Platonism at the Origins of Modernity

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Introduction

   • Sarah Hutton

   Pages 1-8

3. Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464): Platonism at the Dawn of Modernity

   • Dermot Moran

   Pages 9-29

4. At Variance: Marsilio Ficino, Platonism and Heresy

   • Michael J. B. Allen

   Pages 31-44

5. Going Naked into the Shrine: Herbert, Plotinus and the Constructive Metaphor

   • Stephen R. L. Clark

   Pages 45-61

6. Comenius, Light Metaphysics and Educational Reform

   • Jan Rohls

   Pages 63-74

7. Robert Fludd’s Kabbalistic Cosmos

   • Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann

   Pages 75-92

8. Reconciling Theory and Fact: The Problem of ‘Other Faiths’ in Lord Herbert and the Cambridge Platonists

   • David Pailin

   Pages 93-111

9. Trinity, Community and Love: Cudworth’s Platonism and the Idea of God

   • Leslie Armour

   Pages 113-129

10. Chaos and Order in Cudworth’s Thought

    • Jean-Louis Breteau

    Pages 131-145

11. Cudworth, Prior and Passmore on the Autonomy of Ethics

    • Robin Attfield

    Pages 147-158

12. Substituting Aristotle: Platonic Themes in Dutch Cartesianism

    • Han van Ruler

    Pages 159-175

13. Soul, Body and World: Plato’s Timaeus and Descartes’ Meditations

    • Catherine Wilson

    Pages 177-191

14. Locke, Plato and Platonism

    • G. A. J. Rogers

    Pages 193-205

15. Reflections on Locke’s Platonism

    • Victor Nuovo

    Pages 207-223

16. The Platonism at the Core of Leibniz’s Philosophy

    • Christia Mercer

    Pages 225-238

17. Leibniz and Berkeley: Platonic Metaphysics and ‘The Mechanical Philosophy’

    • Stuart Brown

    Pages 239-253

18. Which Platonism for Which Modernity? A Note on Shaftesbury’s Socratic Sea-Cards

    • Laurent Jaffro

    Pages 255-267

19. Platonism, Aesthetics and the Sublime at the Origins of Modernity

    • Douglas Hedley

    Pages 269-282

20. Back Matter

    Pages 283-294

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commentary, but by selection and accretion. Those inspired by Plato form as intrinsic a part of Platonism as Plato himself—these are the so-called Neo-P- tonists (a divisive latter-day term which implies discontinuity between Plato and 6 his later followers to the disadvantage of the latter). In the process of its long course of development, Platonism has gathered a long tradition of interpr- ers, whose contributions have been enriched by other philosophical strands—for example Stoicism, which is an important element in the philosophy of Plotinus. To this it must be added that so much of the impact of Platonism is indirect. The Platonism of many thinkers, especially in medieval times, was more often than not implicit, rather than conscious borrowing. It derived not from the Platonic corpus (most of which was unknown at that time), but indirectly through Philo, and theologians like Augustine and Origen. The combined effect of these factors is that the legacy of Platonism is rich, varied and extensive, but eludes the scope of focused enquiry. A further factor complicating assessments of Platonism in the modern era, is polarisation in the historiography itself. Historians of modern philosophy—at least in the anglophone world—readily adopt a model which counterposes ancient and modern. Drawing on a division, which the early modern philosophers themselves invoked, they employ an ‘ancient- 7 modern distinction’ as a principle for organising the history of philosophy.

• Aristotle
• Plato
• René Descartes
• early modern philosophy
• ethics
• metaphysics
• modern philosophy
• philosophy
• philosophy of religion
• platonism

From the reviews:

"The volume has … papers very much worth reading. Dermot Moran on Nicholas of Cusa introduces renaissance Platonism; Laurent Jaffro on Shaftesbury’s melancholic defense of the Ancients against the Moderns and Leslie Armour on Cudworth’s conception of divine love and toleration offer genuinely accessible and stimulating papers." (Eric Schliesser, Notre Dome Philosophical Reviews, October, 2008)

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