Plato's universe

157 Pages·2005·2.84 MB·English

by  Plato.

PLATO’S
UNIVERSE
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PLATO’S
UNIVERSE
Gregory Vlastos
With a new Introduction by
Luc Brisson
PARMENIDES
PUBLISHING
2005ParmenidesPublishing
Allrightsreserved
Originallypublishedin1975
bytheUniversityofWashingtonPress
Thispaperbackedition,withanewIntroductionbyLucBrisson,
publishedin2005byParmenidesPublishing
intheUnitedStatesofAmerica
ISBN-10:1-930972-13-X
ISBN-13:978-1-930972-13-1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Vlastos,Gregory.
Plato’suniverse/GregoryVlastos;withanewintroductionby
LucBrisson.
p.cm.
Originallypublished:Seattle:UniversityofWashingtonPress,
1975,inseries:TheJessieandJohnDanzlectures.Withnew
introd.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindexes.
ISBN-13:978-1-930972-13-1(pbk.:alk. paper)
ISBN-10:1-930972-13-X(pbk.:alk. paper)
1.Cosmology—History.2.Philosophy, Ancient.3.Plato. I.Title.
B187.C7V552005
113—dc22 2005032892
Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6 are taken from Figures 1–4 in Plato, by Paul
Friedl¨ander, translated by Hans Meyerhoff (Bollingen Series LIX),
vol. 1, An Introduction (copyright  1958 by Bollingen Foundation
and  1969 by Princeton University Press), and are reprinted by
permissionofPrincetonUniversityPress.
1-888-PARMENIDES
www.parmenides.com
I dedicate this little book in affectionate gratitude to
Princeton’s trustees and loyal alumni. On their
faith in their university rests its continuing excellence.
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The Jessie and
John Danz Lectures
(The Series in which Plato’s Universe
was originally published)
In October, 1961, Mr. John Danz, a Seattle Pioneer, and his
wife, Jessie Danz, made a substantial gift to the University of
Washington to establish a perpetual fund to provide income
to be used to bring to the University of Washington each
year‘‘...distinguishedscholarsofnationalandinternational
reputation who have concerned themselves with the impact
of science and philosophy on man’s perception of a rational
universe.’’ThefundestablishedbyMr.andMrs.Danzisnow
known as the Jessie and John Danz Fund, and the scholars
brought to the University under its provisions are known as
Jessie and John Danz Lecturers or Professors.
Mr.DanzwiselylefttotheBoardofRegentsoftheUniver-
sity of Washington the identification of the special fields in
science, philosophy, and other disciplines in which lecture-
ships may be established. His major concern and interest
were that the fund would enable the University of Washing-
ton to bring to the campus some of the truly great scholars
and thinkers of the world.
Mr. Danz authorized the Regents to expend a portion of
the income from the fund to purchase special collections of
books, documents, and other scholarly materials needed to
reinforce the effectiveness of the extraordinary lectureships
and professorships. The terms of the gift also provided for
vii
viii THEJESSIEANDJOHNDANZLECTURES
the publication and dissemination, when this seems appro-
priate, of the lectures given by the Jessie and John Danz Lec-
turers.
Through this book, therefore, another Jessie and John
DanzLecturerspeakstothepeopleandscholarsoftheworld,
as he has spoken to his audiences at the University of Wash-
ington and in the Pacific Northwest community.
Contents
INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW EDITION
BY LUC BRISSON xi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xxi
INTRODUCTION xxiii
1. THE GREEKS DISCOVER THE COSMOS 3
2. PLATO’S COSMOS, I: THEORY OF CELESTIAL
MOTIONS 23
3. PLATO’S COSMOS, II: THEORY OF THE
STRUCTURE OF MATTER 66
APPENDIX 98
BIBLIOGRAPHY 117
INDEX OF GREEK WORDS 123
INDEX OF NAMES 125
INDEX OF PASSAGES 127
ix