The Philosophical-Historical Spirit of the Platonic Tradition

Essays in honour of Professor Harold Tarrant

Edited by Danielle A. Layne and François Renaud

As heirs of a living philosophical-historical tradition, what activities and methodologies did ancient authors and schools advance to endorse, preserve, and critically engage with Plato, his dialogues and other Platonists? How did those activities, be they the creation of taxonomies within virtue or exegesis on a dialogue, ultimately come to shape a diverse landscape for doing history as philosophers with concrete ends and aims?

On the one hand, philosophers like Proclus or Plotinus seemed to operate with a monumental or speculative syncretic spirit, never failing to venerate the wisdom and beauty found within the corpus. On the other hand, more obscure authors like Alcinous or compilations like the Aëtian Placita preserve the tradition with a more philological antiquarian spirit. Moreover, still others members like Damascius or the Emperor Julian never felt estranged from the tradition even when commenting critically on Plato’s Ideas, theories and influence?

This volume, in honor of distinguished professor Harold Tarrant, follows the philosophical-historicizing spirit embedded within the Platonic tradition, revealing that for more than a millennium the Neoplatonic schools sought to pass the baton of what it means to be a Platonist be it venerating, safeguarding, or pushing Plato’s work and teachings to their limits.

464 pages. Paperback.