Iamblichus: On the General Science of Mathematics

John Dillon editor Professor JO Urmson editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:9th Jul '20

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Iamblichus: On the General Science of Mathematics cover

A translation of ancient philosophical introductions accompanied by extensive commentary notes, introduction and indexes.

On the General Science of Mathematics is the third of four surviving works out of ten by Iamblichus (c. 245 CE–early 320s) on the Pythagoreans. He thought the Pythagoreans had treated mathematics as essential for drawing the human soul upwards to higher realms described by Plato, and downwards to understand the physical cosmos, the products of arts and crafts and the order required for an ethical life. His Pythagorean treatises use edited quotation to re-tell the history of philosophy, presenting Plato and Aristotle as passing on the ideas invented by Pythagoras and his early followers. Although his quotations tend to come instead from Plato and later Pythagoreanising Platonists, this re-interpretation had a huge impact on the Neoplatonist commentators in Athens. Iamblichus’ cleverness, if not to the same extent his re-interpretation, was appreciated by the commentators in Alexandria.

ISBN: 9781350127647

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 426g

176 pages