World Soul – Anima Mundi: On the Origins and Fortunes of a Fundamental Idea

Published by De Gruyter 2020

World Soul – Anima Mundi

On the Origins and Fortunes of a Fundamental Idea

Edited by: Christoph Helmig

Volume 8 in the series Topics in Ancient Philosophy / Themen der antiken Philosophie

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110628609

Overview
Contents

About this book

From Plato’s Timaeus onwards, the world or cosmos has been conceived of as a living, rational organism. Most notably in German Idealism, philosophers still talked of a ‘Weltseele’ (Schelling) or ‘Weltgeist’ (Hegel). This volume is the first collection of essays on the origin of the notion of the world soul (anima mundi) in Antiquity and beyond. It contains 14 original contributions by specialists in the field of ancient philosophy, the Platonic tradition and the history of theology. The topics range from the ‘obscure’ Presocratic Heraclitus, to Plato and his ancient readers in Middle and Neoplatonism (including the Stoics), to the reception of the idea of a world soul in the history of natural science. A general introduction highlights the fundamental steps in the development of the Platonic notion throughout late Antiquity and early Christian philosophy. Accessible to Classicists, historians of philosophy, theologians and invaluable to specialists in ancient philosophy, the book provides an overview of the fascinating discussions surrounding a conception that had a long-lasting effect on the history of Western thought.

First collected volume on the concept of a world soul in the history of thought
Seminal readings on the interrelation of cosmology, psychology and theology
Wide-ranging scope from Heraclitus and Plato to Neoplatonism and beyond

Author / Editor information

Christoph Helmig, University of Cologne, Germany.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Acknowledgment Publicly Available Download PDF	V
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
The World Soul in Antiquity and beyond Christoph Helmig Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I: Prehistory of the concept
Is the Logos a kind of World Soul? On the relationship between cosmology and psychology in Heraclitus Christian Vassallo Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	27
Part II: Plato’s Timaeus and Pseudo-Aristotle’s De Mundo
Disorderly motion and the World Soul in the Timaeus Filip Karfík Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	63
Die „Seele“ des Seienden bei Platon: Sophistes 248e–249a und Timaios 30a–31c Franco Ferrari Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	77
Ascoltare l’anima cosmica: riargomentazione ed esegesi tecnica κατὰ ζητήματα della divisio animae platonica Federico M. Petrucci Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	91
The power of god in Pseudo-Aristotle’s De mundo: An alternative approach Johan C. Thom Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	135
Part III: Old Academy, Stoicism, and Middle Platonism
The World Soul takes command: The doctrine of the World Soul in the Epinomis of Philip of Opus and in the academy of Polemon John Dillon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	155
Apospasma: The World Soul and its individual parts in Stoicism Jean-Baptiste Gourinat Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	167
Die kosmische Seele bei Ps.-Timaios Lokros und den anderen Pseudopythagorica: kosmologische und erkenntnistheoretische Aspekte Angela Ulacco Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
Calcidius on Fate and the World Soul Carl O’Brien Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	211
Part IV: Neoplatonism
Plotinus on the World Soul Damian Caluori Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	245
The World Soul in the embryological theories of Porphyry and Plotinus James Wilberding Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	269
The World Soul in Proclus’ Timaeus Commentary Dirk Baltzly Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	289
From the particular soul to the World Soul: Some puzzles in Philoponus Marc-Antoine Gavray Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	309
Part V: Nachleben
World Soul and celestial heat. Platonic and Aristotelian ideas in the history of natural philosophy Johannes Zachhuber Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	335
Index of Names Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	355
Index of Ancient Citations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	357
Index of Subjects Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	363

(Deutsch)

Languages: English, German, French
Publisher: De Gruyter
Pages
- Front matter: 8
- Main content: 364
Illustrations
- Tables: 4

eBook

Published: January 20, 2020
ISBN: 9783110628609

Hardcover

Published: January 20, 2020
ISBN: 9783110628463