Likeness and Likelihood in the Presocratics and Plato

Jenny Bryan

Cambridge University Press, 2012 - History - 210 pages

"The Greek word eoikos can be translated in various ways. It can be used to describe similarity, plausibility or even suitability. This book explores the philosophical exploitation of its multiple meanings by three philosophers, Xenophanes, Parmenides and Plato. It offers new interpretations of the way that each employs the term to describe the status of their philosophy, tracing the development of this philosophical use of eoikos from the fallibilism of Xenophanes through the deceptive cosmology of Parmenides to Plato's Timaeus. The central premise of the book is that, in reflecting on the eoikos status of their accounts, Xenophanes, Parmenides and Plato are manipulating the contexts and connotations of the term as it has been used by their predecessors. By focusing on this continuity in the development of the philosophical use of eoikos, the book serves to enhance our understanding of the epistemology and methodology of Xenophanes, Parmenides and Plato's Timaeus"--

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• chapter 1 Xenophanes fallibilism: 6
• chapter 2 Parmenides Allusive Ambiguity: 58
• chapter 3 Platos Timaeus: 114
• chapter 4 Imitation and limitation in Timaeus proemium: 161
• Conclusion: 192
• Bibliography: 196
• INDEX LOCORUM: 205
• GENERAL INDEX: 208

About the author

Jenny Bryan is Lecturer in Classical Philosophy at University College London.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Likeness and Likelihood in the Presocratics and Plato; Cambridge Classical Studies
• Author: Jenny Bryan
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2012
• ISBN: 0521762944, 9780521762946
• Length: 210 pages
• Subjects: History / Ancient / General; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Ancient & Classical