History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

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.

HoP 112 - Help Wanted - Augustine on Freedom

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

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

HoP 110 - Life and Time - Augustine's Confessions

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

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

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

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

HoP 107 - Practice Makes Perfect - Christian Asceticism

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

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

A mysterious author calling himself Dionysius fuses Neoplatonism with Christianity

HoP 104 - Let's Talk Turkey - the Cappadocians

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

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

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

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

HoP 101 - Father Figures - Introduction to Ancient Christian Philosophy

An overview of what the Church Fathers contributed to ancient philosophy

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

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

Richard Sorabji joins Peter to discuss the ancient commentators on Aristotle

HoP 098 - For a Limited Time Only - John Philoponus

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

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

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

HoP 095 - Anne Sheppard on Ancient Aesthetics

Anne Sheppard joins Peter to discuss aesthetics from Plato to Proclus