic 8:1 (2014), pp. 107-109.
"A huge amount of scholarship has evidently gone into producing this volume, and the result is a book that makes a significant contribution to research in this area and that most certainly delivers on its goal of helping us to see the Phaedo through late Neoplatonic spectacles." G. Fay Edwards, Philosophical Review 123:2 (2014), pp. 231-234.
"This book should be on the reading list of all who study the nature of soul in Plato, the place of the Phaedo in the Neoplatonic curriculum, Plato’s theory of recollection and the forms in souls, Plato’s myths, transmission patterns among Neoplatonic commentators, and ethical issues such as philosophical purification, suicide, the relationship between civic and contemplative virtues, providence, and others." Donka D. Markus, Ancient Philosophy 33:2 (2013), pp. 464-469.
Sebastian R. P. Gertz, Ph.D. (2010) in Classics, University of Cambridge, is a Research Associate to the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle project at King's College London. He has published on Greek Neoplatonism and the ancient commentary tradition.