History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 105 - Naming the Nameless - the Pseudo-Dionysius
18 snips
Dec 2, 2012 AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The Famous Pseudonymous Claim
- The pseudo-Dionysius claimed to be Dionysius the Areopagite, a convert of Paul and witness to Christ's crucifixion and visions.
- Scholars now know the works were written circa 500 AD, so the author's apostolic identity was a deliberate pseudonym.
Medieval Reach Beyond Philosophy
- Dionysius became central to medieval theology after Latin translations in the Carolingian period and endorsement by thinkers like John Scotus Erigena and Thomas Aquinas.
- His ideas influenced theology, mysticism, and even Gothic architecture, e.g., angelic hierarchies and stained glass themes.
Proclus Reveals The Date
- Late-19th-century scholarship found Dionysius borrowed heavily from Proclus, proving a 5th-century date for the texts.
- That dating exposed the author as a creative Christian appropriation of Neoplatonism rather than an apostolic witness.