History of Philosophy podcast series

Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at King's College London, takes listeners through the history of philosophy, "without any gaps." Beginning with the earliest ancient thinkers, the series will look at the ideas and lives of the major philosophers (eventually covering in detail such giants as Plato, Aristotle, Avicenna, Aquinas, Descartes, and Kant) as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition.

For more information, please visit the Department of Philosophy web pages.

In this collection

88. Simplicity Itself: Plotinus on the One and Intellect »

Plotinus posits an absolutely transcendent first principle, the One. What is it (or isn?t it), and how does it relate to Intellect?

87. A God is My Co-Pilot: the Life and Works of Plotinus »

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

86. Serafina Cuomo on Ancient Mathematics »

How did the mathematics of figures like Euclid and Archimides relate to ancient philosophy? Peter finds out in an interview with Serafina Cuomo.

85. Sky Writing: Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy »

Ptolemy uses philosophy in the service of studying the stars, while philosophers of all persuasions evaluate the widespread practice of astrology.

84. Silver Tongues in Golden Mouths: Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy »

Peter looks at the interaction between rhetoric and philosophy in the Roman Empire, discussing authors like Quintilian, Lucian and Themistius.

83. Not Written in Stone: Alexander of Aphrodisias »

Alexander of Aphrodisias writes the greatest ancient commentaries on Aristotle and tries to demolish the Stoic teaching on fate.

82. Lost and Found: Aristotelianism after Aristotle »

Peter looks at the history of Aristotelianism up the time of the Roman Empire and the beginning of commentaries on Aristotle's works.

81. Jan Opsomer on Middle Platonism »

Jan Opsomer helps Peter to understand principles, Plato interpretation, and Plutarch in a wide-ranging discussion of Middle Platonism.

80. Delphic Utterances: Plutarch »

Plutarch, a major figure of early Imperial literature, was also a Platonist philosopher. He gives us insight into Platonism before Plotinus, and also the letter E.