History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 078 - Middle Men - the Platonic Revival
30 snips
Apr 29, 2012 AI Snips
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Scribal Beta/Kappa Mix-Up
- A ninth-century manuscript names the Didaskalicus author "Alcinous", but scholars noted beta/kappa confusion.
- The debate over Alcinous vs Albinus changed who we think wrote a rare complete middle-platonist text.
Middle Platonists Reboot Plato's Authority
- Middle platonists in the 1st–2nd centuries AD defended doctrinal Platonism against sceptics and rival schools.
- They set key agendas and doctrinal habits that later shaped Plotinus and Neoplatonism.
Eudorus Prioritised Pythagoras Over Plato
- Eudorus treated Pythagoras as the primary authority and read Plato selectively to fit Pythagorean doctrines.
- He reworked the first-principles scheme that later fed directly into Neoplatonic metaphysics.