Podcasts by 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
Further podcasts by Peter Adamson
Podcast on the topic Philosophie
All episodes
HoP 434 - The Eye Sees Not Itself But By Reflection - Theories of Vision from 2023-12-10T04:00
Changing ideas about eyesight, light, mirror images, and refraction – and the skeptical worries they may have inspired.
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HoP 433 - Nature’s Mystery - Science in Renaissance England from 2023-11-26T04:00
How scientists of the Elizabethan age anticipated the discoveries and methods of the Enlightenment (without necessarily publishing them).
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HoP 432 - If This Be Magic, Let It Be an Art - John Dee from 2023-11-12T04:00
Science, intrigue, exploration, angelic seances! It's the life and thought of Elizabethan mathematician and magician John Dee.
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HoP 431 - Calvin Normore on Scholasticism from 2023-10-29T04:00
A discussion of the history and philosophical significance of scholasticism from medieval times to early modernity, and even today.
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HoP 430 - I’ll Teach You Differences - British Scholasticism from 2023-10-15T04:00
The evolution of Aristotelian philosophy from John Mair in the late 15th century to John Case in the late 16th century.
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HoP 429 - She Uttereth Piercing Eloquence - Women’s Spiritual Literature from 2023-10-01T04:00
How women’s writing in England changed from the early fifteenth century, the time of Margery Kempe, to the late sixteenth century, the time of Anne Lock.
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HoP 428 - Weird Sisters - Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Witchcraft from 2023-09-17T04:00
How Macbeth reflects the anxieties and explanations surrounding witchcraft and witch-hunting in early modern Europe.
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HoP 427 - Brave New World - Shakespeare’s Tempest and Colonialism from 2023-09-03T04:00
Can Shakespeare’s Tempest be read as a reflection on the English encounter with the peoples of the Americas?
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HoP 426 - A Face Without a Heart - Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Individualism from 2023-07-23T04:00
How the Renaissance turn towards individual identity is reflected in Shakespeare's most famous play.
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HoP 425 - Patrick Gray on Shakespeare from 2023-07-09T04:00
We're joined by Patrick Gray to discuss Shakespeare's knowledge of philosophy, his ethics, and his influence on such thinkers as Hegel.
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HoP 424 - Hast Any Philosophy In Thee? - William Shakespeare from 2023-06-25T04:00
How should we approach Shakespeare’s plays as philosophical texts? We take as examples skepticism and politics in Othello, King Lear, and Julius Caesar.
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HoP 423 - Heaven-Bred Poesy - Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser from 2023-06-11T04:00
We begin to look at Elizabethan literature, as Sidney argues that poetry is superior to philosophy, and philosophy is put to use in Spenser’s "Fairie Queene".
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HoP 422 - The World’s Law - Richard Hooker from 2023-05-28T04:00
Richard Hooker defends the religious and political settlement of Elizabethan England using rational arguments and appeals to the natural law.
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HoP 421 - With Such Perfection Govern - English Political Thought from 2023-05-14T04:00
The evolution of ideas about kingship and the role of the “three estates” in 15th and 16th century England, with a focus on John Fortescue and Thomas Starkey.
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HoP 420 - No Place Will Please Me So - Thomas More from 2023-05-07T04:00
What is the message of the famous, but elusive, work "Utopia", and how can it be squared with the life of its author?
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HoP 419 - Write Till Your Ink Be Dry - Humanism in Britain from 2023-04-23T04:00
Humanism comes to England and Scotland, leading scholars like Thomas Eylot and Andrew Melville to rethink philosophical education.
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HoP 418 - Diarmaid MacCulloch on the British Reformations from 2023-04-09T04:00
A leading expert on the history of the Reformation joins us to explain the very different stories of England and Scotland in the 16th century.
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HoP 395 - Music of the Spheres - Johannes Kepler from 2022-04-24T04:00
Johannes Kepler fuses Platonist philosophy with a modified version of Copernicus’ astronomy.
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HoP 394 - Best of Both Worlds - Tycho Brahe from 2022-04-10T04:00
Responses to Copernicus in the 16th century, culminating with the master of astral observation Tycho Brahe.
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HoP 392 - John Sellars on Lipsius and Early Modern Stoicism from 2022-03-12T12:29:06
John Sellars returns to the podcast to discuss Lipsius' work on Seneca and the early modern Neo-Stoic movement.
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HoP 391 - Everything is Mine and Nothing - Lipsius and the Revival of Stoicism from 2022-02-27T04:00
Justus Lipsius draws on Seneca and other Stoics to counsel peace of mind in the face of political chaos, but also writes a work on how such chaos can be avoided.
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HoP 390 - Born to Be Contrary - Toleration in the Netherlands from 2022-02-13T04:00
Amidst religious conflict in the Netherlands, Dirck Coornhert pleads for religious toleration and freedom of expression.
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HoP 389 - The Acid Test - Theories of Matter from 2022-01-30T04:00
Schegk, Taurellus, Gorlaeus, and Sennert revive atomism to explain chemical reactions, the composition of bodies, and the generation of organisms.
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HoP 388 - Just Add Salt - Paracelsus and Alchemy from 2022-01-16T04:00
Paracelsus adapts the tradition of alchemical science for use in medicine, and in the process overturns the scientific theories of Aristotle and Galen.
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HoP 387 - Helen Hattab on Protestant Philosophy from 2022-01-02T04:00
An interview with Helen Hattab on the scope and impact of scholastic philosophy among Protestants.
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HoP 386 - Perhaps Not Wrong - Cornelius Agrippa from 2021-12-19T04:00
Was Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa a dark magician, a pious skeptic, or both?
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HoP 385 - I Too Can Ask Questions - Protestant Scholasticism from 2021-12-05T04:00
In a surprise twist, some Protestant thinkers embrace the methods of scholasticism, and even find something to admire in the work of Catholic authors like Aquinas.
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HoP 384 - We Are Not Our Own - John Calvin from 2021-11-21T10:16:06
John Calvin's views on predestination and the limits of human reason.
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HoP 383 - Slowly But Surely - Huldrych Zwingli from 2021-11-07T04:00
The Swiss theologian Zwingli launches the Reformation in Switzerland, but clashes with Luther and more radical Protestants.
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HoP 382 - No Lord but God - the Peasants’ War and Radical Reformation from 2021-10-24T04:00
Faced with massive political upheaval and the rise of the Anabaptists, Luther argues for a socially conservative version of the Reformation.
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HoP 381 - More Lutheran than Luther - Philip Melanchthon from 2021-10-10T04:00
Luther’s close ally Melanchthon uses his knowledge of ancient philosophy and rhetoric in the service of the Reformation.
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HoP 380 - Take Your Choice - Erasmus vs Luther on Free Will from 2021-09-26T04:00
Erasmus clashes with Martin Luther over the question whether our wills are free or enslaved to sin.
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HoP 379 - Lyndal Roper on Luther from 2021-09-12T04:00
How radical was Luther? We find out from Lyndal Roper, who also discusses Luther and the Peasants' War, sexuality, anti-semitism, and the visual arts.
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HoP 378 - Faith, No More - Martin Luther from 2021-08-01T04:00
How Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith alone and his attack on the Church relate to the history of philosophy.
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HoP 377 - One Way or Another - Northern Scholasticism from 2021-07-18T04:00
Trends in Aristotelian philosophy in northern and eastern Europe in the fifteenth century, featuring discussion of the “Wegestreit” and the nominalist theology of Gabriel Biel.
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HoP 376 - Books That Last Forever - Erasmus from 2021-07-04T04:00
The “learned piety” of Desiderius Erasmus, the greatest figure of northern humanism.
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HoP 375 - Paul Richard Blum on Nicholas of Cusa from 2021-06-20T04:00
Learned ignorance, coincidence of opposites and religious peace: Paul Richard Blum discusses the central ideas of Nicholas Cusanus.
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HoP 374 - Opposites Attract - Nicholas of Cusa from 2021-06-06T04:00
The radical negative theology of Nicholas of Cusa, and his hope of establishing peace between the religions of the world.
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HoP 373 - Lords of Language - Northern Humanism from 2021-05-23T03:00
Rudolph Agricola, Juan Luis Vives and other humanist scholars spread the study of classical antiquity across Europe and mock the technicalities of scholastic philosophy.
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HoP 372 - Strong, Silent Type - the Printing Press from 2021-05-09T05:50:44
The impact of the printing press on the history of philosophy, and its role in helping to trigger the Reformation.
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HoP 371 - European Disunion - Introduction to the Reformation from 2021-04-25T03:00
How humanism and scholasticism came together with the Protestant Reformation to create the philosophy of 15-16th century Europe.
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HoP 370 - Ingrid Rowland on Rome in the Renaissance from 2021-04-11T04:00
For our finale of the Italian Renaissance series we're joined by Ingrid Rowland, to speak about art, philosophy, and persecution in Renaissance Rome.
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HoP 369 - The Harder They Fall - Galileo and the Renaissance from 2021-03-28T06:00
Did Galileo’s scientific discoveries grow out of the culture of the Italian Renaissance?
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HoP 368 - Boundless Enthusiasm - Giordano Bruno from 2021-03-14T05:00
Giordano Bruno’s stunning vision of an infinite universe with infinite worlds, and his own untimely end.
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HoP 367 - Brian Copenhaver on Renaissance Magic from 2021-02-28T05:00
Our guest Brian Copenhaver joins us to explain how Ficino and other Renaissance philosophers thought about magic.
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HoP 366 - The Men Who Saw Tomorrow - Renaissance Magic and Astrology from 2021-02-14T05:00
Ficino, Pico, Cardano, and other Renaissance thinkers debate whether astrology and magic are legitimate sciences with a foundation in natural philosophy.
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HoP 365 - Spirits in the Material World - Telesio and Campanella on Nature from 2021-01-31T05:00
Was the natural philosophy of Bernardino Telesio and Tommaso Campanella the first modern physical theory?
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HoP 364 - Guido Giglioni on Renaissance Medicine from 2021-01-17T05:00
An interview with Guido Giglioni, who speaks to us about the sources and philosophical implications of medical works of the Renaissance.
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HoP 363 - Man of Discoveries - Girolamo Cardano from 2021-01-03T05:00
The polymath Girolamo Cardano explores medicine, mathematics, philosophy of mind, and the interpretation of dreams.
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HoP 362 - Just What the Doctor Ordered - Renaissance Medicine from 2020-12-20T05:00
Connections between philosophy and advances in medicine, including the anatomy of Vesalius.
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HoP 361 - The Measure of All Things - Renaissance Mathematics and Art from 2020-12-06T05:00
The humanist study of Pythagoras, Archimides and other ancient mathematicians goes hand in hand with the use of mathematics in painting and architecture.
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HoP 360 - Dag N. Hasse on Arabic Learning in the Renaissance from 2020-11-22T05:00
An interview with Dag Nikolaus Hasse on the Renaissance reception of Averroes, Avicenna, and other authors who wrote in Arabic.
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HoP 359 - There and Back Again - Zabarella on Scientific Method from 2020-11-08T05:00
Jacopo Zabarella outlines the correct method for pursuing, and then presenting, scientific discoveries.
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HoP 358 - Of Two Minds - Pomponazzi and Nifo on the Intellect from 2020-10-25T05:00
Pietro Pomponazzi and Agostino Nifo debate the immortality of the soul and the cogency of Averroes’ theory of intellect.
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HoP 357 - David Lines on Aristotle's Ethics in the Renaissance from 2020-10-11T06:00
An interview with David Lines on the role of Aristotle in Renaissance ethics.
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HoP 356 - I’d Like to Thank the Lyceum - Aristotle in Renaissance Italy from 2020-09-27T06:00
Aristotle’s works are edited, printed, and translated, leading to new assessments of his thought among both humanists and scholastics.
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HoP 355 - Town and Gown - Italian Universities from 2020-09-13T06:00
The blurry line dividing humanism and scholastic university culture in the Italian Renaissance.
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HoP 354 - Greed is Good - Economics in the Italian Renaissance from 2020-07-26T06:00
Leon Battista Alberti, Benedetto Cotrugli, and Poggio Bracciolini grapple with the moral and conceptual problems raised by the prospect of people getting filthy rich.
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HoP 353 - The Good Place - Utopias in the Italian Renaissance from 2020-07-12T06:00
Tommaso Campanella’s “The City of the Sun” and other utopian works of the Italian Renaissance describe perfect cities as an ideal for real life politics.
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HoP 352 - The Teacher of Our Actions - Renaissance Historiography from 2020-06-28T10:41:55
Bruni, Poggio, Machiavelli, and Guicciardini explore political ideas and historical method in works on Roman and Italian history.
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HoP 351 - Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli from 2020-06-14T06:00
Leading Machiavelli scholar Quentin Skinner joins Peter to discuss morality, history, and religion in the Prince and the Discourses.
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HoP 350 - The Sentence - Machiavelli on Republicanism from 2020-05-31T06:00
Peter celebrates reaching 350 episodes by explaining a single sentence in Machiavelli's "Discourses."
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HoP 349 - No More Mr Nice Guy - Machiavelli from 2020-05-17T06:00
Machiavelli’s seminal work of political advice, "The Prince," tells the ruler how to be strong like a lion and cunning like a fox.
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HoP 348 - The Sweet Restraints of Liberty - Republicanism and Civic Humanism from 2020-05-03T06:00
Did “civic humanism” really make republicanism a newly dominant political theory in the Italian Renaissance?
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HoP 347 - Bonfire of the Vanities - Savonarola from 2020-04-19T06:00
The prophetic preacher Girolamo Savonarola attacks pagan philosophy and puts forward his own political ideas, before coming to an untimely end.
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HoP 346 - Cecilia Muratori on Animals in the Renaissance from 2020-04-05T06:00
An interview with Cecilia Muratori, an expert on the surprisingly modern ideas about non-human animals that emerged in the Renaissance.
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HoP 345 - What a Piece of Work is Man - Manetti and Pico on Human Nature from 2020-03-22T05:00
Pico della Mirandola and Giannozzo Manetti praise humans as the centerpiece of the created world. But what about the other animals?
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HoP 344 - The Count of Concord - Pico della Mirandola from 2020-03-08T05:00
Pico della Mirandola argues for the harmony of the ancient authorities, draws on Jewish mysticism, and questions the value of humanist rhetoric.
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HoP 343 - As Far as East from West - Jewish Philosophy in Renaissance Italy from 2020-02-23T05:00
Jewish philosophers in Renaissance Italy, focusing on Leone Ebreo’s Dialogues of Love, the Averroism of Elijah del Medigo, and Italian Kabbalah.
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HoP 342 - Denis Robichaud on Plato in the Renaissance from 2020-02-09T05:00
An interview with Denis Robichaud on how, and why, Plato was read in the Italian Renaissance.
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HoP 341 - True Romance - Theories of Love from 2020-01-26T05:00
Ficino describes a “Platonic” love purified of sexuality, prompting a debate carried on by Pico della Mirandola, Pietro Bembo, and Tullia d’Aragona.
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HoP 340 - Footnotes to Plato - Marsilio Ficino from 2020-01-12T05:00
Marsilio Ficino’s revival of Platonism, with a focus on his proofs for the soul’s immortality in his magnum opus, the Platonic Theology.
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HoP 339 - I’d Like to Thank the Academy - Florentine Platonism from 2019-12-29T05:00
The blossoming of Renaissance Platonism under the Medici, who supported the scholarship of Poliziano, Ficino, and Pico della Mirandola.
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HoP 338 - All About Eve - the Defense of Women from 2019-12-15T05:00
Refutation of misogyny in Moderate Fonte and Lucrezia Marinella.
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HoP 337 - More Rare Than the Phoenix - Italian Women Humanists from 2019-12-01T05:00
Cassandra Fedele, Isotta Nogarola, and Laura Cereta seek fame and glory through eloquence and learning.
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HoP 336 - We Built This City - Christine de Pizan from 2019-11-17T05:00
Christine de Pizan's political philosophy, epistemology, and the refutation of misogyny in her "City of Ladies".
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HoP 335 - Sabrina Ebbersmeyer on Emotions in Renaissance Philosophy from 2019-11-03T05:00
An interview with Sabrina Ebbersmeyer about the relation of emotion to reason and the body, and panpsychism, in the Renaissance.
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HoP 334 - Chance Encounters - Reviving Hellenistic philosophy from 2019-10-20T06:00
The rediscovery of Epicurus, Lucretius, and Sextus Empiricus spreads challenging ideas about chance, atomism, and skepticism.
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HoP 333 - Difficult to Be Good - Humanist Ethics from 2019-10-06T06:00
Humanists from Bruni and Valla to Pontano and Castiglione ask whether ancient ethical teachings can still help us learn how to live.
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HoP 332 - Jill Kraye on Humanism from 2019-09-22T05:00
Jill Kraye returns to the podcast to discuss the nature of humanism, its relation to scholasticism, and its legacy.
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HoP 331 - Literary Criticism - Lorenzo Valla from 2019-09-08T08:02:22
Lorenzo Valla launches a furious attack on scholastic philosophy, favoring the resources of classical Latin.
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HoP 330 - Republic of Letters - Italian Humanism from 2019-07-28T07:00
Coluccio Salutati and Leonardo Bruni combine eloquence with philosophy, taking as their model the refined language and republican ideals found in Cicero.
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HoP 329 - Greeks Bearing Gifts - Byzantine Scholars in Italy from 2019-07-14T07:00
Bessarion and George Trapenzuntius, rival scholars from the Greek east who helped inspire the Italian Renaissance.
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HoP 328 - Old News - Introduction to the Italian Renaissance from 2019-06-30T07:00
A first look at the themes and figures of philosophy in the Italian Renaissance.
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HoP 327 - Michele Trizio on Byzantine and Latin Medieval Philosophy from 2019-06-16T07:00
The series on Byzantium concludes as Michele Trizio discusses the mutual influence of Byzantium and Latin Christendom.
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HoP 326 - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - the Later Orthodox Tradition from 2019-06-02T07:00
When the Byzantine empire ended in 1453, philosophy in Greek did not end with it. In this episode we bring the story up to the 20th century.
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HoP 325 - Platonic Love - Gemistos Plethon from 2019-05-19T07:00
Was Gemistos Plethon, the last great thinker of the Byzantine tradition, a secret pagan or just a Christian with an unusual enthusiasm for Platonism?
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HoP 324 - United We Fall - Latin Philosophy in Byzantium from 2019-05-05T07:05
Thomas Aquinas finds avid readers among Byzantines at the twilight of empire, and is used by both sides of the Hesychast controversy.
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HoP 323 - Through His Works You Shall Know Him - Palamas and Hesychasm from 2019-04-21T07:00
Gregory Palamas and the controversy over his teaching that we can go beyond human reason by grasping God through his activities or “energies”.
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HoP 322 - Do the Math - Science in the Palaiologan Renaissance from 2019-04-07T07:00
Mathematics and the sciences in Byzantium, focusing on scholars of the Palaiologan period like Blemmydes and Metochites.
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HoP 321 - Judith Herrin on Byzantium and Islam from 2019-03-24T06:00
Historian Judith Herrin joins us to talk about competition and mutual influence between Islam and Byzantium.
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HoP 320 - People of the South - Byzantium and Islam from 2019-03-10T06:00
Intellectual exchange between Christians and Muslims, and the later flowering of Syriac literature including the philosopher Bar Hebraeus.
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HoP 319 - Georgia on My Mind - Petritsi and the Proclus Revival from 2019-02-24T06:00
The Neoplatonist Proclus gets mixed reviews from Christians, as Nicholas of Methone refutes him but the Georgian philosopher Ioane Petritsi helps to revive his thought.
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HoP 318 - Oliver Primavesi on Greek Manuscripts from 2019-02-10T06:00
Peter's Munich colleague Oliver Primavesi tells us how Greek manuscripts are used to establish the text of authors like Aristotle.
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HoP 317 - Made by Hand - Byzantine Manuscripts from 2019-01-27T06:00
Without handwritten copies produced by Byzantine scribes, we would know almost nothing about ancient philosophy. How and why were they made?
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HoP 316 - Just Measures - Law, Money, and War in Byzantium from 2019-01-13T06:00
Legal and economic thought in Byzantium: the sources of the law’s authority, the relation of church and civil law, just price, and just war.
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HoP 315 - Wiser Than Men - Gender in Byzantium from 2018-12-30T06:00
The role of women in Byzantine society and the complex attitudes surrounding eunuchs: did they make up a “third gender”?
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HoP 314 - Katerina Ierodiakonou on Byzantine Commentaries from 2018-12-16T06:00
A chat about commentaries on Aristotle from Byzantium with guest Katerina Ierodiakonou.
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HoP 313 - Queen of the Sciences - Anna Komnene and her Circle from 2018-12-02T06:00
Princess Anna Komnene makes good use of her political retirement by gathering a circle of scholars to write commentaries on Aristotle.
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HoP 312 - Past Masters - Byzantine Historiography from 2018-11-18T06:00
The larger meaning of history in the chronicles written by Michael Psellos, Michael Attaleiates, Anna Komnene, and Niketas Choniates.
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HoP 311 - The Elements of Style - Rhetoric in Byzantium from 2018-11-04T06:00
Psellos and other experts in rhetoric explore how this art of persuasion relates to philosophy.
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HoP 310 - Purple Prose - Byzantine Political Philosophy from 2018-10-21T07:00
Byzantine political thought from the time of Justinian down to the Palaiologos dynasty wrestles with the nature and scope of imperial power.
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HoP 309 - Hooked on Classics - Italos and the Debate over Pagan Learning from 2018-10-07T07:00
The trial of John Italos and other signs of Byzantine disquiet with the pagan philosophical tradition.
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HoP 308 - Dominic O'Meara on Michael Psellos from 2018-09-23T07:00
Dominic O'Meara speaks to Peter about Michael Psellos, focusing especially on his political philosophy.
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HoP 307 - Consul of the Philosophers - Michael Psellos from 2018-09-09T07:00
Michael Psellos and his attitude towards pagan philosophy and the political life.
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Bonus Episode - Glenn Adamson on Material Intelligence from 2018-08-11T15:19:46
Peter's twin brother Glenn Adamson discusses the philosophical implications of craft.
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HoP 306 - Collectors’ Items - Photius and Byzantine Compilations from 2018-07-29T07:00
Photius, “the inventor of the book review,” and other Byzantine scholars who preserved ancient learning.
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HoP 305 - Andrew Louth on John of Damascus from 2018-07-15T07:00
Peter is joined by Andrew Louth for a discussion of John of Damascus and his theological use of philosophy.
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HoP 304 - Behind Enemy Lines - John of Damascus from 2018-07-01T07:00
John of Damascus helps to shape the Byzantine understanding of humankind and the veneration of images, despite living in Islamic territory.
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HoP 303 - Don’t Picture This - Iconoclasm from 2018-06-17T07:00
Is it idolatry to venerate an icon of a saint, or of Christ? The dispute leads the Byzantines to ponder the relation between an image and its object.
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HoP 302 - On the Eastern Front - Philosophy in Syriac and Armenian from 2018-06-03T07:00
Eastern Christian philosophy outside of Constantinople, focusing on translation and exegesis in the languages of Syriac and Armenian.
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HoP 301 - The Empire Strikes Back - Introduction to Byzantine Philosophy from 2018-05-20T07:00
We begin to look at the third tradition of medieval philosophy, in which the heritage of classical antiquity is preserved and debated by the Byzantines.
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HoP 300b - The Relevance of Medieval Philosophy Today from 2018-05-06T07:00
Peter King, Catarina Dutilh Novaes, and Russ Friedman discuss their approaches to medieval philosophy, and its contemporary relevance.
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HoP 300a - The Relevance of Ancient Philosophy Today from 2018-04-22T07:00
Rachel Barney, Christof Rapp, and Mark Kalderon join Peter to discuss the importance of ancient philosophy for today's philosophers.
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HoP 299 - Robert Pasnau on Substance in Scholasticism from 2018-04-08T07:00
Bob Pasnau joins Peter to discuss ideas about substance from Aquinas down to the time of Locke, Leibniz and Descartes.
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HoP 298 - Renaissance Men - Ramon Llull and Petrarch from 2018-03-25T07:00
The Renaissance ideals of humanism and universal science flourish already in the medieval period, in the works of Petrarch and Ramon Llull.
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HoP 297 - The Prague Spring - Scholasticism Across Europe from 2018-03-11T06:00
New ideas and and new universities in Italy and greater Germany including Vienna and Prague, where Jan Hus carries on the radical ideas of Wyclif.
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HoP 296 - Morning Star of the Reformation - John Wyclif from 2018-02-25T06:00
John Wyclif refutes nominalism and inspires the Lollard movement, which anticipated Reformation thought with its critique of the church.
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HoP 295 - The Most Christian Doctor - Jean Gerson from 2018-02-11T06:00
Jean Gerson’s role in the political disputes of his day, the spread of lay devotion and affective mysticism, and the debate over the Romance of the Rose initiated by Christine de Pizan.
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HoP 294 - Isabel Davis on Sexuality and Marriage in Chaucer from 2018-01-28T06:00
Peter is joined by Isabel Davis to discuss marriage, sex and chastity in Chaucer, focusing on the Wife of Bath's speech.
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HoP 293 - The Good Wife - Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages from 2018-01-14T06:00
Medieval attitudes towards homosexuality, sex and chastity, and the status of women. Authors discussed include Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, and Chaucer.
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HoP 292 - Say it With Poetry - Chaucer and Langland from 2017-12-31T06:00
Philosophical themes in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and “Troilus and Criseyde,” as well as Langland’s “Piers Plowman.”
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HoP 291 - Alle Maner of Thyng Shall be Welle - English Mysticism from 2017-12-17T06:00
Julian of Norwich’s Shewings and the Cloud of Unknowing lay out challenging paths to knowledge of, and union with, God.
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HoP 290 - Martin Pickavé on Emotions in Medieval Philosophy from 2017-12-03T06:00
Martin Pickavé returns to the podcast to talk about theories of the emotions in Aquinas, Scotus and Wodeham.
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HoP 289 - A Wing and a Prayer - Angels in Medieval Philosophy from 2017-11-19T06:00
Be surprised by how many philosophical problems arise in connection with angels (how many can dance on the head of a pin is not one of them).
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HoP 288 - Men in Black - The German Dominicans from 2017-11-05T06:00
Dietrich of Freiberg, Berthold of Moosburg, John Tauler and Henry Suso explore Neoplatonism and mysticism.
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HoP 287 - Down to the Ground - Meister Eckhart from 2017-10-22T07:00
The scholastic and mystic Meister Eckhart sets out his daring speculations about God and humankind in both Latin and German.
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HoP 286 - On the Money - Medieval Economic Theory from 2017-10-08T07:00
Changing ideas about money, just price, and usury, up to the time of Buridan, Oresme, and Gregory of Rimini.
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HoP 285 - Dominik Perler on Medieval Skepticism from 2017-09-24T07:00
The medievals were too firm in their beliefs to entertain skeptical worries, right? Don't be so sure, as Peter learns from Dominik Perler.
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HoP 284 - Seeing is Believing - Nicholas of Autrecourt’s Skeptical Challenge from 2017-08-13T07:00
The debate between Nicholas of Autrecourt and John Buridan on whether it is possible to achieve certain knowledge.
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HoP 283 - Jack Zupko on John Buridan from 2017-07-30T07:00
Peter speaks to Jack Zupko about John Buridan's secular and parsimonious approach to philosophy.
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HoP 282 - Portrait of the Artist - John Buridan from 2017-07-16T07:00
The hipster’s choice for favorite scholastic, John Buridan, sets out a nominalist theory of knowledge and language, and explains the workings of free will.
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HoP 281 - Monica Green on Medieval Medicine from 2017-07-02T07:00
An interview with Monica Green reveals parallels between medicine and philosophy in the middle ages.
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HoP 280 - Get to the Point - Fourteenth Century Physics from 2017-06-18T07:00
Ockham, Buridan, Oresme and Francis of Marchia explore infinity, continuity, atomism, and the impetus involved in motion.
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HoP 279 - Quadrivial Pursuits - the Oxford Calculators from 2017-06-04T07:00
Bradwardine and other thinkers based at Oxford make breakthroughs in physics by applying mathematics to motion.
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HoP 278 - Sara Uckelman on Obligations from 2017-05-21T07:00
Sara Uckelman soundly defeats Peter in the medieval logical game of "obligations."
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HoP 277 - Trivial Pursuits - Fourteenth Century Logic from 2017-05-07T07:55:22
The scholastics discuss the ambiguity of terms, the nature of logical inference, and logical paradoxes, and play the game of “obligations.”
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HoP 276 - Back to the Future - Foreknowledge and Predestination from 2017-04-23T07:00
Scotus, Ockham, and Bradwardine ask how we can be free if God knows and chooses the things we will do in the future.
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HoP 275 - Keeping it Real - Responses to Ockham from 2017-04-09T07:00
Walter Burley flies the flag for realism against Ockham and other nominalists.
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HoP 274 - Susan Brower-Toland on Ockham's Philosophy of Mind from 2017-03-26T07:00
An interview with Susan Brower-Toland covering Ockham's views on cognition, consciousness, and memory.
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HoP 273 - What Do You Think? - Ockham on Mental Language from 2017-03-12T06:00
How the language of thought relates to spoken and written language, according to William of Ockham.
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HoP 272 - A Close Shave - Ockham’s Nominalism from 2017-02-26T06:00
Ockham trims away the unnecessary entities posited by other scholastics.
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HoP 271 - Do As You’re Told - Ockham on Ethics and Political Philosophy from 2017-02-12T06:00
William of Ockham on freedom of action and freedom of thought.
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HoP 270 - Render unto Caesar - Marsilius of Padua from 2017-01-29T06:00
In his book Defender of the Peace, Marsilius of Padua develops new theories of representative government, rights, and ownership.
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Democracy and the History of Philosophy from 2017-01-21T08:00
Peter muses on recent political events in light of the history of philosophy.
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HoP 269 - Our Power is Real - The Clash of Church and State from 2017-01-15T06:00
Giles of Rome and Dante on the rival claims of the church and secular rulers.
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HoP 268 - To Hell and Back - Dante Alighieri from 2017-01-01T06:00
Italy’s greatest poet Dante Alighieri was also a philosopher, as we learn from his Convivio and of course the Divine Comedy.
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HoP 267 - After Virtue - Marguerite Porete from 2016-12-18T06:00
Marguerite Porete is put to death for her exploration of the love of God, The Mirror of Simple Souls.
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HoP 266 - Tom Pink on the Will from 2016-12-04T06:00
A conversation with Tom Pink about medieval theories of freedom and action.
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HoP 265 - Time of the Signs - the Fourteenth Century from 2016-11-20T08:08:48
An introduction to philosophy in the 14th century, focusing on two big ideas: nominalism and voluntarism.
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HoP 264 - Giorgio Pini on Scotus on Knowledge from 2016-11-06T06:00
Peter hears about Duns Scotus' epistemology from expert Giorgio Pini.
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HoP 263 - One in a Million - Scotus on Universals and Individuals from 2016-10-23T07:00
Scotus explains how things can share a nature in common while being unique individuals.
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HoP 262 - On Command - Scotus on Ethics from 2016-10-09T07:00
Scotus argues that morality is a matter of freely choosing to follow God’s freely issued commands.
HoP 261 - To Will or Not to Will - Scotus on Freedom from 2016-09-25T08:00
Scotus develops a novel theory of free will and, along the way, rethinks the notions of necessity and possibility.
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HoP 260 - Once and for All - Scotus on Being from 2016-09-11T07:00
Duns Scotus attacks the proposal of Aquinas and Henry of Ghent that being is subject to analogy.
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HoP 259 - Richard Cross on Philosophy and the Trinity from 2016-07-31T07:00
Medieval discussions of the Trinity charted new metaphysical territory, as we see in this interview with Richard Cross.
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HoP 258 - Here Comes the Son - The Trinity and the Eucharist from 2016-07-17T07:00
Philosophy is pushed to its limits to provide rational explanations of two Christian theological doctrines.
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HoP 257 - Martin Pickave on Henry of Ghent and Freedom from 2016-07-03T07:00
An interview with Martin Pickavé on voluntarism in Henry of Ghent.
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HoP 256 - Frequently Asked Questions - Henry of Ghent from 2016-06-19T06:54:26
Henry of Ghent, now little known but a leading scholastic in the late 13th century, makes influential proposals on all the debates of his time.
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HoP 255 - Andreas Speer on Medieval Aesthetics from 2016-06-05T07:00
Does medieval art tell us anything about medieval theories of aesthetics? Peter finds out from Andreas Speer.
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HoP 254 - Love, Reign Over Me - The Romance of the Rose from 2016-05-22T07:00
Sex, reason, and religion in Jean de Meun’s completion of an allegory of courtly love, the Roman de la Rose.
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HoP 253 - Let Me Count the Ways - Speculative Grammar from 2016-05-08T07:00
The “modistae” explore the links between language, the mind, and reality.
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HoP 252 - Neverending Story - the Eternity of the World from 2016-04-24T07:00
Aquinas, Bonaventure, and the so-called “Latin Averroists” take up the question of whether the universe has always existed, and settle once and for all which comes first, the chicken or the egg.
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HoP 251 - Masters of the University - “Latin Averroism" from 2016-04-10T07:00
Did Siger of Brabant and Boethius of Dacia, who have been called “Latin Averroists” and “radical Aristotelians,” really embrace a doctrine of “double truth”?
HoP 250 - Q&A from 2016-03-27T07:00
Peter answers listener questions on the nature of philosophy and the podcast series.
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HoP 249 - Paris When it Sizzles - the Condemnations from 2016-03-13T06:00
Two rounds of condemnations at Paris declare certain philosophical teachings as heretical. But what were the long term effects?
HoP 248 - Scott MacDonald on Aquinas from 2016-02-28T06:00
Scott MacDonald joins Peter to discuss Thomas Aquinas' views on human knowledge.
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HoP 247 - Onward, Christian Soldiers - Just War Theory from 2016-02-14T06:00
Aquinas follows medieval legal thinkers in defining the conditions under which war may be justified, and proposes his famous doctrine of double effect.
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HoP 246 - What Pleases the Prince - The Rule of Law from 2016-01-31T06:00
Natural law and political legitimacy in thirteenth century thinkers up to and including Thomas Aquinas.
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HoP 245 - What Comes Naturally - Ethics in Albert and Aquinas from 2016-01-17T06:00
Natural and supernatural virtue and happiness in Thomas Aquinas and his teacher, Albert the Great.
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HoP 244 - Everybody Needs Some Body - Aquinas on Soul and Knowledge from 2016-01-03T06:00
Thomas Aquinas makes controversial claims concerning the unity of the soul and the empirical basis of human knowledge.
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HoP 243 - The Ox Heard Round the World - Thomas Aquinas from 2015-12-20T07:00
An introduction to Thomas Aquinas, his views on faith and reason, and his famous “five ways” of proving God’s existence.
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HoP 242 - Therese Cory on Self-Awareness in Albert and Aquinas from 2015-12-06T06:00
Therese Cory tells Peter what Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas thought about self-awareness.
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HoP 241 - The Shadow Knows - Albert the Great’s Metaphysics from 2015-11-22T07:00
Albert the Great’s theory of being and his attempt to explain what changes in the human mind when we come to see God in the afterlife.
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HoP 240 - Animal, Vegetable, Mineral - Albert the Great’s Natural Philosophy from 2015-11-08T06:00
Albert the Great earns his nickname “universal doctor” by devoting himself to the whole of nature, from geology and botany to the study of human nature.
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HoP 239 - Catarina Dutilh Novaes on Medieval Logic from 2015-10-25T06:00
Was medieval logic "formal"? Peter finds out from Catarina Dutilh Novaes.
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HoP 238 - Binding Arbitration - Robert Kilwardby from 2015-10-11T07:00
Robert Kilwardby is infamous for his ban on teaching certain philosophical ideas at Oxford, yet made contributions in logic and on the soul.
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HoP 237 - Begin the Beguine - Hadewijch and Mechthild of Magdeburg from 2015-09-27T07:00
Two Beguine authors, Hadewijch and Mechthild of Magdeburg, deploy the tropes of courtly love in vernacular writings about their mystical experiences.
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Indian Philosophy Announcement! from 2015-09-19T20:52:14
New feed for Philosophy in India: http://hopwag2.podbean.com/feed/
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HoP 236 - None for Me, Thanks - Franciscan Poverty from 2015-08-09T07:17:38
Bonaventure and Peter Olivi respond to critics of the Franciscan vow of poverty, in a debate which produced new ideas about economics and rights.
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HoP 235 - Juhana Toivanen on Animals in Medieval Philosophy from 2015-08-02T08:00
Medieval ideas about what animals do and do not have in common with humans, and how we should treat them.
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HoP 234 - Your Attention Please - Peter Olivi from 2015-07-26T08:00
Peter Olivi proposes that awareness occurs not through passively being affected by things, but by actively paying attention to them.
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HoP 233 - Stairway to Heaven - Bonaventure from 2015-07-19T07:00
Bonaventure argues that human knowledge depends on an illumination from God.
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HoP 232 - Charles Burnett on Magic from 2015-07-12T07:34:55
Charles Burnett tells Peter about the role of magic in medieval intellectual life.
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HoP 231 - Origin of Species - Roger Bacon from 2015-07-05T07:00
Roger Bacon extols the power of science based on experience and uses a general theory of "species" to explain light and vision.
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HoP 230 - A Light That Never Goes Out - Robert Grosseteste from 2015-06-28T07:00
Translator, scientist and theologian Robert Grosseteste sheds light on the cosmos, human understanding, and the rainbow.
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HoP 229 - Do the Right Thing - Thirteenth Century Ethics from 2015-06-21T07:00
The scholastics explore Aristotle’s ethical teaching and the concept of moral conscience.
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HoP 228 - It's All Good - The Transcendentals from 2015-06-14T07:52:08
Philip the Chancellor introduces the transcendentals, a key idea in medieval metaphysics and aesthetics.
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HoP 227 - Stayin’ Alive - Thirteenth Century Psychology from 2015-06-07T07:16:13
John Blund and William of Auvergne draw on Aristotle and Avicenna to argue that the soul is immaterial and immortal.
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HoP 226 - Full of Potential - Thirteenth Century Physics from 2015-05-31T08:00
Richard Rufus and anonymous commentators on Aristotle explore the nature of motion, time, infinity and space.
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HoP 225 - No Uncertain Terms - Thirteenth Century Logic from 2015-05-24T08:00
The terminist logicians William of Sherwood and Peter of Spain classify the various ways that language can relate to the world.
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HoP 224 - Kent Emery on Institutions of Learning from 2015-05-17T08:23:28
Kent Emery joins Peter to discuss the effects of monastic and university culture on medieval philosophy.
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HoP 223 - Straw Men - The Rise of the Universities from 2015-05-10T08:32:01
The emergence of universities in Paris, Oxford, Bologna and elsewhere provide the main setting for medieval philosophy in the 13th century and beyond.
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HoP 222 - Rediscovery Channel - Translations into Latin from 2015-05-03T08:52:17
Greek and Arabic sources are rendered into Latin in a translation movement that will revolutionize medieval philosophy.
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HoP 221 - Leading Light - Hildegard of Bingen from 2015-04-26T08:07:31
The life, visions, political intrigues and scientific interests of Hildegard of Bingen.
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HoP 220 - Caroline Humfress on the Roots of Medieval Law from 2015-04-19T07:39:39
A discussion about Roman law and its reception in the medieval period, with ancient law expert Caroline Humfress.
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HoP 219 - Law and Order - Gratian and Peter Lombard from 2015-04-12T09:09:33
Gratian and Peter Lombard help bring scholasticism to maturity by systematizing law and theology.
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HoP 218 - Two Swords - Early Medieval Political Philosophy from 2015-04-05T14:10
The “Investiture Contest” between church and state and the first major work of medieval political philosophy, John of Salisbury’s Policraticus.
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HoP 217 - Andrew Arlig on Parts and Wholes from 2015-03-28T22:50:35
Andrew Arlig joins Peter to discuss medieval discussions of mereology (the study of parts and wholes).
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HoP 216 - One of a Kind - Gilbert of Poitiers on Individuation from 2015-03-22T07:40:10
Gilbert of Poitiers proposes a unique way to explain how each individual is the individual it is.
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HoP 215 - The Medieval Podcasters from 2015-03-15T07:54:40
In this special episode, Peter chats with the hosts of the History of the Crusades, History of Byzantium, and British History podcasts.
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HoP 214 - The Good Book - Philosophy of Nature from 2015-03-08T09:03:41
As early medieval science blossoms, Bernard Silvestris and Alan of Lille personify Nature in their philosophical prose-poems.
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HoP 213 - On the Shoulders of Giants - Philosophy at Chartres from 2015-02-27T17:38:27
The controversial role of Chartres in the philosophical Renaissance of the twelfth century.
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HoP 212 - Like Father, Like Son - Debating the Trinity from 2015-02-22T08:52:28
Discussion, debate and denunciation of philosophical attempts to explain the Trinity in Abelard, Richard of St Victor and Bernard of Clairvaux.
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HoP 211 - Learn Everything - the Victorines from 2015-02-15T08:49:39
Hugh of Saint Victor and other scholars of the same abbey combine secular learning with spirituality.
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HoP 210 - John Marenbon on Peter Abelard from 2015-02-08T08:39:44
John Marenbon returns to the podcast to discuss Abelard's views on necessity and freedom..
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HoP 209 - It’s the Thought that Counts - Abelard’s Ethics from 2015-02-01T08:44:02
Peter Abelard sets out an innovative ethical theory that identifies intentions as the core of moral life.
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HoP 208 - Get Thee to a Nunnery - Heloise and Abelard from 2015-01-25T08:14:10
Peter Abelard and Heloise prove themselves to be fascinating thinkers as well as star-crossed lovers.
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HoP 207 - All or Nothing - The Problem of Universals from 2015-01-18T08:39:01
Abelard and other logicians of the 12th century argue over the status of universals: are they words or things?
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HoP 206 - Eileen Sweeney on Anselm from 2015-01-11T08:26:24
Anselm expert Eileen Sweeney discusses his approach to philosophy and the devotional aspect of his works.
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HoP 205 - Somebody's Perfect - Anselm's Ontological Argument from 2015-01-04T07:55:37
The most famous argument in medieval philosophy is Anselm's proof of God's existence. But how is it supposed to work?
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HoP 204 - A Canterbury Tale - Anselm's Life and Works from 2014-12-28T09:28:10
Anselm offers more than his famous ontological argument, including a subtle account of human freedom.
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HoP 203 - Virgin Territory - Peter Damian on Changing the Past from 2014-12-21T08:15:33
Peter Damian takes up a question with surprising philosophical implications: can God restore virginity to a woman who has lost it?
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HoP 202 - Philosophers Anonymous - the Roots of Scholasticism from 2014-12-13T11:21:25
Little-known authors prepare the way for scholasticism with glosses on logic, metaphysical debate, and a poem about a cat.
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HoP 201 - Stephen Gersh on Medieval Platonism from 2014-12-05T08:21:35
Stephen Gersh (who was Peter's doctoral advisor!) joins him to discuss
the sources and influence of Platonism in the Middle Ages.
HoP 200 - Jill Kraye and John Marenbon on Medieval Philosophy from 2014-11-29T20:52:03
We celebrate reaching episode 200 with a special double interview on the problem of defining medieval philosophy.
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HoP 199 - Much Ado About Nothing - Eriugena's Periphyseon from 2014-11-22T14:54:22
Eriugena delves into the Greek tradition to produce his masterpiece of metaphysics and theology, the Periphyseon.
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HoP 198 - Grace Notes - Eriugena and the Predestination Controversy from 2014-11-16T13:20
John Scotus Eriugena debates free will with his rival Gottschalk, arguing that God predestines the saved but not the damned.
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HoP 197 - Charles in Charge - The Carolingian Renaissance from 2014-11-09T16:54:44
Alcuin leads a resurgence of interest in philosophy and the liberal arts at the court of Charlemagne.
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HoP 196 - Arts of Darkness - Introduction to Medieval Philosophy from 2014-11-03T06:17:16
Peter launches the series of podcasts on philosophy in medieval Latin Christendom with a look ahead at what’s to come.
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HoP 195 - Anke von Ku?gelgen on Contemporary Islamic Thought from 2014-10-26T18:14:27
Anke von Kügelgen joins Peter to discuss developments over the last century or so, including attitudes towards past thinkers like Avicenna, Averroes and Ibn Taymiyya.
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HoP 194 - Iran So Far - After ?adr? from 2014-10-19T08:42:38
From Sabzaw?r? in the 19th century to Seyyed Hossein Nasr today, Iranian thinkers promote and respond to the thought of Mull? ?adr?.
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HoP 193 - All for One and One for All - Mu?ammad 'Abd?h and Mu?ammad Iqb?l from 2014-10-12T13:18:18
Mu?ammad 'Abd?h and Mu?ammad Iqb?l challenge colonialism and the traditional religious scholars of Islam.
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HoP 192 - The Stronger Sex - Women Scholars and Islam from 2014-10-06T12:47:39
Fatema Mernissi and others challenge the long-standing (but not complete) exclusion of women from the intellectual traditions of Islam.
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HoP 191 - The Young Ones: Encounters with European Thought from 2014-10-03T18:11:12
18th and 19th century intellectuals in India and the Ottoman empire, from Sh?h Wal? All?h to the Young Turks, continue Islamic traditions and grapple with European science.
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HoP 190 - Turkish Delights - Philosophy under the Ottomans from 2014-08-24T07:46
K?tib Çelebi defends cigarettes and coffee, in just one of several philosophical and religious debates in the Ottoman empire.
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HoP 189 - Subcontinental Drift - Philosophy in Islamic India from 2014-08-17T09:12
Ideas spread to Mughal India from Iran, and prince D?r? Shik?h seeks to unite the wisdom of the Upanishads with the Koran.
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HoP 188 - Sajjad Rizvi on Mulla Sadra from 2014-08-10T07:55
Sajjad Rizvi talks to Peter about Mull? ?adr?'s views on eternity, God's knowledge and the afterlife.
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HoP 187 - Return to Sender - Mulla Sadra on Motion and Knowledge from 2014-08-03T09:32
Mull? ?adr? proposes that all things are like sharks: in constant motion.
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HoP 186 - To Be, Continued - Mulla Sadra on Existence from 2014-07-27T08:03
Mull? ?adr?, greatest thinker of early modern Iran, unveils his radical new understanding of existence.
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HoP 185 - Follow the Leader - Philosophy under the Safavids from 2014-07-20T07:52
Philosophy in Safavid Iran, and a look back at earlier philosophy among Shiites.
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HoP 184 - Robert Wisnovsky on Commentary Culture from 2014-07-13T08:44
Robert Wisnovsky joins Peter to discuss the enormous body of unstudied philosophical commentaries in the later Eastern Islamic world.
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HoP 183 - Family Feud - Philosophy at Shiraz from 2014-07-06T08:13
The roots of the Safavid philosophical tradition in some rather ill-tempered debates at Sh?r?z.
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HoP 182 - Aftermath - Philosophy and Science in the Mongol Age from 2014-06-29T08:11
Philosophy and science survive and even thrive through the coming of the Mongols.
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HoP 181 - By the Book - Ibn Taymiyya from 2014-06-22T08:54
The controversial jurist Ibn Taymiyya sets forth an originalist theory of law and a searching criticism of the philosophers’ logic.
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HoP 180 - Proof Positive - The Logical Tradition from 2014-06-16T09:59
Later Islamic logicians try to solve the Liar Paradox and take on the advances of Avicenna's logic.
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HoP 179 - Mohammed Rustom on Philosophical Sufism from 2014-06-08T08:21
Peter is joined by Mohammed Rustom in a discussion about Sufi authors including Ibn 'Arab? and R?m?
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HoP 178 - Eyes Wide Shut - Rumi and Philosophical Sufism from 2014-06-01T10:52
The Persian poet R?m? and mystical philosopher al-Q?naw? carry on the legacy of Sufism.
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HoP 177 - To Be or Not to Be - Debating Avicenna’s Metaphysics from 2014-05-24T11:08
Avicenna’s distinction between essence and existence triggers a running debate among philosophers and theologians.
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HoP 176 - A Man for all Seasons - al-Tusi from 2014-05-18T08:40
Na??r al-D?n al-??s?’s controversial career sees him adopt and then abandon Ism???lism, team up with the Mongols, and offer a staunch defense of Avicenna.
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HoP 175 - Bright Ideas - Illuminationism from 2014-05-11T08:13
The Illuminationists carry on Suhraward?’s critique of “Peripatetic” philosophy and wonder if they will be reborn as giraffes.
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HoP 174 - Leading Light - Suhrawardi from 2014-05-04T08:17
Suhraward?, founder of the Illuminationist (ishr?q?) tradition, proposes a metaphysics of light on the basis of his theory of knowledge by presence
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HoP 173 - For the Sake of Argument - Fakhr al-Din al-Razi from 2014-04-27T08:42
The hugely influential Fakhr al-D?n al-R?z? weaves Avicenna and Islamic theology into complex dialectical treatments of time, God, the soul, and ethics.
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HoP 172 - All Things Considered - Abu l-Barakat al-Baghdadi from 2014-04-19T13:17
Ab? l-Barak?t al-Baghd?d? makes up his own mind about physics and the soul, and along the way inaugurates a new style of doing philosophy.
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HoP 171 - Golden Ages - The Later Eastern Traditions from 2014-04-13T07:58
An introduction to later developments in philosophical theology, sufism, and Illuminationism, focusing on the reception and critique of Avicenna.
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HoP 170 - Gad Freudenthal on Jewish Philosophy and Science from 2014-04-06T09:16
Leading scholar of medieval Jewish thought Gad Freudenthal joins Peter in a concluding episode on Andalusian thought.
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HoP 169 - A Matter of Principles - Albo and Abravanel from 2014-03-30T08:58
Joseph Albo and Isaac Abravanel critique Maimonides’ attempt to lay down foundations for the Jewish law.
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HoP 168 - Chariot of Fire - Kabbalah from 2014-03-23T08:26
The rich symbolism of the Zohar and the spiritual practices of Abraham Abluafia feature in the mystical movement known as Kabbalah.
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HoP 167 - When Bad Things Happen to Good People - Suffering in Jewish Philosophy from 2014-03-16T08:53
The Book of Job provokes Saadia, Maimonides, Ibn Tibbon and Gersonides to reflect on why God allows suffering.
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HoP 166 - Tamar Rudavsky on Gersonides and Crescas from 2014-03-09T05:18
Tamar Rudavsky joins Peter to talk about the two great medieval Jewish thinkers after Maimonides: Gersonides and Crescas.
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HoP 165 - Neither the Time Nor the Place - Hasdai Crescas from 2014-03-02T07:50
?asdai Crescas shows Aristotelian physics who’s boss, by defending alternative conceptions of time, place and infinity.
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HoP 164 - Man and Superman - Gersonides and the Jewish Reaction to Averroes from 2014-02-23T06:42
The super-commentator Gersonides and other Jews digest the ideas of Averroes.
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HoP 163 - Burnt Offerings - The Maimonides Controversy from 2014-02-16T06:42
Maimonides’ works provoke a bitter dispute among Jews in France and Spain over the relation of philosophy to Judaism.
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HoP 162 - Sarah Stroumsa on Maimonides from 2014-02-08T20:53
Maimonides as a "Mediterranean thinker": Peter is joined by Sarah Stroumsa.
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HoP 161 - He Moves in Mysterious Ways - Maimonides on Eternity from 2014-02-02T06:36
Maimonides tries to settle the eternity of the world debate by declaring a draw.
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HoP 160 - The Great Eagle - Maimonides from 2014-01-26T08:00
The great Jewish philosopher and legal scholar Maimonides, and the ideas in his Mishneh Torah and Guide for the Perplexed.
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HoP 159 - With All Your Heart - Ethics and Judaism from 2014-01-19T07:42
Ba?ya Ibn Paquda and Maimonides explore the ethical dimension of the Jewish scriptures and legal tradition.
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HoP 158 - Born Under a Bad Sign - Freedom and Astrology in Jewish Philosophy from 2014-01-12T14:56
Abraham Ibn Ezra, Ibn Daud and Maimonides consider the philosophical implications of astrology as science flourishes in the Jewish culture of Andalusia.
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HoP 157 - Choosing My Religion - Judah Hallevi from 2014-01-05T08:26
Judah Hallevi argues that Judaism has a better claim to belief than philosophy, Christianity, or Islam.
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HoP 156 - Sarah Pessin on Jewish Neoplatonism from 2013-12-29T08:09
Peter chats with Sarah Pessin about the Neoplatonism of Jewish philosophers such as Isaac Israeli, Ibn Gabirol, and Maimonides.
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HoP 155 - Matter over Mind - Ibn Gabirol from 2013-12-22T08:05
Neoplatonism returns in Ibn Gabriol, who controversially holds that everything apart from God has both matter and form.
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HoP 154 - The Philosophy of History - Ibn Khaldun from 2013-12-15T11:17
The historian Ibn Khald?n applies the methods of philosophy to understand the rise and fall of political regimes.
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HoP 153 - A Matter of Taste – Ibn Arabi and Mysticism from 2013-12-08T07:04
Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, collides with philosophy in the work of Ibn ?Arab?.
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HoP 152 - Richard Taylor on Averroes from 2013-12-01T08:30
Averroes scholar Richard C. Taylor joins Peter to talk about Averroes' views on the relation between Islam and philosophy.
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HoP 151 - Single Minded - Averroes on the Intellect from 2013-11-24T08:37
Averroes defends the rather surprising notion that all of mankind shares a single intellect.
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HoP 150 - Charles Burnett and Dag N Hasse on Arabic Latin Translations from 2013-11-17T08:06
A special 150th double interview episode on the transmission of philosophy from Arabic into Latin.
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HoP 149 - Back to Basics - Averroes on Reason and Religion from 2013-11-10T00:01
An introduction to “the Commentator” Averroes, and his defense of philosophy in the Decisive Treatise.
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HoP 148 - Fantasy Island - Ibn Bajja and Ibn Tufayl from 2013-11-03T08:21
Intellect and alienation in Ibn B?jja and Ibn ?ufayl, author of the philosophical desert island castaway tale “?ayy Ibn Yaq??n.”
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HoP 147 - Laying Down the Law – Ibn Hazm and Islamic Legal Theory from 2013-10-27T07:58
The development of Islamic law and jurisprudence (fiqh), and the many-sided output of the legal theorist Ibn ?azm.
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HoP 146 - Philosophy's Reign in Spain - Andalusia from 2013-10-20T09:29
The flowering of philosophy among Muslims and Jews in al-Andalus (Muslim-controlled Spain and Portugal).
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HoP 145 - Frank Griffel on al-Ghazali from 2013-10-13T14:40
Why did al-Ghaz?l? judge "the philosophers" to be apostates? Peter finds out from Frank Griffel.
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HoP 144 - Miracle Worker - al-Ghazali against the Philosophers from 2013-10-06T09:57
In his “Incoherence of the Philosophers,” al-Ghaz?l? attacks Avicenna’s theories about the eternity of the universe and insists on the possibility of miracles.
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HoP 143 - Special Delivery - al-Ghazali from 2013-09-29T10:09
Al-Ghaz?l?’s search for truth leads him to philosophy, Asharite theology, and ultimately the mystical tradition of Sufism.
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HoP 142 - Dimitri Gutas on Avicenna from 2013-09-22T08:46
Peter talks to Dimitri Gutas about Avicenna's sources, philosophical methods, and influence.
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HoP 141 - Into Thin Air - Avicenna on the Soul from 2013-09-15T08:18
With his Flying Man argument, Avicenna explores self-awareness and the relation between soul and body.
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HoP 140 - By All Means Necessary - Avicenna on God from 2013-08-04T07:38
Avicenna’s proof of the Necessary Existent is ingenious and influential; but does it amount to a proof of God’s existence?
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HoP 139 - By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Avicenna on Existence from 2013-07-28T09:20
Avicenna revolutionizes metaphysics with groundbreaking ideas about necessity and contingency, and his new distinction between essence and existence.
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HoP 138 - The Self-Made Man - Avicenna's Life and Works from 2013-07-21T08:18
Despite a tumultuous life, Avicenna manages to become the most influential of all medieval philosophers.
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HoP 137 - God Willing – the Asharites from 2013-07-14T08:04
Al-Ash‘ar? puts his stamp on the future of Islamic theology by emphasizing God’s untrammeled power and freedom.
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HoP 136 - Farhad Daftary on the Ismailis from 2013-07-07T08:41
Peter is joined by Farhad Daftary, a leading expert on the Shiite group known as the Ism?'?l?s.
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HoP 135 - Undercover Brothers – Philosophy in the Buyid Age from 2013-06-30T08:02
Miskawayh, al-‘Amiri, al-Tawhidi, the Brethren of Purity and Ismaili missionaries bring together philosophy with Persian culture, literature and Islam.
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HoP 134 - Balancing Acts - Arabic Ethical Literature from 2013-06-23T08:01
Drawing on Galen and Aristotle, philosophers from al-Kindi to Miskawayh compose ethical works designed us to achieve health in soul, as well as body.
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HoP 133 - Strings Attached - Music and Philosophy from 2013-06-16T08:21
Peter turns DJ, with some actual music interspersed with discussion about theories of music in Arabic philosophical texts.
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HoP 132 - Eye of the Beholder - Theories of Vision from 2013-06-09T09:26
Ibn al-Haytham draws on the tradition of geometrical optics to explain the mystery of human eyesight.
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HoP 131 - Deborah Black on al-Farabi's Epistemology from 2013-06-02T04:42
Deborah Black joins Peter to talk about al-Farabi's innovations concerning knowledge and certainty.
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HoP 130 - State of Mind - al-Farabi on Religion and Politics from 2013-05-26T08:48
Al-F?r?b? combines Islam and Greek sources to present the ideal ruler as a philosopher who is also a prophet.
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HoP 129 - The Second Master - al-Farabi from 2013-05-19T08:55
Peter begins to look at the systematic rethinking of Hellenic philosophy offered by al-Farabi, focusing on his logic and metaphysics.
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HoP 128 - Aristotelian Society - the Baghdad School from 2013-05-12T07:34
A group of mostly Christian philosophers transpose the practices of antique Aristotelian philosophy to 10th century Baghdad.
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HoP 127 - Peter E Pormann on Medicine in the Islamic World from 2013-05-05T08:01
A double dose of Peters, as Pormann joins Adamson to discuss medicine and philosophy in the Islamic world.
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HoP 126 - High Five - al-Razi from 2013-04-28T08:09
The doctor and philosopher Abu Bakr al-Razi sets out a daring philosophical theory involving five eternal principles: God, soul, matter, time and place.
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HoP 125 - Reasoned Belief - Saadia Gaon from 2013-04-21T08:33
Saadia Gaon draws on Greek philosophy and Islamic theology to provide a rational account of Jewish belief.
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HoP 124 - The Chosen Ones - Judaism and Philosophy from 2013-04-14T08:33
The roots of Jewish philosophy in the Islamic world, focusing on the Rabbinic background in the Mishnah and Talmud, and the thought of early figures like Isaac Israeli.
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HoP 123 - Philosopher of the Arabs - al-Kindi from 2013-04-07T07:51
Al-Kind? uses Hellenic materials to discuss the eternity of the world, divine attributes, and the nature of the soul.
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HoP 122 - Founded in Translation - From Greek to Syriac and Arabic from 2013-03-30T08:55
Greek philosophy and science make their way into the Islamic world via Syriac and Arabic translations and interpretations.
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HoP 121 - This is a Test - the Mutazilites from 2013-03-24T10:57
A first look at the philosophical contributions of Islamic theology (kal?m) and its political context, focusing on the Mu?tazilites Ab? l-Hudhayl and al-Na???m.
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HoP 120 - The Straight Path - Philosophy in the Islamic World from 2013-03-16T10:31
The rise of Islam creates a new context for philosophy not only among Muslims, but also Jews and Christians.
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HoP 119 - John Marenbon on Boethius from 2013-03-10T07:04
John Marenbon joins Peter to discuss Boethius' solution to the problem of divine foreknowledge.
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HoP 118 - Fate, Hope and Clarity - Boethius from 2013-03-03T06:52
Boethius ushers in the medieval age with expert works on Aristotle, subtle treatises on theology, and the Consolation of Philosophy, written while he awaited execution.
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HoP 117 - Born Again - Latin Platonism from 2013-02-24T07:04
Apuleius, Victorinus, Martianus Cappella, Macrobius and Calcidius present and interpret Platonic teachings for readers of Latin.
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HoP 116 - Charles Brittain on Augustine's On the Trinity from 2013-02-17T06:52
In a final episode on Augustine, Charles Brittain joins Peter to discuss On the Trinity.
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HoP 115 - Me, Myself and I - Augustine on Mind and Memory from 2013-02-09T13:27
In On the Trinity Augustine explores the human mind as an image of God.
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HoP 114 - Sarah Byers on Augustine's Ethics from 2013-02-03T08:18
Peter speaks with Sarah Byers about the Stoic influence on Augustine's ethics and theory of action.
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HoP 113 - Heaven and Earth - Augustine’s City of God from 2013-01-27T02:35
In his City of God Augustine traces the histories and philosophical underpinnings of two “cities,” one devoted to worldly glory, the other to heavenly bliss.
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HoP 112 - Help Wanted - Augustine on Freedom from 2013-01-20T06:41
Augustine defends free will, but rejects the Pelagian claim that we can be good without God's help.
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HoP 111 - Papa Don't Teach - Augustine on Language from 2013-01-13T07:51
Augustine argues that words are signs, but not signs that can bring us to knowledge.
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HoP 110 - Life and Time - Augustine's Confessions from 2013-01-06T10:09
In the Confessions Augustine weaves autobiography with reflections on the nature of God, man, and time.
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HoP 109 - Spreading the Word - the Latin Church Fathers from 2012-12-30T09:02
Tertullian, Lactantius, Jerome and Ambrose use and abuse Hellenic philosophy.
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HoP 108 - George Boys-Stones on the Greek Church Fathers from 2012-12-23T08:30
George Boys-Stones joins Peter to discuss philosophy in the Bible and the Greek Fathers.
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HoP 107 - Practice Makes Perfect - Christian Asceticism from 2012-12-16T08:25
Christian ascetics like Antony, Macrina and Evagrius create a new ethical ideal by pushing the human capacity for self-control to its limits.
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HoP 106 - Double or Nothing - Maximus the Confessor from 2012-12-09T08:19
The early Byzantine thinker Maximus uses Aristotle to defend the orthodox view of Christ's two natures
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HoP 105 - Naming the Nameless - the Pseudo-Dionysius from 2012-12-02T08:32
A mysterious author calling himself Dionysius fuses Neoplatonism with Christianity
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HoP 104 - Let's Talk Turkey - the Cappadocians from 2012-11-25T08:44
Basil of Caesarea, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus use philosophy to help the poor and to defeat their theological opponents
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HoP 103 - Fall and Rise - Origen from 2012-11-17T23:03
Origen of Alexandria weaves Platonic ideas into new and controversial theological ideas
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HoP 102 - Please Accept Our Apologies - the Greek Church Fathers from 2012-11-11T08:26
Irenaeus, Clement and Justin Martyr consider the relevance of philosophy for Christianity
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HoP 101 - Father Figures - Introduction to Ancient Christian Philosophy from 2012-11-04T07:16
An overview of what the Church Fathers contributed to ancient philosophy
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HoP 100 - Michael Trapp and Caroline Humfress on Ancient Culture and Philosophy from 2012-10-28T08:01
A special double interview celebrates reaching 100 episodes by looking at the cultural status of philosophy in the ancient world
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HoP 099 - Richard Sorabji on the Commentators from 2012-10-21T09:33
Richard Sorabji joins Peter to discuss the ancient commentators on Aristotle
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HoP 098 - For a Limited Time Only - John Philoponus from 2012-10-14T10:45
John Philoponus refutes Aristotle’s and Proclus’ arguments for the eternity of the universe, and develops new ideas in physics.
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HoP 097 - A Tale of Two Cities - The Last Pagan Philosophers from 2012-10-07T03:34
Julian the Apostate and the philosophers of Athens and Alexandria try to keep pagan philosophy alive in the late Roman empire
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HoP 096 - Dominic O'Meara on Neoplatonism from 2012-09-30T08:58
Dominic O'Meara speaks with Peter about political philosophy and mathematics in Neoplatonism
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HoP 095 - Anne Sheppard on Ancient Aesthetics from 2012-09-23T08:44
Anne Sheppard joins Peter to discuss aesthetics from Plato to Proclus
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HoP 094 - The Platonic Successor - Proclus from 2012-09-16T08:15
Proclus displays late Neoplatonism in all its glory
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HoP 093 - Pythagorean Theorems - Iamblichus from 2012-09-08T08:08
Iamblichus fuses Platonism with pagan religious conviction and sets the agenda for Neoplatonism in generations to come.
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HoP 092 - King of Animals - Porphyry from 2012-09-02T08:25
Porphyry defends vegetarianism and the harmony of Plato and Aristotle
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HoP 091 - James Wilberding on Nature and Neoplatonism from 2012-08-26T08:47
James Wilberding joins Peter to examine what Plotinus and Porphyry contributed to the philosophy of nature
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HoP 090 - A Decorated Corpse – Plotinus on Matter and Evil from 2012-07-22T09:19
Plotinus struggles to explain the presence of suffering, evil and ugliness in a world caused by purely good principles – and tells us what role we should play in that world.
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HoP 089 - On the Horizon - Plotinus on the Soul from 2012-07-15T10:00
For Plotinus, Soul is on the border between the physical and intelligible realms. Can he convince us to identify ourselves with its highest part?
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HoP 088 - Simplicity Itself - Plotinus on the One and Intellect from 2012-07-08T10:39
Plotinus posits an absolutely transcendent first principle, the One. What is it (or isn’t it), and how does it relate to Intellect?
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HoP 087 - A God is My Co-Pilot - the Life and Works of Plotinus from 2012-07-01T10:17
Peter introduces Plotinus, the greatest philosopher of late antiquity and the founder of Neoplatonism
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HoP 086 - Serafina Cuomo on Ancient Mathematics from 2012-06-24T08:38
How did the mathematics of figures like Euclid and Archimides relate to ancient philosophy? Peter finds out in an interview with Serafina Cuomo
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HoP 085 - Sky Writing - Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy from 2012-06-17T09:20
Ptolemy uses philosophy in the service of studying the stars, while philosophers of all persuasions evaluate the widespread practice of astrology.
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HoP 084 - Silver Tongues in Golden Mouths - Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy from 2012-06-10T05:25
Themistius, Quintilian, Lucian and other authors tell us about the connections between rhetoric and late ancient philosophy
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HoP 083 - Not Written in Stone – Alexander of Aphrodisias from 2012-06-03T04:53
Alexander of Aphrodisias writes the greatest ancient commentaries on Aristotle and tries to demolish the Stoic teaching on fate
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HoP 082 - Lost and Found – Aristotelianism after Aristotle from 2012-05-27T09:33
Peter looks at the history of Aristotelianism up the time of the Roman Empire and the beginning of commentaries on his works
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HoP 081 - Jan Opsomer on Middle Platonism from 2012-05-20T08:56
Jan Opsomer helps Peter to understand principles, Plato interpretation, and Plutarch in a wide-ranging discussion of Middle Platonism
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HoP 080 - Delphic Utterances - Plutarch from 2012-05-13T10:54
Plutarch was a historian, a priest of Apollo, and a Platonist
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HoP 079 - To the Lighthouse - Philo of Alexandria from 2012-05-06T09:38
Philo of Alexandria uses Platonism to understand the Bible of Moses
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HoP 078 - Middle Men - the Platonic Revival from 2012-04-29T09:35
Pioneering thinkers Eudorus, Alcinous, and Numenius fuse Pythagoreanism with Platonism and pave the way for Plotinus.
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HoP 077 - Caesarian Section – Philosophy in the Roman Empire from 2012-04-22T10:18
In late antiquity, Aristotelianism and Platonism made a comeback, and pagan philosophy developed alongside Judaism and Christianity.
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HoP 076 - R.J. Hankinson on Galen from 2012-04-15T10:14
Jim Hankinson tells Peter about the life, work and philosophical contributions of Galen
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HoP 075 - The Joy of Sects - Ancient Medicine and Philosophy from 2012-04-08T08:49
Hellenistic doctors discover the nerves and argue about method; Galen passes judgment
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HoP 074 - Tony Long on the Self in Hellenistic Philosophy from 2012-04-01T08:36
Leading Hellenistic philosophy scholar Tony Long talks to Peter about the self, ethics and politics in the Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics
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HoP 073 - Healthy Skepticism - Sextus Empiricus from 2012-03-25T09:45
Sextus Empiricus pushes skepticism to its limits with his uncompromising Pyrrhonism
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HoP 072 - Raphael Woolf on Cicero from 2012-03-18T08:08
Peter discusses Cicero's method and philosophical allegiances with Raphael Woolf
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HoP 071 - Rhetorical Questions - Cicero from 2012-03-11T07:10
Cicero, inspired by the skepticism of the New Academy, uses his literary talents to present the wisdom of the Greeks
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HoP 070 - The Know-Nothing Party - the Skeptical Academy from 2012-03-04T07:36
The Skeptical Academy attacks Stoic claims that certain knowledge is possible
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HoP 069 - Beyond Belief - Pyrrho and Skepticism from 2012-02-26T07:58
Peter begins to examine ancient Skepticism, beginning with Pyrrho's life and doctrines, or lack thereof
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HoP 068 - John Sellars on the Roman Stoics from 2012-02-19T08:35
John Sellars joins Peter to discuss the Roman Stoics and their "art of living"
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HoP 067 - The Philosopher King - Marcus Aurelius from 2012-02-12T09:03
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations are a classic of Stoicism written by the most powerful philosopher who ever lived
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HoP 066 - You Can Chain My Leg - Epictetus from 2012-02-05T08:54
Epictetus, greatest of the Roman Stoics, tells you how to set yourself free
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HoP 065 - Anger Management - Seneca from 2012-01-29T08:38
Seneca wields his rhetorically charged Latin to advance Stoic ethical theory
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HoP 064 - David Sedley on Stoicism from 2012-01-22T08:23
David Sedley discusses the Stoic school and its evolution
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HoP 063 - Like a Rolling Stone - Stoic Ethics from 2012-01-15T08:39
The Stoic ethical theory insists that perfection is possible, and that moral responsibility is compatible with determinism
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HoP 062 - We Didn’t Start the Fire - the Stoics on Nature from 2012-01-08T09:08
The Stoic cosmos: suffused with divinity, surrounded by void, and endlessly repeating
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HoP 061 - Nobody’s Perfect - the Stoics on Knowledge from 2012-01-01T08:30
The Stoics set out and defend an ambitious theory of knowledge, where it is possible to avoid all error
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HoP 060 - Walking on Eggshells - the Stoics on Logic from 2011-12-25T08:36
Introducing the early Stoics, Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus, and their innovations in logic
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HoP 059 - James Warren on Epicureanism from 2011-12-18T08:12
James Warren chats with Peter about the pleasures of Epicureanism
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HoP 058 - Reaping the Harvest - Lucretius from 2011-12-11T08:54
In "On the Nature of Things" Lucretius sets Epicureanism into Latin poetic verse
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HoP 057 - Nothing to Fear - Epicureans on Death and the Gods from 2011-12-04T10:13
The Epicureans reassure us against the terrors of death and punishment by the gods
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HoP 056 - Am I Bothered? - Epicurean Ethics from 2011-11-27T09:45
Pleasure is the good, according to Epicurus. But how do we live most pleasantly?
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HoP 055 - The Constant Gardener - Epicurus and his Principles from 2011-11-20T09:39
Epicurus sets out an empiricist theory of knowledge and atomist physics, in support of hedonism
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HoP 054 - Instant Gratification - the Cyrenaics from 2011-11-13T09:04
The Cyrenaics, the ultimate pleasure seekers of ancient philosophy
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Filling the Gaps - a Brief History of Nothing from 2011-11-09T11:35
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.
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HoP 053 - Beware of the Philosopher - the Cynics from 2011-11-06T09:03
Diogenes and the other Cynics “deface the currency” by exposing the hypocrisy of Greek society.
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HoP 052 - Fighting Over Socrates - the Hellenistic Schools from 2011-10-30T10:24
Introducing the Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans and Cynics, the schools of the Hellenistic age
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HoP 051 - The Next Generation - the Followers of Plato and Aristotle from 2011-10-23T14:20
The Old Academy and Theophrastus carry on the legacy of Plato and Aristotle
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HoP 050 - MM McCabe and Raphael Woolf on Aristotle on Plato from 2011-10-16T10:27
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
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HoP 049 - Stage Directions - Aristotle's Rhetoric and Poetics from 2011-10-09T10:32
In the Rhetoric and Poetics, Aristotle explores persuasive speech and engages with ancient tragedy
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HoP 048 - Constitutional Conventions - Aristotle's Political Philosophy from 2011-10-02T10:31
Aristotle's Politics responds to Plato's Republic and sets out its own ideas about the ideal state, the types of political constitution, and the role of women and slaves
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HoP 047 God Only Knows: Aristotle on Mind and God from 2011-09-25T09:40
Drawing on the De Anima, On the Heavens, Physics and Metaphysics, Peter tackles Aristotle’s theory of mind and its relation to his theology.
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HoP 046 - Dominic Scott on Aristotle's Ethics from 2011-09-18T10:11
Dominic Scott discusses Aristotle's method in his Nicomachean Ethics
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HoP 045 - The Second Self - Aristotle On Pleasure And Friendship from 2011-09-11T10:27
What place does Aristotle leave for pleasure and friendship in his vision of the good life?
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HoP 044 - The Goldilocks Theory - Aristotle's Ethics from 2011-09-03T23:24
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics on happiness and virtue
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HoP 043 - Classified Information - Aristotle's Biology from 2011-07-24T10:55
In his zoology, Aristotle divides and defines all kinds of animals, and so invents the science of biology
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HoP 042 - Soul Power - Aristotle's De Anima from 2011-07-17T09:49
Aristotle's theory of soul: its functions and how it relates to the body
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HoP 041 - Richard Sorabji on Time and Eternity in Aristotle from 2011-07-10T09:58
Richard Sorabji discusses time, eternity and mosquitos in Aristotle's Physics
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HoP 040 - Let's Get Physical - Aristotle's Natural Philosophy from 2011-07-03T09:14
Aristotle's Physics explains change, time and place with the help of his actuality/potentiality distinction
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HoP 039 - Form and Function - Aristotle's Four Causes from 2011-06-26T09:45
The four types of explanation: formal, material, efficient and final cause
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HoP 038 - Down To Earth - Aristotle on Substance from 2011-06-19T12:54
Aristotle's critique of Platonic Forms and defense of his own metaphysics
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HoP 037 - Hugh Benson on Aristotelian Method from 2011-06-12T21:45
Hugh Benson discusses Aristotle's ideas about arriving at knowledge
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HoP 036 - A Principled Stand - Aristotle's Epistemology from 2011-06-07T10:23
Knowledge according to Aristotle's Posterior Analytics
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HoP 035 - The Philosopher's Toolkit - Aristotle's Logical Works from 2011-05-31T00:27
Aristotle's invention of logic in the Organon (especially Categories, On Interpretation, Prior Analytics)
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HoP 034 - Mr. Know It All - Aristotle's Life And Works from 2011-05-23T10:19
Aristotle's career, corpus and unparalleled influence
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HoP 033 - Last Judgments - Plato, Poetry and Myth from 2011-05-16T07:38
Plato's attack on the poets and his own use of myth in the Republic and other dialogues
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HoP 032 - Frisbee Sheffield on Platonic Love from 2011-05-09T09:49
Frisbee Sheffield discusses Plato's erotic dialogues, including the Symposium
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HoP 031 - Wings of Desire - Plato's Erotic Dialogues from 2011-05-02T15:52
Love, friendship and philosophy in the Symposium, Phaedrus and Lysis
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HoP 030 - A Likely Story - Plato's Timaeus from 2011-04-25T09:27
A divine craftsman makes the cosmos from triangles in Plato's Timaeus
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HoP 029 - What's in a Name? - Plato's Cratylus from 2011-04-18T10:32
Philosophy of language and Heraclitean flux in Plato's Cratylus
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HoP 028 - Fiona Leigh on Plato's Sophist from 2011-04-11T22:39
Fiona Leigh discusses Plato's revised theory of Forms in the Sophist
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HoP 027 - Second Thoughts - Plato's Parmenides and the Forms from 2011-04-04T11:46
The Third Man Argument and other criticisms of Forms in the Parmenides
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HoP 026 - Ain't No Sunshine - The Cave Allegory of Plato's Republic from 2011-03-28T10:04
The Divided Line, Form of the Good, and Cave in Plato's Republic
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HoP 025 - Soul and The City - Plato's Political Philosophy from 2011-03-20T13:26
Plato's Republic defends and defines justice at the level of the ideal city and the person
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HoP 024 - Famous Last Words - Plato's Phaedo from 2011-03-14T10:16
Forms and the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo
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HoP 023 - MM McCabe on Knowledge in Plato from 2011-03-07T09:02
MM McCabe discusses epistemology and virtue in Plato
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HoP 022 - I Know Because The Caged Bird Sings - Plato's Theaetetus from 2011-02-28T11:29
Knowledge, relativism, and memory in the Theaetetus
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HoP 021 - We Don't Need No Education - Plato's Meno from 2011-02-21T09:29
The Meno and Plato's theory of recollection
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HoP 020 - Virtue Meets Its Match - Plato's Gorgias from 2011-02-14T09:45
Ethics against immoralism in a Socratic masterpiece.
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HoP 019 - Know Thyself - Two Unloved Platonic Dialogues from 2011-02-07T11:04
Virtue and knowledge in Plato's Charmides and Euthydemus
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HoP 018 - In Dialogue - The Life And Writings Of Plato from 2011-01-31T09:24
The life, times and dialogues of Plato
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HoP 017 - Raphael Woolf on Socrates from 2011-01-24T12:41
Raphael Woolf discusses Socrates as presented by Plato
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HoP 016 - Method Man - Plato's Socrates from 2011-01-17T10:52
Socratic virtue, ignorance and irony in the Platonic dialogues Socrates' claim that no one does wrong willingly
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HoP 015 - Socrates without Plato - the Portrayals of Aristophanes and Xenophon from 2011-01-10T09:16
Socrates according to the comic poet Aristophanes and the historian Xenophon
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HoP 014 - Making the Weaker Argument the Stronger - the Sophists from 2011-01-03T15:27
Rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras, Gorgias and other sophists
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HoP 013 - Good Humor Men - the Hippocratics from 2010-12-27T12:07
Hippocrates and the relation between early Greek medicine and philosophy
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HoP 012 - Malcolm Schofield on the Presocratics from 2010-12-20T08:38
Malcolm Schofield on Heraclitus, Parmenides and other early Greek philosophers
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HoP 011 - All You Need Is Love, and Five Other Things - Empedocles from 2010-12-13T09:51
Love, Strife and the four elements in Empedocles
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HoP 010 - Mind Over Mixture - Anaxagoras from 2010-12-06T09:28
Is everything mixed with everything? Anaxagoras on Mind and the cosmos
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HoP 009 - The Final Cut - Democritus And Leuccipus from 2010-11-25T16:29
Ancient atomism as a response to Parmenides
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HoP 008 - You Can't Get There From Here - Zeno And Melissus from 2010-11-22T11:06
Zeno's paradoxes and Melissus develop the Eleatic philosophy
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HoP 007 - The Road Less Traveled - Parmenides from 2010-11-15T12:07
The father of metaphysics, Parmenides of Elea
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HoP 006 - MM McCabe on Heraclitus from 2010-11-08T04:03
MM McCabe of King's discusses the fragments of Heraclitus
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HoP 005 - Old Man River - Heraclitus from 2010-11-01T10:55
Everything changes in the riddling philosophy of Heraclitus
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HoP 004 - The Man With The Golden Thigh - Pythagoras from 2010-10-25T13:24
Pythagoras and mathematics in ancient philosophy
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HoP 003 - Created In Our Image - Xenophanes Against Greek Religion from 2010-10-25T13:14
The gods in Homer and Hesiod, and the critique of Xenophanes
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HoP 002 - Infinity and Beyond - Anaximander and Anaximenes from 2010-10-25T13:12
Two early Pre-Socratics claim that the world is made of air, and the infinite
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HoP 001 - Everything is Full of Gods - Thales from 2010-10-25T07:10
In this first episode, Peter discusses the goals of the series and Thales, the first Greek philosopher.
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