History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

HoP 132 - Eye of the Beholder - Theories of Vision

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

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

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

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

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

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

HoP 126 - High Five - al-Razi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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HoP 119 - John Marenbon on Boethius

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

HoP 118 - Fate, Hope and Clarity - Boethius

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

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

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

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

HoP 114 - Sarah Byers on Augustine's Ethics

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

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.