History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

HoP 299 - Robert Pasnau on Substance in Scholasticism

hopwag — 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

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

New paperbacks and a new series!

HoP 298 - Renaissance Men - Ramon Llull and Petrarch

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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.

Summer Reading

hopwag — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 05:00:00 +0000

How to fill the month of August while the podcast is on summer break. Buy the book versions of the podcast at Oxford University Press.

HoP 259 - Richard Cross on Philosophy and the Trinity

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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”

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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!

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 11:11:12 +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

hopwag — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:46:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 02:12:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 00:55:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 02:32:00 +0000

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

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

hopwag — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:03:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 00:52:00 +0000

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

HoP 184 - Robert Wisnovsky on Commentary Culture

hopwag — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 01:44:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 01:13:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 01:11:00 +0000

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

HoP 181 - By the Book - Ibn Taymiyya

hopwag — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 01:54:00 +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

hopwag — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 02:59:00 +0000

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

HoP Announcements 2

hopwag — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 13:22:00 +0000

Peter announces the appearance of the first HoPWaG book and plans to cover Indian philosophy with Jonardon Ganeri.

HoP 179 - Mohammed Rustom on Philosophical Sufism

hopwag — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 01:21:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 03:52:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 24 May 2014 04:08:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 18 May 2014 01:40:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 11 May 2014 01:13:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 04 May 2014 01:17:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 01:42:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:17:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 00:58:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 02:16:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 01:58:00 +0000

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

HoP 168 - Chariot of Fire - Kabbalah

hopwag — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 02:26:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:53:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 23:18:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 01:50:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 00:42:00 +0000

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

HoP 163 - Burnt Offerings - The Maimonides Controversy

hopwag — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 00:42:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 14:53:00 +0000

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

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

hopwag — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:36:00 +0000

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

HoP 160 - The Great Eagle - Maimonides

hopwag — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 02:00:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 01:42:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 08:56:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 02:26:00 +0000

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

HoP 156 - Sarah Pessin on Jewish Neoplatonism

hopwag — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 02:09:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 02:05:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 05:17:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 01:04:00 +0000

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

HoP 152 - Richard Taylor on Averroes

hopwag — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 02:30:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 02:37:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 02:06:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 18:01:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 02:21:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:58:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 02:29:00 +0000

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

HoP 145 - Frank Griffel on al-Ghazali

hopwag — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 07:40:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 02:57:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 03:09:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:46:00 +0000

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

HoP 141 - Into Thin Air - Avicenna on the Soul

hopwag — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 01:18:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 00:38:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:20:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 01:18:00 +0000

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

HoP 137 - God Willing – the Asharites

hopwag — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 01:04:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 01:41:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 01:02:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 01:01:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 01:21:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 02:26:00 +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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Sun, 26 May 2013 01:48:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:55:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:34:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 05 May 2013 01:01:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:09:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:33:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:33:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:51:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 02:55:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:57:00 +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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 01:04:00 +0000

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

HoP 118 - Fate, Hope and Clarity - Boethius

hopwag — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:52:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 01:04:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:52:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 07:27:00 +0000

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

HoP 114 - Sarah Byers on Augustine’s Ethics

hopwag — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:18:00 +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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:41:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 01:51:00 +0000

Augustine argues that words are signs, but not signs that can bring us to knowledge.

HoP 110 - Life and Time - Augustine’s Confessions

hopwag — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 04:09:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Tertullian, Lactantius, Jerome and Ambrose use and abuse Hellenic philosophy.

HoP 108 - George Boys-Stones on the Greek Church Fathers

hopwag — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 02:30:00 +0000

George Boys-Stones joins Peter to discuss philosophy in the Bible and the Greek Fathers.

HoP 107 - Practice Makes Perfect - Christian Asceticism

hopwag — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 02:25:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 02:19:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:32:00 +0000

A mysterious author calling himself Dionysius fuses Neoplatonism with Christianity

HoP 104 - Let’s Talk Turkey - the Cappadocians

hopwag — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 02:44:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 17:03:00 +0000

Origen of Alexandria weaves Platonic ideas into new and controversial theological ideas

HoP 102 - Please Accept Our Apologies - the Greek Church Fathers

hopwag — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 02:26:00 +0000

Irenaeus, Clement and Justin Martyr consider the relevance of philosophy for Christianity

HoP 101 - Father Figures - Introduction to Ancient Christian Philosophy

hopwag — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 01:16:00 +0000

An overview of what the Church Fathers contributed to ancient philosophy

HoP 100 - Michael Trapp and Caroline Humfress on Ancient Culture and Philosophy

hopwag — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 02:01:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 02:33:00 +0000

Richard Sorabji joins Peter to discuss the ancient commentators on Aristotle

HoP 098 - For a Limited Time Only - John Philoponus

hopwag — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 03:45:00 +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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 01:58:00 +0000

Dominic O’Meara speaks with Peter about political philosophy and mathematics in Neoplatonism

HoP 095 - Anne Sheppard on Ancient Aesthetics

hopwag — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 01:44:00 +0000

Anne Sheppard joins Peter to discuss aesthetics from Plato to Proclus

HoP 094 - The Platonic Successor - Proclus

hopwag — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:15:00 +0000

Proclus displays late Neoplatonism in all its glory

HoP 093 - Pythagorean Theorems - Iamblichus

hopwag — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:08:00 +0000

Iamblichus fuses Platonism with pagan religious conviction and sets the agenda for Neoplatonism in generations to come.

HoP 092 - King of Animals - Porphyry

hopwag — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 01:25:00 +0000

Porphyry defends vegetarianism and the harmony of Plato and Aristotle

HoP 091 - James Wilberding on Nature and Neoplatonism

hopwag — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 01:47:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:19:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:00:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 03:39:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:17:00 +0000

Peter introduces Plotinus, the greatest philosopher of late antiquity and the founder of Neoplatonism

HoP 086 - Serafina Cuomo on Ancient Mathematics

hopwag — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 01:38:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:20:00 +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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:33:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 20 May 2012 01:56:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:54:00 +0000

Plutarch was a historian, a priest of Apollo, and a Platonist

HoP 079 - To the Lighthouse - Philo of Alexandria

hopwag — Sun, 06 May 2012 02:38:00 +0000

Philo of Alexandria uses Platonism to understand the Bible of Moses

HoP 078 - Middle Men - the Platonic Revival

hopwag — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:35:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:18:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:14:00 +0000

Jim Hankinson tells Peter about the life, work and philosophical contributions of Galen

HoP 075 - The Joy of Sects - Ancient Medicine and Philosophy

hopwag — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:49:00 +0000

Hellenistic doctors discover the nerves and argue about method; Galen passes judgment

HoP 074 - Tony Long on the Self in Hellenistic Philosophy

hopwag — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:36:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 02:45:00 +0000

Sextus Empiricus pushes skepticism to its limits with his uncompromising Pyrrhonism

HoP 072 - Raphael Woolf on Cicero

hopwag — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:08:00 +0000

Peter discusses Cicero’s method and philosophical allegiances with Raphael Woolf

HoP 071 - Rhetorical Questions - Cicero

hopwag — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:10:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 01:36:00 +0000

The Skeptical Academy attacks Stoic claims that certain knowledge is possible

HoP 069 - Beyond Belief - Pyrrho and Skepticism

hopwag — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 01:58:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:35:00 +0000

John Sellars joins Peter to discuss the Roman Stoics and their “art of living”

HoP 067 - The Philosopher King - Marcus Aurelius

hopwag — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:03:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Epictetus, greatest of the Roman Stoics, tells you how to set yourself free

HoP 065 - Anger Management - Seneca

hopwag — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:38:00 +0000

Seneca wields his rhetorically charged Latin to advance Stoic ethical theory

HoP 064 - David Sedley on Stoicism

hopwag — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:23:00 +0000

David Sedley discusses the Stoic school and its evolution

HoP 063 - Like a Rolling Stone - Stoic Ethics

hopwag — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:39:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:08:00 +0000

The Stoic cosmos: suffused with divinity, surrounded by void, and endlessly repeating

HoP 061 - Nobody’s Perfect - the Stoics on Knowledge

hopwag — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:30:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:36:00 +0000

Introducing the early Stoics, Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus, and their innovations in logic

HoP 059 - James Warren on Epicureanism

hopwag — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 02:12:00 +0000

James Warren chats with Peter about the pleasures of Epicureanism

HoP 058 - Reaping the Harvest - Lucretius

hopwag — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:54:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 04:13:00 +0000

The Epicureans reassure us against the terrors of death and punishment by the gods

HoP 056 - Am I Bothered? - Epicurean Ethics

hopwag — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:45:00 +0000

Pleasure is the good, according to Epicurus. But how do we live most pleasantly?

HoP 055 - The Constant Gardener - Epicurus and his Principles

hopwag — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:39:00 +0000

Epicurus sets out an empiricist theory of knowledge and atomist physics, in support of hedonism

HoP 054 - Instant Gratification - the Cyrenaics

hopwag — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 03:04:00 +0000

The Cyrenaics, the ultimate pleasure seekers of ancient philosophy

HoP 053 - Beware of the Philosopher - the Cynics

hopwag — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 03:03:00 +0000

Diogenes and the other Cynics “deface the currency” by exposing the hypocrisy of Greek society.

HoP 052 - Fighting Over Socrates - the Hellenistic Schools

hopwag — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:24:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 07:20:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:27:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 03:32:00 +0000

In the Rhetoric and Poetics, Aristotle explores persuasive speech and engages with ancient tragedy

HoP 048 - Constitutional Conventions - Aristotle’s Political Philosophy

hopwag — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:31:00 +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

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:11:00 +0000

Dominic Scott discusses Aristotle’s method in his Nicomachean Ethics

HoP 045 - The Second Self - Aristotle On Pleasure And Friendship

hopwag — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:27:00 +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

hopwag — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics on happiness and virtue

HoP 043 - Classified Information - Aristotle’s Biology

hopwag — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:55:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:49:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:58:00 +0000

Richard Sorabji discusses time, eternity and mosquitos in Aristotle’s Physics

HoP 040 - Let’s Get Physical - Aristotle’s Natural Philosophy

hopwag — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:14:00 +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

hopwag — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 02:45:00 +0000

The four types of explanation: formal, material, efficient and final cause

HoP 038 - Down To Earth - Aristotle on Substance

hopwag — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 05:54:00 +0000

Aristotle’s critique of Platonic Forms and defense of his own metaphysics

HoP 037 - Hugh Benson on Aristotelian Method

hopwag — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Hugh Benson discusses Aristotle’s ideas about arriving at knowledge

HoP 036 - A Principled Stand - Aristotle’s Epistemology

hopwag — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:23:00 +0000

Knowledge according to Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics

HoP 035 - The Philosopher’s Toolkit - Aristotle’s Logical Works

hopwag — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:27:00 +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

hopwag — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:19:00 +0000

Aristotle’s career, corpus and unparalleled influence

HoP 033 - Last Judgments - Plato, Poetry and Myth

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Mon, 09 May 2011 02:49:00 +0000

Frisbee Sheffield discusses Plato’s erotic dialogues, including the Symposium

HoP 031 - Wings of Desire - Plato’s Erotic Dialogues

hopwag — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:52:00 +0000

Love, friendship and philosophy in the Symposium, Phaedrus and Lysis

HoP 030 - A Likely Story - Plato’s Timaeus

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:32:00 +0000

Philosophy of language and Heraclitean flux in Plato’s Cratylus

HoP 028 - Fiona Leigh on Plato’s Sophist

hopwag — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Fiona Leigh discusses Plato’s revised theory of Forms in the Sophist

HoP 027 - Second Thoughts - Plato’s Parmenides and the Forms

hopwag — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:46:00 +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

hopwag — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:04:00 +0000

The Divided Line, Form of the Good, and Cave in Plato’s Republic

HoP 025 - Soul and The City - Plato’s Political Philosophy

hopwag — 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

hopwag — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:16:00 +0000

Forms and the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo

HoP 023 - MM McCabe on Knowledge in Plato

hopwag — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:02:00 +0000

MM McCabe discusses epistemology and virtue in Plato

HoP 022 - I Know Because The Caged Bird Sings - Plato’s Theaetetus

hopwag — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Knowledge, relativism, and memory in the Theaetetus

HoP 021 - We Don’t Need No Education - Plato’s Meno

hopwag — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:29:00 +0000

The Meno and Plato’s theory of recollection

HoP 020 - Virtue Meets Its Match - Plato’s Gorgias

hopwag — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:45:00 +0000

Ethics against immoralism in a Socratic masterpiece.

HoP 019 - Know Thyself - Two Unloved Platonic Dialogues

hopwag — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:04:00 +0000

Virtue and knowledge in Plato’s Charmides and Euthydemus

HoP 018 - In Dialogue - The Life And Writings Of Plato

hopwag — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:24:00 +0000

The life, times and dialogues of Plato

HoP 017 - Raphael Woolf on Socrates

hopwag — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 06:41:00 +0000

Raphael Woolf discusses Socrates as presented by Plato

HoP 016 - Method Man - Plato’s Socrates

hopwag — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:52:00 +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

hopwag — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 03:16:00 +0000

Socrates according to the comic poet Aristophanes and the historian Xenophon

HoP 014 - Making the Weaker Argument the Stronger - the Sophists

hopwag — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras, Gorgias and other sophists

HoP 013 - Good Humor Men - the Hippocratics

hopwag — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 06:07:00 +0000

Hippocrates and the relation between early Greek medicine and philosophy

HoP 012 - Malcolm Schofield on the Presocratics

hopwag — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:38:00 +0000

Malcolm Schofield on Heraclitus, Parmenides and other early Greek philosophers

HoP 011 - All You Need Is Love, and Five Other Things - Empedocles

hopwag — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 03:51:00 +0000

Love, Strife and the four elements in Empedocles

HoP 010 - Mind Over Mixture - Anaxagoras

hopwag — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:28:00 +0000

Is everything mixed with everything? Anaxagoras on Mind and the cosmos

HoP 009 - The Final Cut - Democritus And Leuccipus

hopwag — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:29:00 +0000

Ancient atomism as a response to Parmenides

HoP 008 - You Can’t Get There From Here - Zeno And Melissus

hopwag — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:06:00 +0000

Zeno’s paradoxes and Melissus develop the Eleatic philosophy

HoP 007 - The Road Less Traveled - Parmenides

hopwag — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:07:00 +0000

The father of metaphysics, Parmenides of Elea

HoP 006 - MM McCabe on Heraclitus

hopwag — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:03:00 +0000

MM McCabe of King’s discusses the fragments of Heraclitus

HoP 005 - Old Man River - Heraclitus

hopwag — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:55:00 +0000

Everything changes in the riddling philosophy of Heraclitus

HoP 004 - The Man With The Golden Thigh - Pythagoras

hopwag — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:24:00 +0000

Pythagoras and mathematics in ancient philosophy

HoP 003 - Created In Our Image - Xenophanes Against Greek Religion

hopwag — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:14:00 +0000

The gods in Homer and Hesiod, and the critique of Xenophanes

HoP 002 - Infinity and Beyond - Anaximander and Anaximenes

hopwag — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:12:00 +0000

Two early Pre-Socratics claim that the world is made of air, and the infinite

HoP 001 - Everything is Full of Gods - Thales

hopwag — 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.