Cosmic Problems
Essays on Greek and Roman Philosophy of Nature

Tackles questions about ancient cosmology and the clash between the two opposing systems known as Aristotelianism and Atomism.

David Furley (Author)

9780521117128, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 July 2009

276 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.41 kg

The essays in this collection represent in scholarly infrastructure to Professor Furley's major study, The Greek Cosmologists, of which volume 1 was published by the Press in 1987. They tackle the questions in ancient cosmology and the clash between the two opposing systems known as Aristotelianism and Atomism. Some essays are general reflections on the nature of the debate; others explore certain detailed questions; yet all illustrate the author's incisive approach, which cuts through irrelevancies and goes directly to the heart of an issue.

Preface
Acknowledgements
1. The Greek theory of the infinite universe
2. The dynamics of the Earth: Anaximander, Plato and the centrifocal theory
3. Notes on Parmenides
4. Truth as what survives the elenchos
5. Anaxagoras in response to Parmenides
6. Antiphon's case against justice
7. Aristotle and the atomists on motion in a void
8. Weight and motion in Democritus' theory
9. Aristotle and the atomists on infinity
10. The rainfall example in Physics II.8
11. Self-movers
12. The mechanics of Meteorologica IV: a prolegomenon to biology
13. Strato's theory of the void
14. Knowledge of atoms and void in epicureanism
15. Variations of themes form Empedocles in Lucretius' Proem
16. Lucretius and the stoics
17. Lucretius the Epicurean, on the history of man
18. The cosmological crisis in classical antiquity
Bibliography
Index locorum
Index of modern scholars
General index.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500 [HPCA]