History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

HoP 452 - Better Than Nothing - Metaphysics in the Second Scholastic

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Did the metaphysics of Francisco Suárez mark a shift from traditional scholasticism to early modern philosophy?

HoP 451 - Could’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve - Free Will in the Second Scholastic

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

What was Luis de Molina trying to say about human free will with his doctrine of “middle knowledge,” and why did it provoke such controversy?

HoP 450 - Depicting What Cannot Be Depicted - Philosophy and Two Renaissance Artworks

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

To celebrate reaching 450 episodes, Peter looks at the philosophical resonance of two famous artworks from the turn of the 16th century: Dürer’s Self-Portrait and Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel.

HoP 449 - Anna Tropia on Jesuit Philosophy

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

We learn from Anna Tropia how Jesuit philosophy of mind broke new ground in the scholastic tradition.

HoP 448 - Secondary Schools - Iberian Scholasticism

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The “School of Salamanca,” founded by Francisco Vitoria, and the commentators of Coimbra are at the center of a movement sometimes called the “Second Scholastic.”

HoP 447 - Andrés Messmer on Spanish Protestantism

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Yes, there were Spanish Protestants! Andrew (Andrés) Messmer joins us to explain how they drew on humanism and philosophy to argue for their religious agenda.

HoP 446 - Not Doubting Thomas - the Aquinas Revival

Sun, 26 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Cajetan, Bañez and other thinkers make Aquinas a central figure of Counter-Reformation thought; we focus on their theories about analogy and the soul.

HoP 445 - Band of Brothers - the Jesuits

Sun, 12 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Ignatius of Loyola’s movement begins modestly, but winds up having a global impact on education and philosophy.

HoP 444 - The Dark Night Rises - Spanish Mysticism

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross push the boundaries of individual spirituality and offer philosophically informed accounts of mystical experience.

HoP 443 - Marketplace of Letters - Iberian Humanism

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Fray Luis de Leon, Antonio Nebrija, Beatriz Galindo and other scholars bring the Renaissance to Spain.

HoP 442 - Scott Williams on Disability and the New World

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In this interview we learn about the main issues in modern-day philosophy of disability, and the relevance of this topic for the European encounter with the Americas.

HoP 441 - Lambs to the Slaughter - Debating the New World

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Bartholomé De las Casas argues against opponents, like Sepúlveda, who believed that Europeans had a legal and moral right to rule over and exploit the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

HoP 440 - Longitudinal Studies - Exploration and Science

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Iberian expeditions to the Americas inspire scientists, and Matteo Ricci’s religious mission to Asia becomes an encounter between European and Chinese philosophy.

HoP 439 - Cancel Culture - The Inquisition

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 04:00:00 +0000

How religious persecution and censorship shaped the context of philosophy in Catholic Europe in the sixteenth century.

HoP 438 - Don't Give Up Pope - Catholic Reformation

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

How the Counter-Reformation or Catholic Reformation created a context for philosophy among Catholics, especially in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

HoP 437 - Jennifer Rampling on Renaissance Alchemy

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

An expert on Renaissance alchemy tells us how this art related to philosophy at the time... and how she has tried to reproduce its results!

HoP 436 - Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores - Robert Fludd

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Our last figure of the English Renaissance undertakes daring investigations of chemistry, medicine, agriculture, and cosmology – and gets accused of magic and Rosicrucianism.

HoP 435 - Metal More Attractive - William Gilbert and Magnetism

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The cosmological and methodological implications of breakthroughs in the understanding of magnetism and electricity at the turn of the 17th century.

HoP 434 - The Eye Sees Not Itself But By Reflection - Theories of Vision

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Changing ideas about eyesight, light, mirror images, and refraction – and the skeptical worries they may have inspired.

HoP 433 - Nature’s Mystery - Science in Renaissance England

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How scientists of the Elizabethan age anticipated the discoveries and methods of the Enlightenment (without necessarily publishing them).

HoP 432 - If This Be Magic, Let It Be an Art - John Dee

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Science, intrigue, exploration, angelic seances! It's the life and thought of Elizabethan mathematician and magician John Dee.

HoP 431 - Calvin Normore on Scholasticism

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

A discussion of the history and philosophical significance of scholasticism from medieval times to early modernity, and even today.

HoP 430 - I’ll Teach You Differences - British Scholasticism

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The evolution of Aristotelian philosophy from John Mair in the late 15th century to John Case in the late 16th century.

HoP 429 - She Uttereth Piercing Eloquence - Women’s Spiritual Literature

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How women’s writing in England changed from the early fifteenth century, the time of Margery Kempe, to the late sixteenth century, the time of Anne Lock.

HoP 428 - Weird Sisters - Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Witchcraft

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How Macbeth reflects the anxieties and explanations surrounding witchcraft and witch-hunting in early modern Europe.

HoP 427 - Brave New World - Shakespeare’s Tempest and Colonialism

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Can Shakespeare’s Tempest be read as a reflection on the English encounter with the peoples of the Americas?

HoP 426 - A Face Without a Heart - Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Individualism

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How the Renaissance turn towards individual identity is reflected in Shakespeare's most famous play.

HoP 425 - Patrick Gray on Shakespeare

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Patrick Gray to discuss Shakespeare's knowledge of philosophy, his ethics, and his influence on such thinkers as Hegel.

HoP 424 - Hast Any Philosophy In Thee? - William Shakespeare

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How should we approach Shakespeare’s plays as philosophical texts? We take as examples skepticism and politics in Othello, King Lear, and Julius Caesar.

HoP 423 - Heaven-Bred Poesy - Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

We begin to look at Elizabethan literature, as Sidney argues that poetry is superior to philosophy, and philosophy is put to use in Spenser’s "Fairie Queene".

HoP 422 - The World’s Law - Richard Hooker

Sun, 28 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Richard Hooker defends the religious and political settlement of Elizabethan England using rational arguments and appeals to the natural law.

HoP 421 - With Such Perfection Govern - English Political Thought

Sun, 14 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The evolution of ideas about kingship and the role of the “three estates” in 15th and 16th century England, with a focus on John Fortescue and Thomas Starkey.

HoP 420 - No Place Will Please Me So - Thomas More

Sun, 07 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

What is the message of the famous, but elusive, work "Utopia", and how can it be squared with the life of its author?

HoP 419 - Write Till Your Ink Be Dry - Humanism in Britain

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Humanism comes to England and Scotland, leading scholars like Thomas Eylot and Andrew Melville to rethink philosophical education.

HoP 418 - Diarmaid MacCulloch on the British Reformations

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

A leading expert on the history of the Reformation joins us to explain the very different stories of England and Scotland in the 16th century.

HoP 417 - To Kill a King - The Scottish Reformation

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

John Knox polemicizes against idolaters and female rulers, while the humanist George Buchanan argues more calmly for equally radical political conclusions.

HoP 416 - God’s is the Quarrel - The English Reformation

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The historical context of English philosophy in the sixteenth century, with particular focus on Thomas Cranmer, and the role of religion in personal conscience and social cohesion.

HoP 415 - The Tenth Muse - Marie de Gournay

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Marie le Jars de Gourney, the “adoptive daughter” of Montaigne, lays claim to his legacy and argues for the equality of the sexes.

HoP 414 - Henrik Lagerlund on Renaissance Skepticism

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 04:00:00 +0000

No doubt that we're in good hands with interview guest Henrik Lagerlund, who brings his expertise in the history of skepticism to bear on the French Renaissance.

HoP 413 - Don’t Be So Sure - French Skepticism

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The sources and scope of the skepticism of Montaigne, Charron, and Sanches.

HoP 412 - Not Matter, But Me - Michel de Montaigne

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In his “Essays” Montaigne uses his wit, insight, and humanist training to tackle his favorite subject: Montaigne.

HoP 411 - Pen Pals - Later French Humanism

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Joseph Scaliger, Isaac Casaubon, and Guillaume du Vair grapple with history and the events of their own day.

HoP 410 - Ann Blair on Jean Bodin’s Natural Philosophy

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 04:00:00 +0000

A chat with Ann Blair about the "Theater of Nature" by Jean Bodin, and other encyclopedic works of natural philosophy.

HoP 409 - One to Rule Them All - Jean Bodin

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The polymath Jean Bodin produces a pioneering theory of political sovereignty along the way to defending the absolute power of the French king.

HoP 408 - Constitutional Conventions - the Huguenots

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Protestant French thinkers like François Hotman and Theodore Beza propose a radical political philosophy: the king rules at the pleasure of his subjects.

HoP 407 - Maria Rosa Antognazza on Early Modern Toleration

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 04:00:00 +0000

An interview on the nature of religious tolerance, and the forms it took during the Reformation and in the thought of early modern thinkers like Locke and Leibniz.

HoP 406 - Believe at Your Own Risk - Toleration in France

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Even as wars of religion in France prompt calls for toleration, hardly anyone makes a principled case for freedom of conscience… apart from Sebastian Castellio.

HoP 405 - Divide and Conquer - the Spread of Ramism

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The methods of Peter Ramus sweep across Europe, winning adherents and facing stiff opposition in equal measure.

HoP 404 - Robert Goulding on Peter Ramus

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

A chat with Ramus expert Robert Goulding on the role of mathematics in Ramist philosophy.

HoP 403 - Make It Simple - Peter Ramus

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Peter Ramus scandalizes his critics, and thrills his students and admirers, by proposing a new and simpler approach to philosophy.

Bonus Episode: Don’t Think for Yourself, Chapter 1

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Peter reads the first chapter of his new book Don’t Think for Yourself: Authority and Belief in Medieval Philosophy, available from University of Notre Dame Press. Pre-order with the code 14FF20 from undpress.nd.edu, to get a 20% discount!

HoP 402 - Life is Not Enough - Medicine in Renaissance France

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Challenges to Galenic medical orthodoxy from natural philosophy: Jean Fernel with his idea of the human’s “total substance,” and the Paracelsans.

HoP 401 - Word Perfect - Logic and Language in Renaissance France

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples and Julius Caesar Scaliger fuse Aristotelianism with humanism to address problems in logic and literary aesthetics.

HoP 400 - Philosophy Podcasters

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Peter chats with the hosts of three great philosophy podcasts: Elucidations, Hi-Phi Nation, and the Unmute Podcast.

HoP 399 - Seriously Funny - Rabelais

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

In his outrageous novel about Pantagruel and Gargantua, Rabelais engages with scholasticism, humanism, medicine, the reformation, and the querelle des femmes.

HoP 398 - Pearls of Wisdom - Marguerite of Navarre

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

A Renaissance queen supports philosophical humanism and produces literary works on spirituality, love, and the soul.

HoP 397 - Do As the Romans Did - French Humanism

Sun, 22 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

We begin to look at philosophy in Renaissance France, beginning with humanists like Budé and the use of classical philosophy by poets du Bellay and Ronsard.

HoP 396 - Lorraine Daston on Renaissance Science

Sun, 08 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Comets! Magnets! Armadillos! In this wide-ranging interview Lorraine Daston tells us how Renaissance and early modern scientists dealt with the extraordinary events they called "wonders".

HoP 395 - Music of the Spheres - Johannes Kepler

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Johannes Kepler fuses Platonist philosophy with a modified version of Copernicus’ astronomy.

HoP 394 - Best of Both Worlds - Tycho Brahe

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Responses to Copernicus in the 16th century, culminating with the master of astral observation Tycho Brahe.

HoP 393 - The World Doesn’t Revolve Around You - Copernicus

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 04:00:00 +0000

How revolutionary was the Copernican Revolution?

HoP 392 - John Sellars on Lipsius and Early Modern Stoicism

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 12:29:06 +0000

John Sellars returns to the podcast to discuss Lipsius' work on Seneca and the early modern Neo-Stoic movement.

HoP 391 - Everything is Mine and Nothing - Lipsius and the Revival of Stoicism

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Justus Lipsius draws on Seneca and other Stoics to counsel peace of mind in the face of political chaos, but also writes a work on how such chaos can be avoided.

HoP 390 - Born to Be Contrary - Toleration in the Netherlands

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Amidst religious conflict in the Netherlands, Dirck Coornhert pleads for religious toleration and freedom of expression.

HoP 389 - The Acid Test - Theories of Matter

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Schegk, Taurellus, Gorlaeus, and Sennert revive atomism to explain chemical reactions, the composition of bodies, and the generation of organisms.

HoP 388 - Just Add Salt - Paracelsus and Alchemy

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Paracelsus adapts the tradition of alchemical science for use in medicine, and in the process overturns the scientific theories of Aristotle and Galen.

HoP 387 - Helen Hattab on Protestant Philosophy

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with Helen Hattab on the scope and impact of scholastic philosophy among Protestants.

HoP 386 - Perhaps Not Wrong - Cornelius Agrippa

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Was Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa a dark magician, a pious skeptic, or both?

HoP 385 - I Too Can Ask Questions - Protestant Scholasticism

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 04:00:00 +0000

In a surprise twist, some Protestant thinkers embrace the methods of scholasticism, and even find something to admire in the work of Catholic authors like Aquinas.

HoP 384 - We Are Not Our Own - John Calvin

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 10:16:06 +0000

John Calvin's views on predestination and the limits of human reason.

HoP 383 - Slowly But Surely - Huldrych Zwingli

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The Swiss theologian Zwingli launches the Reformation in Switzerland, but clashes with Luther and more radical Protestants.

HoP 382 - No Lord but God - the Peasants’ War and Radical Reformation

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Faced with massive political upheaval and the rise of the Anabaptists, Luther argues for a socially conservative version of the Reformation.

HoP 381 - More Lutheran than Luther - Philip Melanchthon

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Luther’s close ally Melanchthon uses his knowledge of ancient philosophy and rhetoric in the service of the Reformation.

HoP 380 - Take Your Choice - Erasmus vs Luther on Free Will

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Erasmus clashes with Martin Luther over the question whether our wills are free or enslaved to sin.

HoP 379 - Lyndal Roper on Luther

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

How radical was Luther? We find out from Lyndal Roper, who also discusses Luther and the Peasants' War, sexuality, anti-semitism, and the visual arts.

HoP 378 - Faith, No More - Martin Luther

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

How Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith alone and his attack on the Church relate to the history of philosophy.

HoP 377 - One Way or Another - Northern Scholasticism

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Trends in Aristotelian philosophy in northern and eastern Europe in the fifteenth century, featuring discussion of the “Wegestreit” and the nominalist theology of Gabriel Biel.

HoP 376 - Books That Last Forever - Erasmus

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The “learned piety” of Desiderius Erasmus, the greatest figure of northern humanism.

HoP 375 - Paul Richard Blum on Nicholas of Cusa

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Learned ignorance, coincidence of opposites and religious peace: Paul Richard Blum discusses the central ideas of Nicholas Cusanus.

HoP 374 - Opposites Attract - Nicholas of Cusa

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The radical negative theology of Nicholas of Cusa, and his hope of establishing peace between the religions of the world.

HoP 373 - Lords of Language - Northern Humanism

Sun, 23 May 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Rudolph Agricola, Juan Luis Vives and other humanist scholars spread the study of classical antiquity across Europe and mock the technicalities of scholastic philosophy.

HoP 372 - Strong, Silent Type - the Printing Press

Sun, 09 May 2021 05:50:44 +0000

The impact of the printing press on the history of philosophy, and its role in helping to trigger the Reformation.

HoP 371 - European Disunion - Introduction to the Reformation

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 03:00:00 +0000

How humanism and scholasticism came together with the Protestant Reformation to create the philosophy of 15-16th century Europe.

HoP 370 - Ingrid Rowland on Rome in the Renaissance

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

For our finale of the Italian Renaissance series we're joined by Ingrid Rowland, to speak about art, philosophy, and persecution in Renaissance Rome.

HoP 369 - The Harder They Fall - Galileo and the Renaissance

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Did Galileo’s scientific discoveries grow out of the culture of the Italian Renaissance?

HoP 368 - Boundless Enthusiasm - Giordano Bruno

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Giordano Bruno’s stunning vision of an infinite universe with infinite worlds, and his own untimely end.

HoP 367 - Brian Copenhaver on Renaissance Magic

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Our guest Brian Copenhaver joins us to explain how Ficino and other Renaissance philosophers thought about magic.

HoP 366 - The Men Who Saw Tomorrow - Renaissance Magic and Astrology

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Ficino, Pico, Cardano, and other Renaissance thinkers debate whether astrology and magic are legitimate sciences with a foundation in natural philosophy.

HoP 365 - Spirits in the Material World - Telesio and Campanella on Nature

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Was the natural philosophy of Bernardino Telesio and Tommaso Campanella the first modern physical theory?

HoP 364 - Guido Giglioni on Renaissance Medicine

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with Guido Giglioni, who speaks to us about the sources and philosophical implications of medical works of the Renaissance.

HoP 363 - Man of Discoveries - Girolamo Cardano

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The polymath Girolamo Cardano explores medicine, mathematics, philosophy of mind, and the interpretation of dreams.

HoP 362 - Just What the Doctor Ordered - Renaissance Medicine

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Connections between philosophy and advances in medicine, including the anatomy of Vesalius.

HoP 361 - The Measure of All Things - Renaissance Mathematics and Art

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 04:00:00 +0000

The humanist study of Pythagoras, Archimides and other ancient mathematicians goes hand in hand with the use of mathematics in painting and architecture.

HoP 360 - Dag N. Hasse on Arabic Learning in the Renaissance

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with Dag Nikolaus Hasse on the Renaissance reception of Averroes, Avicenna, and other authors who wrote in Arabic.

HoP 359 - There and Back Again - Zabarella on Scientific Method

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Jacopo Zabarella outlines the correct method for pursuing, and then presenting, scientific discoveries.

HoP 358 - Of Two Minds - Pomponazzi and Nifo on the Intellect

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Pietro Pomponazzi and Agostino Nifo debate the immortality of the soul and the cogency of Averroes’ theory of intellect.

HoP 357 - David Lines on Aristotle's Ethics in the Renaissance

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with David Lines on the role of Aristotle in Renaissance ethics.

HoP 356 - I’d Like to Thank the Lyceum - Aristotle in Renaissance Italy

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Aristotle’s works are edited, printed, and translated, leading to new assessments of his thought among both humanists and scholastics.

HoP 355 - Town and Gown - Italian Universities

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 04:00:00 +0000

The blurry line dividing humanism and scholastic university culture in the Italian Renaissance.

HoP 354 - Greed is Good - Economics in the Italian Renaissance

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Leon Battista Alberti, Benedetto Cotrugli, and Poggio Bracciolini grapple with the moral and conceptual problems raised by the prospect of people getting filthy rich.

HoP 353 - The Good Place - Utopias in the Italian Renaissance

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Tommaso Campanella’s “The City of the Sun” and other utopian works of the Italian Renaissance describe perfect cities as an ideal for real life politics.

HoP 352 - The Teacher of Our Actions - Renaissance Historiography

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 08:41:55 +0000

Bruni, Poggio, Machiavelli, and Guicciardini explore political ideas and historical method in works on Roman and Italian history.

HoP 351 - Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Leading Machiavelli scholar Quentin Skinner joins Peter to discuss morality, history, and religion in the Prince and the Discourses.

HoP 350 - The Sentence - Machiavelli on Republicanism

Sun, 31 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Peter celebrates reaching 350 episodes by explaining a single sentence in Machiavelli's "Discourses."

HoP 349 - No More Mr Nice Guy - Machiavelli

Sun, 17 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Machiavelli’s seminal work of political advice, "The Prince," tells the ruler how to be strong like a lion and cunning like a fox.

HoP 348 - The Sweet Restraints of Liberty - Republicanism and Civic Humanism

Sun, 03 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Did “civic humanism” really make republicanism a newly dominant political theory in the Italian Renaissance?

HoP 347 - Bonfire of the Vanities - Savonarola

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000

The prophetic preacher Girolamo Savonarola attacks pagan philosophy and puts forward his own political ideas, before coming to an untimely end.

HoP 346 - Cecilia Muratori on Animals in the Renaissance

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with Cecilia Muratori, an expert on the surprisingly modern ideas about non-human animals that emerged in the Renaissance.

HoP 345 - What a Piece of Work is Man - Manetti and Pico on Human Nature

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Pico della Mirandola and Giannozzo Manetti praise humans as the centerpiece of the created world. But what about the other animals?

HoP 344 - The Count of Concord - Pico della Mirandola

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Pico della Mirandola argues for the harmony of the ancient authorities, draws on Jewish mysticism, and questions the value of humanist rhetoric.

HoP 343 - As Far as East from West - Jewish Philosophy in Renaissance Italy

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Jewish philosophers in Renaissance Italy, focusing on Leone Ebreo’s Dialogues of Love, the Averroism of Elijah del Medigo, and Italian Kabbalah.

HoP 342 - Denis Robichaud on Plato in the Renaissance

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with Denis Robichaud on how, and why, Plato was read in the Italian Renaissance.

HoP 341 - True Romance - Theories of Love

Sun, 26 Jan 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Ficino describes a “Platonic” love purified of sexuality, prompting a debate carried on by Pico della Mirandola, Pietro Bembo, and Tullia d’Aragona.

HoP 340 - Footnotes to Plato - Marsilio Ficino

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Marsilio Ficino’s revival of Platonism, with a focus on his proofs for the soul’s immortality in his magnum opus, the Platonic Theology.

HoP 339 - I’d Like to Thank the Academy - Florentine Platonism

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 04:00:00 +0000

The blossoming of Renaissance Platonism under the Medici, who supported the scholarship of Poliziano, Ficino, and Pico della Mirandola.

HoP 338 - All About Eve - the Defense of Women

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Refutation of misogyny in Moderate Fonte and Lucrezia Marinella.

HoP 337 - More Rare Than the Phoenix - Italian Women Humanists

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Cassandra Fedele, Isotta Nogarola, and Laura Cereta seek fame and glory through eloquence and learning.

HoP 336 - We Built This City - Christine de Pizan

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Christine de Pizan's political philosophy, epistemology, and the refutation of misogyny in her "City of Ladies".

HoP 335 - Sabrina Ebbersmeyer on Emotions in Renaissance Philosophy

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 04:00:00 +0000

An interview with Sabrina Ebbersmeyer about the relation of emotion to reason and the body, and panpsychism, in the Renaissance.

HoP 334 - Chance Encounters - Reviving Hellenistic philosophy

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

The rediscovery of Epicurus, Lucretius, and Sextus Empiricus spreads challenging ideas about chance, atomism, and skepticism.

HoP 333 - Difficult to Be Good - Humanist Ethics

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Humanists from Bruni and Valla to Pontano and Castiglione ask whether ancient ethical teachings can still help us learn how to live.

HoP 332 - Jill Kraye on Humanism

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 03:00:00 +0000

Jill Kraye returns to the podcast to discuss the nature of humanism, its relation to scholasticism, and its legacy.

HoP 331 - Literary Criticism - Lorenzo Valla

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 06:02:22 +0000

Lorenzo Valla launches a furious attack on scholastic philosophy, favoring the resources of classical Latin.

HoP 330 - Republic of Letters - Italian Humanism

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Coluccio Salutati and Leonardo Bruni combine eloquence with philosophy, taking as their model the refined language and republican ideals found in Cicero.

HoP 329 - Greeks Bearing Gifts - Byzantine Scholars in Italy

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Bessarion and George Trapenzuntius, rival scholars from the Greek east who helped inspire the Italian Renaissance.

HoP 328 - Old News - Introduction to the Italian Renaissance

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

A first look at the themes and figures of philosophy in the Italian Renaissance.

HoP 327 - Michele Trizio on Byzantine and Latin Medieval Philosophy

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

The series on Byzantium concludes as Michele Trizio discusses the mutual influence of Byzantium and Latin Christendom.

HoP 326 - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - the Later Orthodox Tradition

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

When the Byzantine empire ended in 1453, philosophy in Greek did not end with it. In this episode we bring the story up to the 20th century.

HoP 325 - Platonic Love - Gemistos Plethon

Sun, 19 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Was Gemistos Plethon, the last great thinker of the Byzantine tradition, a secret pagan or just a Christian with an unusual enthusiasm for Platonism?

HoP 324 - United We Fall - Latin Philosophy in Byzantium

Sun, 05 May 2019 05:05:00 +0000

Thomas Aquinas finds avid readers among Byzantines at the twilight of empire, and is used by both sides of the Hesychast controversy.

HoP 323 - Through His Works You Shall Know Him - Palamas and Hesychasm

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Gregory Palamas and the controversy over his teaching that we can go beyond human reason by grasping God through his activities or “energies”.

HoP 322 - Do the Math - Science in the Palaiologan Renaissance

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Mathematics and the sciences in Byzantium, focusing on scholars of the Palaiologan period like Blemmydes and Metochites.

HoP 321 - Judith Herrin on Byzantium and Islam

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Historian Judith Herrin joins us to talk about competition and mutual influence between Islam and Byzantium.

HoP 320 - People of the South - Byzantium and Islam

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Intellectual exchange between Christians and Muslims, and the later flowering of Syriac literature including the philosopher Bar Hebraeus.

HoP 319 - Georgia on My Mind - Petritsi and the Proclus Revival

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000

The Neoplatonist Proclus gets mixed reviews from Christians, as Nicholas of Methone refutes him but the Georgian philosopher Ioane Petritsi helps to revive his thought.

HoP 318 - Oliver Primavesi on Greek Manuscripts

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Peter's Munich colleague Oliver Primavesi tells us how Greek manuscripts are used to establish the text of authors like Aristotle.

HoP 317 - Made by Hand - Byzantine Manuscripts

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Without handwritten copies produced by Byzantine scribes, we would know almost nothing about ancient philosophy. How and why were they made?

HoP 316 - Just Measures - Law, Money, and War in Byzantium

Sun, 13 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Legal and economic thought in Byzantium: the sources of the law’s authority, the relation of church and civil law, just price, and just war.

HoP 315 - Wiser Than Men - Gender in Byzantium

Sun, 30 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000

The role of women in Byzantine society and the complex attitudes surrounding eunuchs: did they make up a “third gender”?

HoP 314 - Katerina Ierodiakonou on Byzantine Commentaries

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000

A chat about commentaries on Aristotle from Byzantium with guest Katerina Ierodiakonou.

HoP 313 - Queen of the Sciences - Anna Komnene and her Circle

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Princess Anna Komnene makes good use of her political retirement by gathering a circle of scholars to write commentaries on Aristotle.

HoP 312 - Past Masters - Byzantine Historiography

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000

The larger meaning of history in the chronicles written by Michael Psellos, Michael Attaleiates, Anna Komnene, and Niketas Choniates.

HoP 311 - The Elements of Style - Rhetoric in Byzantium

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Psellos and other experts in rhetoric explore how this art of persuasion relates to philosophy.

HoP 310 - Purple Prose - Byzantine Political Philosophy

Sun, 21 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Byzantine political thought from the time of Justinian down to the Palaiologos dynasty wrestles with the nature and scope of imperial power.

HoP 309 - Hooked on Classics - Italos and the Debate over Pagan Learning

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

The trial of John Italos and other signs of Byzantine disquiet with the pagan philosophical tradition.

HoP 308 - Dominic O'Meara on Michael Psellos

Sun, 23 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Dominic O'Meara speaks to Peter about Michael Psellos, focusing especially on his political philosophy.

HoP 307 - Consul of the Philosophers - Michael Psellos

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Michael Psellos and his attitude towards pagan philosophy and the political life.

Bonus Episode - Glenn Adamson on Material Intelligence

Sat, 11 Aug 2018 13:19:46 +0000

Peter's twin brother Glenn Adamson discusses the philosophical implications of craft.

HoP 306 - Collectors’ Items - Photius and Byzantine Compilations

Sun, 29 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Photius, “the inventor of the book review,” and other Byzantine scholars who preserved ancient learning.

HoP 305 - Andrew Louth on John of Damascus

Sun, 15 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Peter is joined by Andrew Louth for a discussion of John of Damascus and his theological use of philosophy.

HoP 304 - Behind Enemy Lines - John of Damascus

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

John of Damascus helps to shape the Byzantine understanding of humankind and the veneration of images, despite living in Islamic territory.

HoP 303 - Don’t Picture This - Iconoclasm

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Is it idolatry to venerate an icon of a saint, or of Christ? The dispute leads the Byzantines to ponder the relation between an image and its object.

HoP 302 - On the Eastern Front - Philosophy in Syriac and Armenian

Sun, 03 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Eastern Christian philosophy outside of Constantinople, focusing on translation and exegesis in the languages of Syriac and Armenian.

HoP 301 - The Empire Strikes Back - Introduction to Byzantine Philosophy

Sun, 20 May 2018 05:00:00 +0000

We begin to look at the third tradition of medieval philosophy, in which the heritage of classical antiquity is preserved and debated by the Byzantines.

HoP 300b - The Relevance of Medieval Philosophy Today

Sun, 06 May 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Peter King, Catarina Dutilh Novaes, and Russ Friedman discuss their approaches to medieval philosophy, and its contemporary relevance.

HoP 300a - The Relevance of Ancient Philosophy Today

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Rachel Barney, Christof Rapp, and Mark Kalderon join Peter to discuss the importance of ancient philosophy for today's philosophers.

HoP 299 - Robert Pasnau on Substance in Scholasticism

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Bob Pasnau joins Peter to discuss ideas about substance from Aquinas down to the time of Locke, Leibniz and Descartes.

Africana Philosophy Announcement

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 16:27:19 +0000

New paperbacks and a new series!

HoP 298 - Renaissance Men - Ramon Llull and Petrarch

Sun, 25 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000

The Renaissance ideals of humanism and universal science flourish already in the medieval period, in the works of Petrarch and Ramon Llull.

HoP 297 - The Prague Spring - Scholasticism Across Europe

Sun, 11 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000

New ideas and and new universities in Italy and greater Germany including Vienna and Prague, where Jan Hus carries on the radical ideas of Wyclif.

HoP 296 - Morning Star of the Reformation - John Wyclif

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000

John Wyclif refutes nominalism and inspires the Lollard movement, which anticipated Reformation thought with its critique of the church.

HoP 295 - The Most Christian Doctor - Jean Gerson

Sun, 11 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Jean Gerson’s role in the political disputes of his day, the spread of lay devotion and affective mysticism, and the debate over the Romance of the Rose initiated by Christine de Pizan.

HoP 294 - Isabel Davis on Sexuality and Marriage in Chaucer

Sun, 28 Jan 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Peter is joined by Isabel Davis to discuss marriage, sex and chastity in Chaucer, focusing on the Wife of Bath's speech.

HoP 293 - The Good Wife - Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages

Sun, 14 Jan 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Medieval attitudes towards homosexuality, sex and chastity, and the status of women. Authors discussed include Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, and Chaucer.

HoP 292 - Say it With Poetry - Chaucer and Langland

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Philosophical themes in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and “Troilus and Criseyde,” as well as Langland’s “Piers Plowman.”

HoP 291 - Alle Maner of Thyng Shall be Welle - English Mysticism

Sun, 17 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Julian of Norwich’s Shewings and the Cloud of Unknowing lay out challenging paths to knowledge of, and union with, God.

HoP 290 - Martin Pickavé on Emotions in Medieval Philosophy

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Martin Pickavé returns to the podcast to talk about theories of the emotions in Aquinas, Scotus and Wodeham.

HoP 289 - A Wing and a Prayer - Angels in Medieval Philosophy

Sun, 19 Nov 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Be surprised by how many philosophical problems arise in connection with angels (how many can dance on the head of a pin is not one of them).

HoP 288 - Men in Black - The German Dominicans

Sun, 05 Nov 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Dietrich of Freiberg, Berthold of Moosburg, John Tauler and Henry Suso explore Neoplatonism and mysticism.

HoP 287 - Down to the Ground - Meister Eckhart

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000

The scholastic and mystic Meister Eckhart sets out his daring speculations about God and humankind in both Latin and German.

HoP 286 - On the Money - Medieval Economic Theory

Sun, 08 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Changing ideas about money, just price, and usury, up to the time of Buridan, Oresme, and Gregory of Rimini.

HoP 285 - Dominik Perler on Medieval Skepticism

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000

The medievals were too firm in their beliefs to entertain skeptical worries, right? Don't be so sure, as Peter learns from Dominik Perler.

HoP 284 - Seeing is Believing - Nicholas of Autrecourt’s Skeptical Challenge

Sun, 13 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000

The debate between Nicholas of Autrecourt and John Buridan on whether it is possible to achieve certain knowledge.

HoP 283 - Jack Zupko on John Buridan

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Peter speaks to Jack Zupko about John Buridan's secular and parsimonious approach to philosophy.

HoP 282 - Portrait of the Artist - John Buridan

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

The hipster’s choice for favorite scholastic, John Buridan, sets out a nominalist theory of knowledge and language, and explains the workings of free will.

HoP 281 - Monica Green on Medieval Medicine

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

An interview with Monica Green reveals parallels between medicine and philosophy in the middle ages.

HoP 280 - Get to the Point - Fourteenth Century Physics

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Ockham, Buridan, Oresme and Francis of Marchia explore infinity, continuity, atomism, and the impetus involved in motion.

HoP 279 - Quadrivial Pursuits - the Oxford Calculators

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Bradwardine and other thinkers based at Oxford make breakthroughs in physics by applying mathematics to motion.

HoP 278 - Sara Uckelman on Obligations

Sun, 21 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Sara Uckelman soundly defeats Peter in the medieval logical game of "obligations."

HoP 277 - Trivial Pursuits - Fourteenth Century Logic

Sun, 07 May 2017 05:55:22 +0000

The scholastics discuss the ambiguity of terms, the nature of logical inference, and logical paradoxes, and play the game of “obligations.”

HoP 276 - Back to the Future - Foreknowledge and Predestination

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Scotus, Ockham, and Bradwardine ask how we can be free if God knows and chooses the things we will do in the future.

HoP 275 - Keeping it Real - Responses to Ockham

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Walter Burley flies the flag for realism against Ockham and other nominalists.

HoP 274 - Susan Brower-Toland on Ockham's Philosophy of Mind

Sun, 26 Mar 2017 05:00:00 +0000

An interview with Susan Brower-Toland covering Ockham's views on cognition, consciousness, and memory.

HoP 273 - What Do You Think? - Ockham on Mental Language

Sun, 12 Mar 2017 05:00:00 +0000

How the language of thought relates to spoken and written language, according to William of Ockham.

HoP 272 - A Close Shave - Ockham’s Nominalism

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Ockham trims away the unnecessary entities posited by other scholastics.

HoP 271 - Do As You’re Told - Ockham on Ethics and Political Philosophy

Sun, 12 Feb 2017 05:00:00 +0000

William of Ockham on freedom of action and freedom of thought.

HoP 270 - Render unto Caesar - Marsilius of Padua

Sun, 29 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

In his book Defender of the Peace, Marsilius of Padua develops new theories of representative government, rights, and ownership.

Democracy and the History of Philosophy

Sat, 21 Jan 2017 07:00:00 +0000

Peter muses on recent political events in light of the history of philosophy.

HoP 269 - Our Power is Real - The Clash of Church and State

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Giles of Rome and Dante on the rival claims of the church and secular rulers.

HoP 268 - To Hell and Back - Dante Alighieri

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Italy’s greatest poet Dante Alighieri was also a philosopher, as we learn from his Convivio and of course the Divine Comedy.

HoP 267 - After Virtue - Marguerite Porete

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Marguerite Porete is put to death for her exploration of the love of God, The Mirror of Simple Souls.

HoP 266 - Tom Pink on the Will

Sun, 04 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +0000

A conversation with Tom Pink about medieval theories of freedom and action.

HoP 265 - Time of the Signs - the Fourteenth Century

Sun, 20 Nov 2016 07:08:48 +0000

An introduction to philosophy in the 14th century, focusing on two big ideas: nominalism and voluntarism.

HoP 264 - Giorgio Pini on Scotus on Knowledge

Sun, 06 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Peter hears about Duns Scotus' epistemology from expert Giorgio Pini.

HoP 263 - One in a Million - Scotus on Universals and Individuals

Sun, 23 Oct 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Scotus explains how things can share a nature in common while being unique individuals.

HoP 262 - On Command - Scotus on Ethics

Sun, 09 Oct 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Scotus argues that morality is a matter of freely choosing to follow God’s freely issued commands.

HoP 261 - To Will or Not to Will - Scotus on Freedom

Sun, 25 Sep 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Scotus develops a novel theory of free will and, along the way, rethinks the notions of necessity and possibility.

HoP 260 - Once and for All - Scotus on Being

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Duns Scotus attacks the proposal of Aquinas and Henry of Ghent that being is subject to analogy.

HoP 259 - Richard Cross on Philosophy and the Trinity

Sun, 31 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Medieval discussions of the Trinity charted new metaphysical territory, as we see in this interview with Richard Cross.

HoP 258 - Here Comes the Son - The Trinity and the Eucharist

Sun, 17 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Philosophy is pushed to its limits to provide rational explanations of two Christian theological doctrines.

HoP 257 - Martin Pickave on Henry of Ghent and Freedom

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

An interview with Martin Pickavé on voluntarism in Henry of Ghent.

HoP 256 - Frequently Asked Questions - Henry of Ghent

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 04:54:26 +0000

Henry of Ghent, now little known but a leading scholastic in the late 13th century, makes influential proposals on all the debates of his time.

HoP 255 - Andreas Speer on Medieval Aesthetics

Sun, 05 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Does medieval art tell us anything about medieval theories of aesthetics? Peter finds out from Andreas Speer.

HoP 254 - Love, Reign Over Me - The Romance of the Rose

Sun, 22 May 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Sex, reason, and religion in Jean de Meun’s completion of an allegory of courtly love, the Roman de la Rose.

HoP 253 - Let Me Count the Ways - Speculative Grammar

Sun, 08 May 2016 05:00:00 +0000

The “modistae” explore the links between language, the mind, and reality.

HoP 252 - Neverending Story - the Eternity of the World

Sun, 24 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Aquinas, Bonaventure, and the so-called “Latin Averroists” take up the question of whether the universe has always existed, and settle once and for all which comes first, the chicken or the egg.

HoP 251 - Masters of the University - “Latin Averroism"

Sun, 10 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Did Siger of Brabant and Boethius of Dacia, who have been called “Latin Averroists” and “radical Aristotelians,” really embrace a doctrine of “double truth”?

HoP 250 - Q&A

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Peter answers listener questions on the nature of philosophy and the podcast series.

HoP 249 - Paris When it Sizzles - the Condemnations

Sun, 13 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Two rounds of condemnations at Paris declare certain philosophical teachings as heretical. But what were the long term effects?

HoP 248 - Scott MacDonald on Aquinas

Sun, 28 Feb 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Scott MacDonald joins Peter to discuss Thomas Aquinas' views on human knowledge.

HoP 247 - Onward, Christian Soldiers - Just War Theory

Sun, 14 Feb 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Aquinas follows medieval legal thinkers in defining the conditions under which war may be justified, and proposes his famous doctrine of double effect.

HoP 246 - What Pleases the Prince - The Rule of Law

Sun, 31 Jan 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Natural law and political legitimacy in thirteenth century thinkers up to and including Thomas Aquinas.

HoP 245 - What Comes Naturally - Ethics in Albert and Aquinas

Sun, 17 Jan 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Natural and supernatural virtue and happiness in Thomas Aquinas and his teacher, Albert the Great.

HoP 244 - Everybody Needs Some Body - Aquinas on Soul and Knowledge

Sun, 03 Jan 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Thomas Aquinas makes controversial claims concerning the unity of the soul and the empirical basis of human knowledge.

HoP 243 - The Ox Heard Round the World - Thomas Aquinas

Sun, 20 Dec 2015 06:00:00 +0000

An introduction to Thomas Aquinas, his views on faith and reason, and his famous “five ways” of proving God’s existence.

HoP 242 - Therese Cory on Self-Awareness in Albert and Aquinas

Sun, 06 Dec 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Therese Cory tells Peter what Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas thought about self-awareness.

HoP 241 - The Shadow Knows - Albert the Great’s Metaphysics

Sun, 22 Nov 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Albert the Great’s theory of being and his attempt to explain what changes in the human mind when we come to see God in the afterlife.

HoP 240 - Animal, Vegetable, Mineral - Albert the Great’s Natural Philosophy

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Albert the Great earns his nickname “universal doctor” by devoting himself to the whole of nature, from geology and botany to the study of human nature.

HoP 239 - Catarina Dutilh Novaes on Medieval Logic

Sun, 25 Oct 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Was medieval logic "formal"? Peter finds out from Catarina Dutilh Novaes.

HoP 238 - Binding Arbitration - Robert Kilwardby

Sun, 11 Oct 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Robert Kilwardby is infamous for his ban on teaching certain philosophical ideas at Oxford, yet made contributions in logic and on the soul.

HoP 237 - Begin the Beguine - Hadewijch and Mechthild of Magdeburg

Sun, 27 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Two Beguine authors, Hadewijch and Mechthild of Magdeburg, deploy the tropes of courtly love in vernacular writings about their mystical experiences.

Indian Philosophy Announcement!

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 18:52:14 +0000

New feed for Philosophy in India: http://hopwag2.podbean.com/feed/

HoP 236 - None for Me, Thanks - Franciscan Poverty

Sun, 09 Aug 2015 05:17:38 +0000

Bonaventure and Peter Olivi respond to critics of the Franciscan vow of poverty, in a debate which produced new ideas about economics and rights.

HoP 235 - Juhana Toivanen on Animals in Medieval Philosophy

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Medieval ideas about what animals do and do not have in common with humans, and how we should treat them.

HoP 234 - Your Attention Please - Peter Olivi

Sun, 26 Jul 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Peter Olivi proposes that awareness occurs not through passively being affected by things, but by actively paying attention to them.

HoP 233 - Stairway to Heaven - Bonaventure

Sun, 19 Jul 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Bonaventure argues that human knowledge depends on an illumination from God.

HoP 232 - Charles Burnett on Magic

Sun, 12 Jul 2015 05:34:55 +0000

Charles Burnett tells Peter about the role of magic in medieval intellectual life.

HoP 231 - Origin of Species - Roger Bacon

Sun, 05 Jul 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Roger Bacon extols the power of science based on experience and uses a general theory of "species" to explain light and vision.

HoP 230 - A Light That Never Goes Out - Robert Grosseteste

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Translator, scientist and theologian Robert Grosseteste sheds light on the cosmos, human understanding, and the rainbow.

HoP 229 - Do the Right Thing - Thirteenth Century Ethics

Sun, 21 Jun 2015 05:00:00 +0000

The scholastics explore Aristotle’s ethical teaching and the concept of moral conscience.

HoP 228 - It's All Good - The Transcendentals

Sun, 14 Jun 2015 05:52:08 +0000

Philip the Chancellor introduces the transcendentals, a key idea in medieval metaphysics and aesthetics.

HoP 227 - Stayin’ Alive - Thirteenth Century Psychology

Sun, 07 Jun 2015 05:16:13 +0000

John Blund and William of Auvergne draw on Aristotle and Avicenna to argue that the soul is immaterial and immortal.

HoP 226 - Full of Potential - Thirteenth Century Physics

Sun, 31 May 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Richard Rufus and anonymous commentators on Aristotle explore the nature of motion, time, infinity and space.

HoP 225 - No Uncertain Terms - Thirteenth Century Logic

Sun, 24 May 2015 06:00:00 +0000

The terminist logicians William of Sherwood and Peter of Spain classify the various ways that language can relate to the world.

HoP 224 - Kent Emery on Institutions of Learning

Sun, 17 May 2015 06:23:28 +0000

Kent Emery joins Peter to discuss the effects of monastic and university culture on medieval philosophy.

HoP 223 - Straw Men - The Rise of the Universities

Sun, 10 May 2015 06:32:01 +0000

The emergence of universities in Paris, Oxford, Bologna and elsewhere provide the main setting for medieval philosophy in the 13th century and beyond.

HoP 222 - Rediscovery Channel - Translations into Latin

Sun, 03 May 2015 06:52:17 +0000

Greek and Arabic sources are rendered into Latin in a translation movement that will revolutionize medieval philosophy.

HoP 221 - Leading Light - Hildegard of Bingen

Sun, 26 Apr 2015 06:07:31 +0000

The life, visions, political intrigues and scientific interests of Hildegard of Bingen.

HoP 220 - Caroline Humfress on the Roots of Medieval Law

Sun, 19 Apr 2015 05:39:39 +0000

A discussion about Roman law and its reception in the medieval period, with ancient law expert Caroline Humfress.

HoP 219 - Law and Order - Gratian and Peter Lombard

Sun, 12 Apr 2015 07:09:33 +0000

Gratian and Peter Lombard help bring scholasticism to maturity by systematizing law and theology.

HoP 218 - Two Swords - Early Medieval Political Philosophy

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 12:10:00 +0000

The “Investiture Contest” between church and state and the first major work of medieval political philosophy, John of Salisbury’s Policraticus.

HoP 217 - Andrew Arlig on Parts and Wholes

Sat, 28 Mar 2015 21:50:35 +0000

Andrew Arlig joins Peter to discuss medieval discussions of mereology (the study of parts and wholes).

HoP 216 - One of a Kind - Gilbert of Poitiers on Individuation

Sun, 22 Mar 2015 06:40:10 +0000

Gilbert of Poitiers proposes a unique way to explain how each individual is the individual it is.

HoP 215 - The Medieval Podcasters

Sun, 15 Mar 2015 06:54:40 +0000

In this special episode, Peter chats with the hosts of the History of the Crusades, History of Byzantium, and British History podcasts.

HoP 214 - The Good Book - Philosophy of Nature

Sun, 08 Mar 2015 08:03:41 +0000

As early medieval science blossoms, Bernard Silvestris and Alan of Lille personify Nature in their philosophical prose-poems.

HoP 213 - On the Shoulders of Giants - Philosophy at Chartres

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:38:27 +0000

The controversial role of Chartres in the philosophical Renaissance of the twelfth century.

HoP 212 - Like Father, Like Son - Debating the Trinity

Sun, 22 Feb 2015 07:52:28 +0000

Discussion, debate and denunciation of philosophical attempts to explain the Trinity in Abelard, Richard of St Victor and Bernard of Clairvaux.

HoP 211 - Learn Everything - the Victorines

Sun, 15 Feb 2015 07:49:39 +0000

Hugh of Saint Victor and other scholars of the same abbey combine secular learning with spirituality.

HoP 210 - John Marenbon on Peter Abelard

Sun, 08 Feb 2015 07:39:44 +0000

John Marenbon returns to the podcast to discuss Abelard's views on necessity and freedom..

HoP 209 - It’s the Thought that Counts - Abelard’s Ethics

Sun, 01 Feb 2015 07:44:02 +0000

Peter Abelard sets out an innovative ethical theory that identifies intentions as the core of moral life.

HoP 208 - Get Thee to a Nunnery - Heloise and Abelard

Sun, 25 Jan 2015 07:14:10 +0000

Peter Abelard and Heloise prove themselves to be fascinating thinkers as well as star-crossed lovers.

HoP 207 - All or Nothing - The Problem of Universals

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 07:39:01 +0000

Abelard and other logicians of the 12th century argue over the status of universals: are they words or things?

HoP 206 - Eileen Sweeney on Anselm

Sun, 11 Jan 2015 07:26:24 +0000

Anselm expert Eileen Sweeney discusses his approach to philosophy and the devotional aspect of his works.

HoP 205 - Somebody's Perfect - Anselm's Ontological Argument

Sun, 04 Jan 2015 06:55:37 +0000

The most famous argument in medieval philosophy is Anselm's proof of God's existence. But how is it supposed to work?

HoP 204 - A Canterbury Tale - Anselm's Life and Works

Sun, 28 Dec 2014 08:28:10 +0000

Anselm offers more than his famous ontological argument, including a subtle account of human freedom.

HoP 203 - Virgin Territory - Peter Damian on Changing the Past

Sun, 21 Dec 2014 07:15:33 +0000

Peter Damian takes up a question with surprising philosophical implications: can God restore virginity to a woman who has lost it?

HoP 202 - Philosophers Anonymous - the Roots of Scholasticism

Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:21:25 +0000

Little-known authors prepare the way for scholasticism with glosses on logic, metaphysical debate, and a poem about a cat.

HoP 201 - Stephen Gersh on Medieval Platonism

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 07:21:35 +0000

Stephen Gersh (who was Peter's doctoral advisor!) joins him to discuss the sources and influence of Platonism in the Middle Ages.

HoP 200 - Jill Kraye and John Marenbon on Medieval Philosophy

Sat, 29 Nov 2014 19:52:03 +0000

We celebrate reaching episode 200 with a special double interview on the problem of defining medieval philosophy.

HoP 199 - Much Ado About Nothing - Eriugena's Periphyseon

Sat, 22 Nov 2014 13:54:22 +0000

Eriugena delves into the Greek tradition to produce his masterpiece of metaphysics and theology, the Periphyseon.

HoP 198 - Grace Notes - Eriugena and the Predestination Controversy

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 12:20:00 +0000

John Scotus Eriugena debates free will with his rival Gottschalk, arguing that God predestines the saved but not the damned.

HoP 197 - Charles in Charge - The Carolingian Renaissance

Sun, 09 Nov 2014 15:54:44 +0000

Alcuin leads a resurgence of interest in philosophy and the liberal arts at the court of Charlemagne.

HoP 196 - Arts of Darkness - Introduction to Medieval Philosophy

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 05:17:16 +0000

Peter launches the series of podcasts on philosophy in medieval Latin Christendom with a look ahead at what’s to come.

HoP 195 - Anke von Kügelgen on Contemporary Islamic Thought

Sun, 26 Oct 2014 17:14:27 +0000

Anke von Kügelgen joins Peter to discuss developments over the last century or so, including attitudes towards past thinkers like Avicenna, Averroes and Ibn Taymiyya.

HoP 194 - Iran So Far - After Ṣadrā

Sun, 19 Oct 2014 06:42:38 +0000

From Sabzawārī in the 19th century to Seyyed Hossein Nasr today, Iranian thinkers promote and respond to the thought of Mullā Ṣadrā.

HoP 193 - All for One and One for All - Muḥammad 'Abdūh and Muḥammad Iqbāl

Sun, 12 Oct 2014 11:18:18 +0000

Muḥammad 'Abdūh and Muḥammad Iqbāl challenge colonialism and the traditional religious scholars of Islam.

HoP 192 - The Stronger Sex - Women Scholars and Islam

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:47:39 +0000

Fatema Mernissi and others challenge the long-standing (but not complete) exclusion of women from the intellectual traditions of Islam.

HoP 191 - The Young Ones: Encounters with European Thought

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:11:12 +0000

18th and 19th century intellectuals in India and the Ottoman empire, from Shāh Walī Allāh to the Young Turks, continue Islamic traditions and grapple with European science.

HoP 190 - Turkish Delights - Philosophy under the Ottomans

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 05:46:00 +0000

Kātib Çelebi defends cigarettes and coffee, in just one of several philosophical and religious debates in the Ottoman empire.

HoP 189 - Subcontinental Drift - Philosophy in Islamic India

Sun, 17 Aug 2014 07:12:00 +0000

Ideas spread to Mughal India from Iran, and prince Dārā Shikūh seeks to unite the wisdom of the Upanishads with the Koran.

HoP 188 - Sajjad Rizvi on Mulla Sadra

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 05:55:00 +0000

Sajjad Rizvi talks to Peter about Mullā Ṣadrā's views on eternity, God's knowledge and the afterlife.

HoP 187 - Return to Sender - Mulla Sadra on Motion and Knowledge

Sun, 03 Aug 2014 07:32:00 +0000

Mullā Ṣadrā proposes that all things are like sharks: in constant motion.

HoP 186 - To Be, Continued - Mulla Sadra on Existence

Sun, 27 Jul 2014 06:03:00 +0000

Mullā Ṣadrā, greatest thinker of early modern Iran, unveils his radical new understanding of existence.

HoP 185 - Follow the Leader - Philosophy under the Safavids

Sun, 20 Jul 2014 05:52:00 +0000

Philosophy in Safavid Iran, and a look back at earlier philosophy among Shiites.

HoP 184 - Robert Wisnovsky on Commentary Culture

Sun, 13 Jul 2014 06:44:00 +0000

Robert Wisnovsky joins Peter to discuss the enormous body of unstudied philosophical commentaries in the later Eastern Islamic world.

HoP 183 - Family Feud - Philosophy at Shiraz

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 06:13:00 +0000

The roots of the Safavid philosophical tradition in some rather ill-tempered debates at Shīrāz.

HoP 182 - Aftermath - Philosophy and Science in the Mongol Age

Sun, 29 Jun 2014 06:11:00 +0000

Philosophy and science survive and even thrive through the coming of the Mongols.

HoP 181 - By the Book - Ibn Taymiyya

Sun, 22 Jun 2014 06:54:00 +0000

The controversial jurist Ibn Taymiyya sets forth an originalist theory of law and a searching criticism of the philosophers’ logic.

HoP 180 - Proof Positive - The Logical Tradition

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 07:59:00 +0000

Later Islamic logicians try to solve the Liar Paradox and take on the advances of Avicenna's logic.

HoP 179 - Mohammed Rustom on Philosophical Sufism

Sun, 08 Jun 2014 06:21:00 +0000

Peter is joined by Mohammed Rustom in a discussion about Sufi authors including Ibn 'Arabī and Rūmī

HoP 178 - Eyes Wide Shut - Rumi and Philosophical Sufism

Sun, 01 Jun 2014 08:52:00 +0000

The Persian poet Rūmī and mystical philosopher al-Qūnawī carry on the legacy of Sufism.

HoP 177 - To Be or Not to Be - Debating Avicenna’s Metaphysics

Sat, 24 May 2014 09:08:00 +0000

Avicenna’s distinction between essence and existence triggers a running debate among philosophers and theologians.

HoP 176 - A Man for all Seasons - al-Tusi

Sun, 18 May 2014 06:40:00 +0000

Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī’s controversial career sees him adopt and then abandon Ismāʿīlism, team up with the Mongols, and offer a staunch defense of Avicenna.

HoP 175 - Bright Ideas - Illuminationism

Sun, 11 May 2014 06:13:00 +0000

The Illuminationists carry on Suhrawardī’s critique of “Peripatetic” philosophy and wonder if they will be reborn as giraffes.

HoP 174 - Leading Light - Suhrawardi

Sun, 04 May 2014 06:17:00 +0000

Suhrawardī, founder of the Illuminationist (ishrāqī) tradition, proposes a metaphysics of light on the basis of his theory of knowledge by presence

HoP 173 - For the Sake of Argument - Fakhr al-Din al-Razi

Sun, 27 Apr 2014 06:42:00 +0000

The hugely influential Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī weaves Avicenna and Islamic theology into complex dialectical treatments of time, God, the soul, and ethics.

HoP 172 - All Things Considered - Abu l-Barakat al-Baghdadi

Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:17:00 +0000

Abū l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī makes up his own mind about physics and the soul, and along the way inaugurates a new style of doing philosophy.

HoP 171 - Golden Ages - The Later Eastern Traditions

Sun, 13 Apr 2014 05:58:00 +0000

An introduction to later developments in philosophical theology, sufism, and Illuminationism, focusing on the reception and critique of Avicenna.

HoP 170 - Gad Freudenthal on Jewish Philosophy and Science

Sun, 06 Apr 2014 07:16:00 +0000

Leading scholar of medieval Jewish thought Gad Freudenthal joins Peter in a concluding episode on Andalusian thought.

HoP 169 - A Matter of Principles - Albo and Abravanel

Sun, 30 Mar 2014 06:58:00 +0000

Joseph Albo and Isaac Abravanel critique Maimonides’ attempt to lay down foundations for the Jewish law.

HoP 168 - Chariot of Fire - Kabbalah

Sun, 23 Mar 2014 07:26:00 +0000

The rich symbolism of the Zohar and the spiritual practices of Abraham Abluafia feature in the mystical movement known as Kabbalah.

HoP 167 - When Bad Things Happen to Good People - Suffering in Jewish Philosophy

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 07:53:00 +0000

The Book of Job provokes Saadia, Maimonides, Ibn Tibbon and Gersonides to reflect on why God allows suffering.

HoP 166 - Tamar Rudavsky on Gersonides and Crescas

Sun, 09 Mar 2014 04:18:00 +0000

Tamar Rudavsky joins Peter to talk about the two great medieval Jewish thinkers after Maimonides: Gersonides and Crescas.

HoP 165 - Neither the Time Nor the Place - Hasdai Crescas

Sun, 02 Mar 2014 06:50:00 +0000

Ḥasdai Crescas shows Aristotelian physics who’s boss, by defending alternative conceptions of time, place and infinity.

HoP 164 - Man and Superman - Gersonides and the Jewish Reaction to Averroes

Sun, 23 Feb 2014 05:42:00 +0000

The super-commentator Gersonides and other Jews digest the ideas of Averroes.

HoP 163 - Burnt Offerings - The Maimonides Controversy

Sun, 16 Feb 2014 05:42:00 +0000

Maimonides’ works provoke a bitter dispute among Jews in France and Spain over the relation of philosophy to Judaism.

HoP 162 - Sarah Stroumsa on Maimonides

Sat, 08 Feb 2014 19:53:00 +0000

Maimonides as a "Mediterranean thinker": Peter is joined by Sarah Stroumsa.

HoP 161 - He Moves in Mysterious Ways - Maimonides on Eternity

Sun, 02 Feb 2014 05:36:00 +0000

Maimonides tries to settle the eternity of the world debate by declaring a draw.

HoP 160 - The Great Eagle - Maimonides

Sun, 26 Jan 2014 07:00:00 +0000

The great Jewish philosopher and legal scholar Maimonides, and the ideas in his Mishneh Torah and Guide for the Perplexed.

HoP 159 - With All Your Heart - Ethics and Judaism

Sun, 19 Jan 2014 06:42:00 +0000

Baḥya Ibn Paquda and Maimonides explore the ethical dimension of the Jewish scriptures and legal tradition.

HoP 158 - Born Under a Bad Sign - Freedom and Astrology in Jewish Philosophy

Sun, 12 Jan 2014 13:56:00 +0000

Abraham Ibn Ezra, Ibn Daud and Maimonides consider the philosophical implications of astrology as science flourishes in the Jewish culture of Andalusia.

HoP 157 - Choosing My Religion - Judah Hallevi

Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:26:00 +0000

Judah Hallevi argues that Judaism has a better claim to belief than philosophy, Christianity, or Islam.

HoP 156 - Sarah Pessin on Jewish Neoplatonism

Sun, 29 Dec 2013 07:09:00 +0000

Peter chats with Sarah Pessin about the Neoplatonism of Jewish philosophers such as Isaac Israeli, Ibn Gabirol, and Maimonides.

HoP 155 - Matter over Mind - Ibn Gabirol

Sun, 22 Dec 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Neoplatonism returns in Ibn Gabriol, who controversially holds that everything apart from God has both matter and form.

HoP 154 - The Philosophy of History - Ibn Khaldun

Sun, 15 Dec 2013 10:17:00 +0000

The historian Ibn Khaldūn applies the methods of philosophy to understand the rise and fall of political regimes.

HoP 153 - A Matter of Taste – Ibn Arabi and Mysticism

Sun, 08 Dec 2013 06:04:00 +0000

Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, collides with philosophy in the work of Ibn ʿArabī.

HoP 152 - Richard Taylor on Averroes

Sun, 01 Dec 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Averroes scholar Richard C. Taylor joins Peter to talk about Averroes' views on the relation between Islam and philosophy.

HoP 151 - Single Minded - Averroes on the Intellect

Sun, 24 Nov 2013 07:37:00 +0000

Averroes defends the rather surprising notion that all of mankind shares a single intellect.

HoP 150 - Charles Burnett and Dag N Hasse on Arabic Latin Translations

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 07:06:00 +0000

A special 150th double interview episode on the transmission of philosophy from Arabic into Latin.

HoP 149 - Back to Basics - Averroes on Reason and Religion

Sat, 09 Nov 2013 23:01:00 +0000

An introduction to “the Commentator” Averroes, and his defense of philosophy in the Decisive Treatise.

HoP 148 - Fantasy Island - Ibn Bajja and Ibn Tufayl

Sun, 03 Nov 2013 07:21:00 +0000

Intellect and alienation in Ibn Bājja and Ibn Ṭufayl, author of the philosophical desert island castaway tale “Ḥayy Ibn Yaqẓān.”

HoP 147 - Laying Down the Law – Ibn Hazm and Islamic Legal Theory

Sun, 27 Oct 2013 06:58:00 +0000

The development of Islamic law and jurisprudence (fiqh), and the many-sided output of the legal theorist Ibn Ḥazm.

HoP 146 - Philosophy's Reign in Spain - Andalusia

Sun, 20 Oct 2013 07:29:00 +0000

The flowering of philosophy among Muslims and Jews in al-Andalus (Muslim-controlled Spain and Portugal).

HoP 145 - Frank Griffel on al-Ghazali

Sun, 13 Oct 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Why did al-Ghazālī judge "the philosophers" to be apostates? Peter finds out from Frank Griffel.

HoP 144 - Miracle Worker - al-Ghazali against the Philosophers

Sun, 06 Oct 2013 07:57:00 +0000

In his “Incoherence of the Philosophers,” al-Ghazālī attacks Avicenna’s theories about the eternity of the universe and insists on the possibility of miracles.

HoP 143 - Special Delivery - al-Ghazali

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 08:09:00 +0000

Al-Ghazālī’s search for truth leads him to philosophy, Asharite theology, and ultimately the mystical tradition of Sufism.

HoP 142 - Dimitri Gutas on Avicenna

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 06:46:00 +0000

Peter talks to Dimitri Gutas about Avicenna's sources, philosophical methods, and influence.

HoP 141 - Into Thin Air - Avicenna on the Soul

Sun, 15 Sep 2013 06:18:00 +0000

With his Flying Man argument, Avicenna explores self-awareness and the relation between soul and body.

HoP 140 - By All Means Necessary - Avicenna on God

Sun, 04 Aug 2013 05:38:00 +0000

Avicenna’s proof of the Necessary Existent is ingenious and influential; but does it amount to a proof of God’s existence?

HoP 139 - By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Avicenna on Existence

Sun, 28 Jul 2013 07:20:00 +0000

Avicenna revolutionizes metaphysics with groundbreaking ideas about necessity and contingency, and his new distinction between essence and existence.

HoP 138 - The Self-Made Man - Avicenna's Life and Works

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 06:18:00 +0000

Despite a tumultuous life, Avicenna manages to become the most influential of all medieval philosophers.

HoP 137 - God Willing – the Asharites

Sun, 14 Jul 2013 06:04:00 +0000

Al-Ash‘arī puts his stamp on the future of Islamic theology by emphasizing God’s untrammeled power and freedom.

HoP 136 - Farhad Daftary on the Ismailis

Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:41:00 +0000

Peter is joined by Farhad Daftary, a leading expert on the Shiite group known as the Ismā'īlīs.

HoP 135 - Undercover Brothers – Philosophy in the Buyid Age

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 06:02:00 +0000

Miskawayh, al-‘Amiri, al-Tawhidi, the Brethren of Purity and Ismaili missionaries bring together philosophy with Persian culture, literature and Islam.

HoP 134 - Balancing Acts - Arabic Ethical Literature

Sun, 23 Jun 2013 06:01:00 +0000

Drawing on Galen and Aristotle, philosophers from al-Kindi to Miskawayh compose ethical works designed us to achieve health in soul, as well as body.

HoP 133 - Strings Attached - Music and Philosophy

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 06:21:00 +0000

Peter turns DJ, with some actual music interspersed with discussion about theories of music in Arabic philosophical texts.

HoP 132 - Eye of the Beholder - Theories of Vision

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:26:00 +0000

Ibn al-Haytham draws on the tradition of geometrical optics to explain the mystery of human eyesight.

HoP 131 - Deborah Black on al-Farabi's Epistemology

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 02:42:00 +0000

Deborah Black joins Peter to talk about al-Farabi's innovations concerning knowledge and certainty.

HoP 130 - State of Mind - al-Farabi on Religion and Politics

Sun, 26 May 2013 06:48:00 +0000

Al-Fārābī combines Islam and Greek sources to present the ideal ruler as a philosopher who is also a prophet.

HoP 129 - The Second Master - al-Farabi

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:55:00 +0000

Peter begins to look at the systematic rethinking of Hellenic philosophy offered by al-Farabi, focusing on his logic and metaphysics.

HoP 128 - Aristotelian Society - the Baghdad School

Sun, 12 May 2013 05:34:00 +0000

A group of mostly Christian philosophers transpose the practices of antique Aristotelian philosophy to 10th century Baghdad.

HoP 127 - Peter E Pormann on Medicine in the Islamic World

Sun, 05 May 2013 06:01:00 +0000

A double dose of Peters, as Pormann joins Adamson to discuss medicine and philosophy in the Islamic world.

HoP 126 - High Five - al-Razi

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:09:00 +0000

The doctor and philosopher Abu Bakr al-Razi sets out a daring philosophical theory involving five eternal principles: God, soul, matter, time and place.

HoP 125 - Reasoned Belief - Saadia Gaon

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 06:33:00 +0000

Saadia Gaon draws on Greek philosophy and Islamic theology to provide a rational account of Jewish belief.

HoP 124 - The Chosen Ones - Judaism and Philosophy

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 06:33:00 +0000

The roots of Jewish philosophy in the Islamic world, focusing on the Rabbinic background in the Mishnah and Talmud, and the thought of early figures like Isaac Israeli.

HoP 123 - Philosopher of the Arabs - al-Kindi

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:51:00 +0000

Al-Kindī uses Hellenic materials to discuss the eternity of the world, divine attributes, and the nature of the soul.

HoP 122 - Founded in Translation - From Greek to Syriac and Arabic

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 07:55:00 +0000

Greek philosophy and science make their way into the Islamic world via Syriac and Arabic translations and interpretations.

HoP 121 - This is a Test - the Mutazilites

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:57:00 +0000

A first look at the philosophical contributions of Islamic theology (kalām) and its political context, focusing on the Muʿtazilites Abū l-Hudhayl and al-Naẓẓām.

HoP 120 - The Straight Path - Philosophy in the Islamic World

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:31:00 +0000

The rise of Islam creates a new context for philosophy not only among Muslims, but also Jews and Christians.

HoP 119 - John Marenbon on Boethius

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 06:04:00 +0000

John Marenbon joins Peter to discuss Boethius' solution to the problem of divine foreknowledge.

HoP 118 - Fate, Hope and Clarity - Boethius

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 05:52:00 +0000

Boethius ushers in the medieval age with expert works on Aristotle, subtle treatises on theology, and the Consolation of Philosophy, written while he awaited execution.

HoP 117 - Born Again - Latin Platonism

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 06:04:00 +0000

Apuleius, Victorinus, Martianus Cappella, Macrobius and Calcidius present and interpret Platonic teachings for readers of Latin.

HoP 116 - Charles Brittain on Augustine's On the Trinity

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 05:52:00 +0000

In a final episode on Augustine, Charles Brittain joins Peter to discuss On the Trinity.

HoP 115 - Me, Myself and I - Augustine on Mind and Memory

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 12:27:00 +0000

In On the Trinity Augustine explores the human mind as an image of God.

HoP 114 - Sarah Byers on Augustine's Ethics

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 07:18:00 +0000

Peter speaks with Sarah Byers about the Stoic influence on Augustine's ethics and theory of action.

HoP 113 - Heaven and Earth - Augustine’s City of God

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 01:35:00 +0000

In his City of God Augustine traces the histories and philosophical underpinnings of two “cities,” one devoted to worldly glory, the other to heavenly bliss.

HoP 112 - Help Wanted - Augustine on Freedom

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 05:41:00 +0000

Augustine defends free will, but rejects the Pelagian claim that we can be good without God's help.

HoP 111 - Papa Don't Teach - Augustine on Language

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:51:00 +0000

Augustine argues that words are signs, but not signs that can bring us to knowledge.

HoP 110 - Life and Time - Augustine's Confessions

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:09:00 +0000

In the Confessions Augustine weaves autobiography with reflections on the nature of God, man, and time.

HoP 109 - Spreading the Word - the Latin Church Fathers

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 08:02:00 +0000

Tertullian, Lactantius, Jerome and Ambrose use and abuse Hellenic philosophy.

HoP 108 - George Boys-Stones on the Greek Church Fathers

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 07:30:00 +0000

George Boys-Stones joins Peter to discuss philosophy in the Bible and the Greek Fathers.

HoP 107 - Practice Makes Perfect - Christian Asceticism

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 07:25:00 +0000

Christian ascetics like Antony, Macrina and Evagrius create a new ethical ideal by pushing the human capacity for self-control to its limits.

HoP 106 - Double or Nothing - Maximus the Confessor

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 07:19:00 +0000

The early Byzantine thinker Maximus uses Aristotle to defend the orthodox view of Christ's two natures

HoP 105 - Naming the Nameless - the Pseudo-Dionysius

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 07:32:00 +0000

A mysterious author calling himself Dionysius fuses Neoplatonism with Christianity

HoP 104 - Let's Talk Turkey - the Cappadocians

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 07:44:00 +0000

Basil of Caesarea, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus use philosophy to help the poor and to defeat their theological opponents

HoP 103 - Fall and Rise - Origen

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:03:00 +0000

Origen of Alexandria weaves Platonic ideas into new and controversial theological ideas

HoP 102 - Please Accept Our Apologies - the Greek Church Fathers

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 07:26:00 +0000

Irenaeus, Clement and Justin Martyr consider the relevance of philosophy for Christianity

HoP 101 - Father Figures - Introduction to Ancient Christian Philosophy

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:16:00 +0000

An overview of what the Church Fathers contributed to ancient philosophy

HoP 100 - Michael Trapp and Caroline Humfress on Ancient Culture and Philosophy

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 07:01:00 +0000

A special double interview celebrates reaching 100 episodes by looking at the cultural status of philosophy in the ancient world

HoP 099 - Richard Sorabji on the Commentators

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Richard Sorabji joins Peter to discuss the ancient commentators on Aristotle

HoP 098 - For a Limited Time Only - John Philoponus

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 08:45:00 +0000

John Philoponus refutes Aristotle’s and Proclus’ arguments for the eternity of the universe, and develops new ideas in physics.

HoP 097 - A Tale of Two Cities - The Last Pagan Philosophers

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Julian the Apostate and the philosophers of Athens and Alexandria try to keep pagan philosophy alive in the late Roman empire

HoP 096 - Dominic O'Meara on Neoplatonism

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 06:58:00 +0000

Dominic O'Meara speaks with Peter about political philosophy and mathematics in Neoplatonism

HoP 095 - Anne Sheppard on Ancient Aesthetics

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 06:44:00 +0000

Anne Sheppard joins Peter to discuss aesthetics from Plato to Proclus

HoP 094 - The Platonic Successor - Proclus

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 06:15:00 +0000

Proclus displays late Neoplatonism in all its glory

HoP 093 - Pythagorean Theorems - Iamblichus

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 06:08:00 +0000

Iamblichus fuses Platonism with pagan religious conviction and sets the agenda for Neoplatonism in generations to come.

HoP 092 - King of Animals - Porphyry

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 06:25:00 +0000

Porphyry defends vegetarianism and the harmony of Plato and Aristotle

HoP 091 - James Wilberding on Nature and Neoplatonism

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 06:47:00 +0000

James Wilberding joins Peter to examine what Plotinus and Porphyry contributed to the philosophy of nature

HoP 090 - A Decorated Corpse – Plotinus on Matter and Evil

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 07:19:00 +0000

Plotinus struggles to explain the presence of suffering, evil and ugliness in a world caused by purely good principles – and tells us what role we should play in that world.

HoP 089 - On the Horizon - Plotinus on the Soul

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 08:00:00 +0000

For Plotinus, Soul is on the border between the physical and intelligible realms. Can he convince us to identify ourselves with its highest part?

HoP 088 - Simplicity Itself - Plotinus on the One and Intellect

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:39:00 +0000

Plotinus posits an absolutely transcendent first principle, the One. What is it (or isn’t it), and how does it relate to Intellect?

HoP 087 - A God is My Co-Pilot - the Life and Works of Plotinus

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 08:17:00 +0000

Peter introduces Plotinus, the greatest philosopher of late antiquity and the founder of Neoplatonism

HoP 086 - Serafina Cuomo on Ancient Mathematics

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 06:38:00 +0000

How did the mathematics of figures like Euclid and Archimides relate to ancient philosophy? Peter finds out in an interview with Serafina Cuomo

HoP 085 - Sky Writing - Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 07:20:00 +0000

Ptolemy uses philosophy in the service of studying the stars, while philosophers of all persuasions evaluate the widespread practice of astrology.

HoP 084 - Silver Tongues in Golden Mouths - Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 03:25:00 +0000

Themistius, Quintilian, Lucian and other authors tell us about the connections between rhetoric and late ancient philosophy

HoP 083 - Not Written in Stone – Alexander of Aphrodisias

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 02:53:00 +0000

Alexander of Aphrodisias writes the greatest ancient commentaries on Aristotle and tries to demolish the Stoic teaching on fate

HoP 082 - Lost and Found – Aristotelianism after Aristotle

Sun, 27 May 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Peter looks at the history of Aristotelianism up the time of the Roman Empire and the beginning of commentaries on his works

HoP 081 - Jan Opsomer on Middle Platonism

Sun, 20 May 2012 06:56:00 +0000

Jan Opsomer helps Peter to understand principles, Plato interpretation, and Plutarch in a wide-ranging discussion of Middle Platonism

HoP 080 - Delphic Utterances - Plutarch

Sun, 13 May 2012 08:54:00 +0000

Plutarch was a historian, a priest of Apollo, and a Platonist

HoP 079 - To the Lighthouse - Philo of Alexandria

Sun, 06 May 2012 07:38:00 +0000

Philo of Alexandria uses Platonism to understand the Bible of Moses

HoP 078 - Middle Men - the Platonic Revival

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:35:00 +0000

Pioneering thinkers Eudorus, Alcinous, and Numenius fuse Pythagoreanism with Platonism and pave the way for Plotinus.

HoP 077 - Caesarian Section – Philosophy in the Roman Empire

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:18:00 +0000

In late antiquity, Aristotelianism and Platonism made a comeback, and pagan philosophy developed alongside Judaism and Christianity.

HoP 076 - R.J. Hankinson on Galen

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 08:14:00 +0000

Jim Hankinson tells Peter about the life, work and philosophical contributions of Galen

HoP 075 - The Joy of Sects - Ancient Medicine and Philosophy

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 06:49:00 +0000

Hellenistic doctors discover the nerves and argue about method; Galen passes judgment

HoP 074 - Tony Long on the Self in Hellenistic Philosophy

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 06:36:00 +0000

Leading Hellenistic philosophy scholar Tony Long talks to Peter about the self, ethics and politics in the Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics

HoP 073 - Healthy Skepticism - Sextus Empiricus

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 07:45:00 +0000

Sextus Empiricus pushes skepticism to its limits with his uncompromising Pyrrhonism

HoP 072 - Raphael Woolf on Cicero

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 07:08:00 +0000

Peter discusses Cicero's method and philosophical allegiances with Raphael Woolf

HoP 071 - Rhetorical Questions - Cicero

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:10:00 +0000

Cicero, inspired by the skepticism of the New Academy, uses his literary talents to present the wisdom of the Greeks

HoP 070 - The Know-Nothing Party - the Skeptical Academy

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:36:00 +0000

The Skeptical Academy attacks Stoic claims that certain knowledge is possible

HoP 069 - Beyond Belief - Pyrrho and Skepticism

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:58:00 +0000

Peter begins to examine ancient Skepticism, beginning with Pyrrho's life and doctrines, or lack thereof

HoP 068 - John Sellars on the Roman Stoics

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:35:00 +0000

John Sellars joins Peter to discuss the Roman Stoics and their "art of living"

HoP 067 - The Philosopher King - Marcus Aurelius

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:03:00 +0000

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations are a classic of Stoicism written by the most powerful philosopher who ever lived

HoP 066 - You Can Chain My Leg - Epictetus

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:54:00 +0000

Epictetus, greatest of the Roman Stoics, tells you how to set yourself free

HoP 065 - Anger Management - Seneca

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:38:00 +0000

Seneca wields his rhetorically charged Latin to advance Stoic ethical theory

HoP 064 - David Sedley on Stoicism

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:23:00 +0000

David Sedley discusses the Stoic school and its evolution

HoP 063 - Like a Rolling Stone - Stoic Ethics

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:39:00 +0000

The Stoic ethical theory insists that perfection is possible, and that moral responsibility is compatible with determinism

HoP 062 - We Didn’t Start the Fire - the Stoics on Nature

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:08:00 +0000

The Stoic cosmos: suffused with divinity, surrounded by void, and endlessly repeating

HoP 061 - Nobody’s Perfect - the Stoics on Knowledge

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:30:00 +0000

The Stoics set out and defend an ambitious theory of knowledge, where it is possible to avoid all error

HoP 060 - Walking on Eggshells - the Stoics on Logic

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 07:36:00 +0000

Introducing the early Stoics, Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus, and their innovations in logic

HoP 059 - James Warren on Epicureanism

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:12:00 +0000

James Warren chats with Peter about the pleasures of Epicureanism

HoP 058 - Reaping the Harvest - Lucretius

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:54:00 +0000

In "On the Nature of Things" Lucretius sets Epicureanism into Latin poetic verse

HoP 057 - Nothing to Fear - Epicureans on Death and the Gods

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 09:13:00 +0000

The Epicureans reassure us against the terrors of death and punishment by the gods

HoP 056 - Am I Bothered? - Epicurean Ethics

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:45:00 +0000

Pleasure is the good, according to Epicurus. But how do we live most pleasantly?

HoP 055 - The Constant Gardener - Epicurus and his Principles

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 08:39:00 +0000

Epicurus sets out an empiricist theory of knowledge and atomist physics, in support of hedonism

HoP 054 - Instant Gratification - the Cyrenaics

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 08:04:00 +0000

The Cyrenaics, the ultimate pleasure seekers of ancient philosophy

Filling the Gaps - a Brief History of Nothing

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:35:00 +0000

A recording of Peter's lecture delivered on Oct 25, 2011, at the Arts and Humanities festival on "The Power of Stories" at King's College London.

HoP 053 - Beware of the Philosopher - the Cynics

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:03:00 +0000

Diogenes and the other Cynics “deface the currency” by exposing the hypocrisy of Greek society.

HoP 052 - Fighting Over Socrates - the Hellenistic Schools

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 09:24:00 +0000

Introducing the Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans and Cynics, the schools of the Hellenistic age

HoP 051 - The Next Generation - the Followers of Plato and Aristotle

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:20:00 +0000

The Old Academy and Theophrastus carry on the legacy of Plato and Aristotle

HoP 050 - MM McCabe and Raphael Woolf on Aristotle on Plato

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:27:00 +0000

Peter's colleagues MM McCabe and Raphael Woolf join him for a special 50th episode interview, to discuss Aristotle's reactions to his teacher Plato

HoP 049 - Stage Directions - Aristotle's Rhetoric and Poetics

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:32:00 +0000

In the Rhetoric and Poetics, Aristotle explores persuasive speech and engages with ancient tragedy

HoP 048 - Constitutional Conventions - Aristotle's Political Philosophy

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 08:31:00 +0000

Aristotle's Politics responds to Plato's Republic and sets out its own ideas about the ideal state, the types of political constitution, and the role of women and slaves

HoP 047 God Only Knows: Aristotle on Mind and God

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:40:00 +0000

Drawing on the De Anima, On the Heavens, Physics and Metaphysics, Peter tackles Aristotle’s theory of mind and its relation to his theology.

HoP 046 - Dominic Scott on Aristotle's Ethics

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:11:00 +0000

Dominic Scott discusses Aristotle's method in his Nicomachean Ethics

HoP 045 - The Second Self - Aristotle On Pleasure And Friendship

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:27:00 +0000

What place does Aristotle leave for pleasure and friendship in his vision of the good life?

HoP 044 - The Goldilocks Theory - Aristotle's Ethics

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics on happiness and virtue

HoP 043 - Classified Information - Aristotle's Biology

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 08:55:00 +0000

In his zoology, Aristotle divides and defines all kinds of animals, and so invents the science of biology

HoP 042 - Soul Power - Aristotle's De Anima

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 07:49:00 +0000

Aristotle's theory of soul: its functions and how it relates to the body

HoP 041 - Richard Sorabji on Time and Eternity in Aristotle

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 07:58:00 +0000

Richard Sorabji discusses time, eternity and mosquitos in Aristotle's Physics

HoP 040 - Let's Get Physical - Aristotle's Natural Philosophy

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 07:14:00 +0000

Aristotle's Physics explains change, time and place with the help of his actuality/potentiality distinction

HoP 039 - Form and Function - Aristotle's Four Causes

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 07:45:00 +0000

The four types of explanation: formal, material, efficient and final cause

HoP 038 - Down To Earth - Aristotle on Substance

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 10:54:00 +0000

Aristotle's critique of Platonic Forms and defense of his own metaphysics

HoP 037 - Hugh Benson on Aristotelian Method

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:45:00 +0000

Hugh Benson discusses Aristotle's ideas about arriving at knowledge

HoP 036 - A Principled Stand - Aristotle's Epistemology

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:23:00 +0000

Knowledge according to Aristotle's Posterior Analytics

HoP 035 - The Philosopher's Toolkit - Aristotle's Logical Works

Mon, 30 May 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Aristotle's invention of logic in the Organon (especially Categories, On Interpretation, Prior Analytics)

HoP 034 - Mr. Know It All - Aristotle's Life And Works

Mon, 23 May 2011 08:19:00 +0000

Aristotle's career, corpus and unparalleled influence

HoP 033 - Last Judgments - Plato, Poetry and Myth

Mon, 16 May 2011 05:38:00 +0000

Plato's attack on the poets and his own use of myth in the Republic and other dialogues

HoP 032 - Frisbee Sheffield on Platonic Love

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:49:00 +0000

Frisbee Sheffield discusses Plato's erotic dialogues, including the Symposium

HoP 031 - Wings of Desire - Plato's Erotic Dialogues

Mon, 02 May 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Love, friendship and philosophy in the Symposium, Phaedrus and Lysis

HoP 030 - A Likely Story - Plato's Timaeus

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:27:00 +0000

A divine craftsman makes the cosmos from triangles in Plato's Timaeus

HoP 029 - What's in a Name? - Plato's Cratylus

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:32:00 +0000

Philosophy of language and Heraclitean flux in Plato's Cratylus

HoP 028 - Fiona Leigh on Plato's Sophist

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:39:00 +0000

Fiona Leigh discusses Plato's revised theory of Forms in the Sophist

HoP 027 - Second Thoughts - Plato's Parmenides and the Forms

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:46:00 +0000

The Third Man Argument and other criticisms of Forms in the Parmenides

HoP 026 - Ain't No Sunshine - The Cave Allegory of Plato's Republic

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:04:00 +0000

The Divided Line, Form of the Good, and Cave in Plato's Republic

HoP 025 - Soul and The City - Plato's Political Philosophy

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 12:26:00 +0000

Plato's Republic defends and defines justice at the level of the ideal city and the person

HoP 024 - Famous Last Words - Plato's Phaedo

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:16:00 +0000

Forms and the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo

HoP 023 - MM McCabe on Knowledge in Plato

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:02:00 +0000

MM McCabe discusses epistemology and virtue in Plato

HoP 022 - I Know Because The Caged Bird Sings - Plato's Theaetetus

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:29:00 +0000

Knowledge, relativism, and memory in the Theaetetus

HoP 021 - We Don't Need No Education - Plato's Meno

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:29:00 +0000

The Meno and Plato's theory of recollection

HoP 020 - Virtue Meets Its Match - Plato's Gorgias

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:45:00 +0000

Ethics against immoralism in a Socratic masterpiece.

HoP 019 - Know Thyself - Two Unloved Platonic Dialogues

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:04:00 +0000

Virtue and knowledge in Plato's Charmides and Euthydemus

HoP 018 - In Dialogue - The Life And Writings Of Plato

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:24:00 +0000

The life, times and dialogues of Plato

HoP 017 - Raphael Woolf on Socrates

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:41:00 +0000

Raphael Woolf discusses Socrates as presented by Plato

HoP 016 - Method Man - Plato's Socrates

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:52:00 +0000

Socratic virtue, ignorance and irony in the Platonic dialogues Socrates' claim that no one does wrong willingly

HoP 015 - Socrates without Plato - the Portrayals of Aristophanes and Xenophon

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:16:00 +0000

Socrates according to the comic poet Aristophanes and the historian Xenophon

HoP 014 - Making the Weaker Argument the Stronger - the Sophists

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras, Gorgias and other sophists

HoP 013 - Good Humor Men - the Hippocratics

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 11:07:00 +0000

Hippocrates and the relation between early Greek medicine and philosophy

HoP 012 - Malcolm Schofield on the Presocratics

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:38:00 +0000

Malcolm Schofield on Heraclitus, Parmenides and other early Greek philosophers

HoP 011 - All You Need Is Love, and Five Other Things - Empedocles

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:51:00 +0000

Love, Strife and the four elements in Empedocles

HoP 010 - Mind Over Mixture - Anaxagoras

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:28:00 +0000

Is everything mixed with everything? Anaxagoras on Mind and the cosmos

HoP 009 - The Final Cut - Democritus And Leuccipus

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:29:00 +0000

Ancient atomism as a response to Parmenides

HoP 008 - You Can't Get There From Here - Zeno And Melissus

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:06:00 +0000

Zeno's paradoxes and Melissus develop the Eleatic philosophy

HoP 007 - The Road Less Traveled - Parmenides

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:07:00 +0000

The father of metaphysics, Parmenides of Elea

HoP 006 - MM McCabe on Heraclitus

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:03:00 +0000

MM McCabe of King's discusses the fragments of Heraclitus

HoP 005 - Old Man River - Heraclitus

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:55:00 +0000

Everything changes in the riddling philosophy of Heraclitus

HoP 004 - The Man With The Golden Thigh - Pythagoras

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:24:00 +0000

Pythagoras and mathematics in ancient philosophy

HoP 003 - Created In Our Image - Xenophanes Against Greek Religion

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:14:00 +0000

The gods in Homer and Hesiod, and the critique of Xenophanes

HoP 002 - Infinity and Beyond - Anaximander and Anaximenes

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:12:00 +0000

Two early Pre-Socratics claim that the world is made of air, and the infinite

HoP 001 - Everything is Full of Gods - Thales

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:10:00 +0000

In this first episode, Peter discusses the goals of the series and Thales, the first Greek philosopher.