The Will and its Freedom: Epictetus and Simplicius on what is up to us, 2014
By: Wildberg, Christian, Destrée, Pierre (Ed.), Zingano, Marco (Ed.)
Title The Will and its Freedom: Epictetus and Simplicius on what is up to us
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 2014
Published in What is up to us? Studies on Agency and Responsibility in Ancient Philosophy
Pages 329-350
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Destrée, Pierre , Zingano, Marco
Translator(s)
The text explores the historical development of the concept of free will, drawing parallels with the evolution of understanding projectile motion. Three distinct periods are identified: an initial stage marked by a misunderstanding of projectile motion, where objects were thought to require continuous external motion; a second stage where the concept of "impetus" was introduced to explain forced motion at a distance; and a final stage, ushered in by Galileo, Descartes, and Newton, where the correct understanding of inertia emerged. The discovery of free will is compared to the discovery of the will as a distinct human faculty in late antiquity. Similar to the concept of impetus, the will is depicted as capable of being strong or weak and has significant influence over human actions. The philosophical discussion surrounding free will is likened to the debates on projectile motion, with various perspectives on its existence and nature. Some argue for the existence of free will, while others contend that it is unnecessary and incoherent. The text concludes by pointing out the need for a deeper understanding of the historical context and metaphysical assumptions underlying the concept of free will. It suggests that the concept of free will is a remnant of past intellectual certainty about metaphysical truths and may not be as morally neutral as commonly believed. The modern discussion on free will is encouraged to consider its historical development and potential implications more carefully. [introduction]

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Three distinct periods are identified: an initial stage marked by a misunderstanding of projectile motion, where objects were thought to require continuous external motion; a second stage where the concept of \"impetus\" was introduced to explain forced motion at a distance; and a final stage, ushered in by Galileo, Descartes, and Newton, where the correct understanding of inertia emerged. The discovery of free will is compared to the discovery of the will as a distinct human faculty in late antiquity. Similar to the concept of impetus, the will is depicted as capable of being strong or weak and has significant influence over human actions. The philosophical discussion surrounding free will is likened to the debates on projectile motion, with various perspectives on its existence and nature. Some argue for the existence of free will, while others contend that it is unnecessary and incoherent. The text concludes by pointing out the need for a deeper understanding of the historical context and metaphysical assumptions underlying the concept of free will. It suggests that the concept of free will is a remnant of past intellectual certainty about metaphysical truths and may not be as morally neutral as commonly believed. The modern discussion on free will is encouraged to consider its historical development and potential implications more carefully. [introduction]","btype":2,"date":"2014","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/mOZ7OMN3pKwTAfd","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":90,"full_name":"Destr\u00e9e, Pierre ","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":472,"full_name":"Zingano, Marco","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":427,"section_of":329,"pages":"329-350","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":329,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":null,"type":4,"language":"en","title":"What is up to us? Studies on Agency and Responsibility in Ancient Philosophy","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Destr\u00e9e2014","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"2014","edition_no":null,"free_date":"2014","abstract":"The problem of responsibility in moral philosophy has been lively debated in the last decades, especially since the publication of Harry Frankfurt's seminal paper, 'Alternate possibilities and moral responsibility' (1969). Compatibilists - also known as 'soft' determinists - and, on the other side, incompatibilists - libertarians and 'hard' determinists - are the main contenders in this major academic controversy. The debate goes back to Antiquity. After Aristotle, compatibilists, and especially the Stoics, debated this issue with the incompatibilists, notably Epicurus (though his classification as an incompatibilist has been disputed in modern scholarship), Alexander of Aphrodisias and Plutarch.\r\n\r\nThe problem debated at that time and the problem debated nowadays are fundamentally the same, even though the terms and the concepts evolved over the centuries. In Antiquity, the central notion was that of 'what is up to us', or 'what depends on us'. The present volume brings together twenty contributions devoted to examining the problem of moral responsibility as it arises in Antiquity in direct connection with the concept of what is up to us - to eph' h\u00eamin, in Greek, or in nostra potestate and in nobis, in its Latin counterparts, aiming to promote classical scholarship, and to shed some light on the contemporary issues as well.\r\n\r\nWith contributions by Marcelo D. Boeri, Mauro Bonazzi, Susanne Bobzien, Pierre Destr\u00e9e, Javier Eche\u00f1ique, Dorothea Frede, Michael Frede, Lloyd P. Gerson, Laura Liliana G\u00f3mez, Jean-Baptiste Gourinat, Christoph Horn, Monte Ransom Johnson, Stefano Maso, Susan Sauv\u00e9 Meyer, Pierre-Marie Morel, Ricardo Salles, Carlos Steel, Daniela Patrizia Taormina, Emmanuele Vimercati, Katja Maria Vogt, Christian Wildberg and Marco Zingano. [official abstract]","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/WCz3sdLMsMTkFmE","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":329,"pubplace":"Sankt Augustin","publisher":"Academia Verlag","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":null,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":[2014]}

Philosophy in the Age of Justinian, 2005
By: Wildberg, Christian, Maas, Michael (Ed.)
Title Philosophy in the Age of Justinian
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 2005
Published in The Cambridge companion to the Age of Justinian
Pages 316-340
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Maas, Michael
Translator(s)
In order to bring some clarity to the sometimes confusing list of names of nowadays little-known philosophers active during the period in ques­ tion, it is necessary to begin with a short prosopography. A history of philosophy in the Age ofjustinian must include an account of two tow­ ering but very different figures, Damascius (c. 460-540) and Ammonius, (c. 440-517 or 526). The philosophical activities of both these men oc­ cur well before the accession ofjustinian, but through their pupils they shaped the views and methods of their philosophical successors in the period that concerns us. [p. 318] To illustrate the point that commentaries were not written to elucidate otherwise obscure texts but were the preferred genre of discourse to establish, negotiate, and criticize substantive philosophical claims, we now turn to some of the controversies that were discussed in a more or less open fashion. In an influential article, Karl Praechter once argued that one can distinguish clearly between different schools and directions within the broader Neoplatonic movement in late antiquity.23 In partic­ ular, Praechter argued that the salient difference between the two major schools, the Athenian and the Alexandrian branch, lay in their differ­ ent exegetical methods. Whereas the Athenian school (represented by Syrianus, Proclus, Damascius, and Simplicius) was heavily influenced, broadly speaking, by Iamblichuss tendency to bring out in any text, as far as possible, the understanding it offers of the intelligible world, the Alexandrian School (represented by Hierocles in the fifth century, and by Ammonius, Philoponus, Olympiodorus, Elias, and David in the sixth) tended toward a more sober and less metaphysical technique of interpretation. Praechter connected these observations with two socio­ cultural differences separating the schools: Alexandria had traditionally been a center of learning in the exact sciences (hence the preference for Aristotle) and possessed a large Christian intellectual community attending the Alexandrian philosophers’ lectures and classes (which would temper the propagation of Platonism as an antigospel). Thus, as compared to the Athenians, the Alexandrian Neoplatonists were less of a sect (hairesis) and more of a collegium of higher education. [p. 323-324]

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A history of \r\nphilosophy in the Age ofjustinian must include an account of two tow\u00ad\r\nering but very different figures, Damascius (c. 460-540) and Ammonius, \r\n(c. 440-517 or 526). The philosophical activities of both these men oc\u00ad\r\ncur well before the accession ofjustinian, but through their pupils they \r\nshaped the views and methods of their philosophical successors in the \r\nperiod that concerns us. [p. 318] \r\nTo illustrate the point that commentaries were not written to elucidate \r\notherwise obscure texts but were the preferred genre of discourse to \r\nestablish, negotiate, and criticize substantive philosophical claims, we \r\nnow turn to some of the controversies that were discussed in a more or \r\nless open fashion. In an influential article, Karl Praechter once argued \r\nthat one can distinguish clearly between different schools and directions \r\nwithin the broader Neoplatonic movement in late antiquity.23 In partic\u00ad\r\nular, Praechter argued that the salient difference between the two major \r\nschools, the Athenian and the Alexandrian branch, lay in their differ\u00ad\r\nent exegetical methods. Whereas the Athenian school (represented by \r\nSyrianus, Proclus, Damascius, and Simplicius) was heavily influenced, \r\nbroadly speaking, by Iamblichuss tendency to bring out in any text, \r\nas far as possible, the understanding it offers of the intelligible world, \r\nthe Alexandrian School (represented by Hierocles in the fifth century, \r\nand by Ammonius, Philoponus, Olympiodorus, Elias, and David in the \r\nsixth) tended toward a more sober and less metaphysical technique of \r\ninterpretation. Praechter connected these observations with two socio\u00ad\r\ncultural differences separating the schools: Alexandria had traditionally \r\nbeen a center of learning in the exact sciences (hence the preference for Aristotle) and possessed a large Christian intellectual community \r\nattending the Alexandrian philosophers\u2019 lectures and classes (which \r\nwould temper the propagation of Platonism as an antigospel). Thus, \r\nas compared to the Athenians, the Alexandrian Neoplatonists were less \r\nof a sect (hairesis) and more of a collegium of higher education. [p. 323-324]","btype":2,"date":"2005","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/5eGVb60bqhLTv0z","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":471,"full_name":"Maas, Michael","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":428,"section_of":17,"pages":"316-340","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":17,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":null,"type":4,"language":"en","title":"The Cambridge companion to the Age of Justinian","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Maas2005","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"2005","edition_no":null,"free_date":"2005","abstract":"This book introduces the Age of Justinian, the last Roman century and the first flowering of Byzantine culture. Dominated by the policies and personality of emperor Justinian I (527\u2013565), this period of grand achievements and far-reaching failures witnessed the transformation of the Mediterranean world. In this volume, twenty specialists explore the most important aspects of the age including the mechanics and theory of empire, warfare, urbanism, and economy. It also discusses the impact of the great plague, the codification of Roman law, and the many religious upheavals taking place at the time. Consideration is given to imperial relations with the papacy, northern barbarians, the Persians, and other eastern peoples, shedding new light on a dramatic and highly significant historical period. [a.a]","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/VO13SyosuR7rCEZ","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":17,"pubplace":"Cambridge \u2013 New York","publisher":"Cambridge University Press","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":null,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":[2005]}

Impetus Theory and the Hermeneutics of Science in Simplicius and Philoponus, 1999
By: Wildberg, Christian
Title Impetus Theory and the Hermeneutics of Science in Simplicius and Philoponus
Type Article
Language English
Date 1999
Journal Hyperboreus
Volume 5
Issue 1
Pages 107–124
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Let me come to a conclusion: In the first part of this paper I claimed that historians o f science do and should inquire into the context o f origin of past philosophical theories, not only into the context of the validity (1). Three different attempts to explain the innovative character o f John Philoponus' philosophy were discussed; all were flawed by the fact that they sought an explanation by means o f external historiography: in religion, biography and economic circumstances (II). In the main part o f this paper attention was drawn to the striking difference between the presuppositions at work in Simplicius’ and Philoponus' respective hermeneutics o f science (111). I have argued that Philoponus was able to liberate his mind in an unprecedented way from the constraints of the Neoplatonists' commitment to harmony, authority and salvation through philosophy. Philoponus’ alternative heuristic method, termed constructive criticism, was then identified as perhaps the most im­ portant driving force behind his scientific innovations (IV). I should like to conclude with the general recommendation that anyone who is interested in elucidating the origin o f philosophical-scientific ideas and controversies, be it o f the sixth century or at any other time, might find it more fruitful to study carefully the methodological presuppositions involved, be they hermeneutic, empirical, or speculative, rather than to gesture all too readily to external parameters like religion, anecdotes, or the socio-economics of the market place. [conclusion p. 123-124]

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Simplicius (fl. first half of 6th century AD), 1998
By: Wildberg, Christian, Craig, Edward (Ed.)
Title Simplicius (fl. first half of 6th century AD)
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 1998
Published in Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Vol. 8)
Pages 788-791
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Craig, Edward
Translator(s)
Simplicius of Cilicia, a Greek Neoplatonic philosopher and polymath, lived in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. He is the author of the most learned commentaries on Aristotle produced in antiquity, works which rest upon the accumulated accomplishments of ancient Greek philosophy and science. In them he gives numerous illuminating references and explanations that not only lead to a fuller understanding of Aristotle, but also allow one to reconstruct the history of the interpretation and criticism of Aristotelian doctrines in antiquity. The main principle that guides Simplicius’ exegesis is the conviction that most Greek philosophers, including some Presocratics, can be brought into agreement with Neoplatonism. Simplicius adduces copious quotations to prove his point, thereby supplying us with substantial fragments from lost works of thinkers like Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Eudemus and the Stoics. A devout pagan, Simplicius sought to defend traditional Greek religion and philosophy against the oppressive dominance of Christianity. His commentaries have influenced the reception and interpretation of Aristotle’s philosophy ever since. [Author’s abstract]

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Simplicius und das Zitat. Zur Überlieferung des Anführungszeichens, 1993
By: Wildberg, Christian, Berger, Friederike (Ed.), Brockmann, Christian (Ed.), De Gregorio, Giuseppe (Ed.), Ghisu, Maria Irene (Ed.), Kotzabassi, Sofia (Ed.), Noack, Beate (Ed.)
Title Simplicius und das Zitat. Zur Überlieferung des Anführungszeichens
Type Book Section
Language German
Date 1993
Published in Symbolae Berolinenses. Für Dieter Harlfinger
Pages 187-199
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Berger, Friederike , Brockmann, Christian , De Gregorio, Giuseppe , Ghisu, Maria Irene , Kotzabassi, Sofia , Noack, Beate
Translator(s)
Gewiss, ein lückenloser Beweis der Ursprünglichkeit der Anführungszeichen im Mardanus 226, geschweige denn für die Zeichensetzung im Allgemeinen, ist hiermit nicht gelungen und war in Anbetracht der Quellenlage auch gar nicht möglich. Dennoch, die aus diesen Beobachtungen zu ziehende Schlussfolgerung ist, dass die in mittelalterlichen Handschriften so häufigen und eindeutigen Anführungszeichen keineswegs im Namen der Textkritik ignoriert werden sollten. Möglicherweise ließe sich dieselbe Forderung mit ähnlicher Berechtigung auch für andere Zeichen geltend machen. Jedenfalls sollte man ernsthaft in Betracht ziehen, dass gerade in Abschriften aus Texten spätantiker Zeit Zeichen überliefert sein können, die nicht nur für das korrekte Verständnis eines Textes unverzichtbar sind, sondern auch dem Autor selbst, und nicht irgendeinem gelehrten Schreiber viel späterer Zeit, zu verdanken sind. Es sei daher abschließend an dieser Stelle und achtzig Jahre nach dem Erscheinen der Grundzüge und Chrestomathie der Papyruskunde an einen ganz ähnlichen Hinweis Ulrich Wilckens erinnert: "Einige Interpunktionszeichen wird man in den Urkunden selten finden ... Dagegen war es von den frühesten Zeiten an eine weitverbreitete Sitte, Sätze oder Satzteile oder gar Wörter durch größere oder kleinere Spatien zu trennen. Auf diese in den Editionen noch viel zu wenig zum Ausdruck kommende Interpunktion möchte ich die Papyrusleser ganz besonders aufmerksam machen, da durch sie uns oft die authentische Interpretation des Schreibers an die Hand gegeben wird." [conclusion p. 196-197]

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M\u00f6glicherweise lie\u00dfe sich dieselbe Forderung mit \u00e4hnlicher Berechtigung auch f\u00fcr andere Zeichen geltend machen.\r\n\r\nJedenfalls sollte man ernsthaft in Betracht ziehen, dass gerade in Abschriften aus Texten sp\u00e4tantiker Zeit Zeichen \u00fcberliefert sein k\u00f6nnen, die nicht nur f\u00fcr das korrekte Verst\u00e4ndnis eines Textes unverzichtbar sind, sondern auch dem Autor selbst, und nicht irgendeinem gelehrten Schreiber viel sp\u00e4terer Zeit, zu verdanken sind. Es sei daher abschlie\u00dfend an dieser Stelle und achtzig Jahre nach dem Erscheinen der Grundz\u00fcge und Chrestomathie der Papyruskunde an einen ganz \u00e4hnlichen Hinweis Ulrich Wilckens erinnert:\r\n\r\n\"Einige Interpunktionszeichen wird man in den Urkunden selten finden ... Dagegen war es von den fr\u00fchesten Zeiten an eine weitverbreitete Sitte, S\u00e4tze oder Satzteile oder gar W\u00f6rter durch gr\u00f6\u00dfere oder kleinere Spatien zu trennen. Auf diese in den Editionen noch viel zu wenig zum Ausdruck kommende Interpunktion m\u00f6chte ich die Papyrusleser ganz besonders aufmerksam machen, da durch sie uns oft die authentische Interpretation des Schreibers an die Hand gegeben wird.\" [conclusion p. 196-197]","btype":2,"date":"1993","language":"German","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/cjMqjU5dghJg6Mi","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":361,"full_name":"Berger, Friederike","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":473,"full_name":"Brockmann, Christian","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":474,"full_name":"De Gregorio, Giuseppe","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":475,"full_name":"Ghisu, Maria Irene","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":476,"full_name":"Kotzabassi, Sofia","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":477,"full_name":"Noack, Beate","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":722,"section_of":353,"pages":"187-199","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":353,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":null,"type":4,"language":"no language selected","title":"Symbolae Berolinenses. 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Philoponus : corollaries on place and void ; with Simplicius against Philoponus on the Eternity of the World, 1991
By: Simplicius, Philoponus
Title Philoponus : corollaries on place and void ; with Simplicius against Philoponus on the Eternity of the World
Type Monograph
Language English
Date 1991
Publication Place London
Publisher Bloomsbury
Series Ancient Commentators on Aristotle
Categories no categories
Author(s) Simplicius , Philoponus
Editor(s)
Translator(s) Furley, David J.(Furley, David J. ) , Wildberg, Christian(Wildberg, Christian) ,
In the Corollaries on Place and Void, Philoponus attacks Aristotle's conception of place as two-dimensional, adopting instead the view more familiar to us that it is three-dimensional, inert and conceivable as void. Philoponus' denial that velocity in the void would be infinite anticipated Galileo, as did his denial that speed of fall is proportionate to weight, which Galileo greatly developed. In the second document Simplicius attacks a lost treatise of Philoponus which argued for the Christians against the eternity of the world. He exploits Aristotle's concession that the world contains only finite power. Simplicius' presentation of Philoponus' arguments (which may well be tendentious), together with his replies, tell us a good deal about both Philosophers. [author's abstract]

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John Philoponus' criticism of Aristotle's theory of aether, 1988
By: Wildberg, Christian
Title John Philoponus' criticism of Aristotle's theory of aether
Type Monograph
Language English
Date 1988
Publication Place Berlin – New York
Publisher de Gruyter
Series Peripatoi
Volume 16
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
The foremost aim of the contra Aristotelem is the denial of the thesis that the world is eternal. Apart from his rejection of Aristotle's argu-ments for the eternity of motion and time,21 Philoponus' criticism focuses on Aristotle's cosmology, in particular the seminal theory of aether. In books I —V of the original treatise Philoponus cites the arguments put forward in De cáelo 12 — 4 and attempts to refute them systematically.22 Due to the fragmentation of the treatise his objections can no longer be considered within their original context, and quite often the significance of particular points against Aristotle is not im-mediately obvious. In order to do Philoponus' arguments justice, one must analyse Aristotle's theory of aether before one embarks on commeriting on Philoponus' critique. Consequently, the present study con-sists of two major sections. The first part discusses the methodology and arguments of Aristotle's presentation of the theory of aether. Its aim is to understand and evaluate this important episode of ancient science within the framework of Aristotle's general physical theory. The second part deals with Philoponus' objections to the postu-lation of aether. The commentary attempts to evaluate the significance of the fragments of books I —V as a critique of Aristotle and, at the same time, to cast light on their relevance in the context of Philoponus' alternative cosmological theory. The essay concludes with a summary comparison of Aristotle's and Philoponus' cosmological tenets and a discussion of the importance of the contra Aristotelem when viewed as a stage in Philoponus' continuous doctrinal development which culminates in the application of impetus theory to the curvilinear movements of the heavens. [Introduction p. 4-5]

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Prolegomena to the Study of Philoponus' contra Aristotelem, 1987
By: Wildberg, Christian, Sorabji, Richard (Ed.)
Title Prolegomena to the Study of Philoponus' contra Aristotelem
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 1987
Published in Philoponus and the Rejection of Aristotelian Science
Pages 197-209
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Sorabji, Richard
Translator(s)
Judging from the number and content of his commentaries, Philoponus was a thinker in the Aristotelian tradition. One of his major achievements lies in the fact that as a commentator he accepted and developed the heritage of his teacher Ammonius. For that reason alone it is remarkable that he composed a treatise which attacked vital topics of Aristotle’s philosophy with little compromise. Although it is true that throughout Antiquity many philosophers ventured to criticise the great Aristotle, one may agree that Philoponus did so, as Cesare Cremonini put it in 1616, ‘more sharply than anyone’ (acerrime omnium).' Where does this attack fit into the context of Philoponus’doctrinal development? No doubt his outspoken critique of Aristotle in the de Aetemitate Mundi contra Aristotelem somehow swayed Philoponus to desert the philosophical and join the theological camp. But the story is probably more complex. The general point of dissent was, as the title indicates, the doctrine of the eternity of the world. Being a Christian, Philoponus perhaps possessed a particular motivation for launching his attack - as a feat of praeparatio evangélica. This fact has been sufficiently recognised and appreciated. Less appreciated and studied, however, has been the philosophical side, i.e. the actual argument and structure of the treatise in question. Since it has not survived the content must be reconstructed from a number of substantial fragments found mainly in the commentaries of Philoponus’ adversary Simplicius. An adequate treatment of the double controversy Simplicius v Philoponus v Aristotle would fill a volume on its own and cannot be the subject of this chapter.2 Instead, I will attempt to revise apparently firmly established views about the treatise, in particular its composition and date. This, it is hoped, may lead to a revised view of that treatise and at the same time encourage a more advanced study of Philoponus’ doctrinal development in general. [introduction p. 197-198]

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One of his major achievements lies in \r\nthe fact that as a commentator he accepted and developed the heritage of his teacher Ammonius. For that reason alone it is remarkable that he composed a treatise which attacked vital topics of Aristotle\u2019s philosophy with little compromise. Although it is true that throughout Antiquity many philosophers ventured to criticise the great Aristotle, one may agree that Philoponus did so, as Cesare Cremonini put it in 1616, \u2018more sharply than anyone\u2019 (acerrime omnium).' Where does this attack fit into the context of Philoponus\u2019doctrinal development? No doubt his outspoken critique of Aristotle in the de Aetemitate Mundi contra Aristotelem somehow swayed Philoponus to desert the philosophical and join the theological camp. But the story is probably more complex. The general point of dissent was, as the title indicates, the doctrine of the eternity of the world. Being a Christian, Philoponus perhaps possessed a \r\nparticular motivation for launching his attack - as a feat of praeparatio evang\u00e9lica. This fact has been sufficiently recognised and appreciated. Less appreciated and studied, however, has been the philosophical side, i.e. the actual argument and structure of the treatise in question. Since it has not survived the content must be reconstructed from a number of substantial fragments found mainly in the commentaries of Philoponus\u2019 adversary Simplicius. An adequate treatment of the double controversy Simplicius v Philoponus v Aristotle would fill a volume on its own and cannot be the subject of this chapter.2 Instead, I will attempt to revise apparently firmly established views about the treatise, in particular its composition and date. This, it is hoped, may lead to a revised view of that treatise and at the same time encourage a more advanced study of Philoponus\u2019 doctrinal development in general. [introduction p. 197-198]","btype":2,"date":"1987","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/dbFxqr9z9aZi48i","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":133,"full_name":"Sorabji, Richard","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":430,"section_of":1383,"pages":"197-209","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":1383,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":"bibliography","type":4,"language":"en","title":"Philoponus and the Rejection of Aristotelian Science","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Sorabij1987d","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"1987","edition_no":null,"free_date":null,"abstract":"All the chapters in this book are new, except for the inaugural lecture (Chapter 9), which I apologise for reprinting virtually unrevised and with the original lecture context still apparent. It seemed desirable, however, that so crucial a part ofthe controversy should be represented. The collection originated in a conference on Philoponus held at the Institute of Classical Studies in London in June 1983, which provided an opportunity for interested parties to pool knowledge from the many different disciplines that are relevant to his work. Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 are drawn from the conference, while two other conference papers, those of Henry Blumenthal and Richard Sorabji, are being incorporated into books in preparation (see Bibliography). Sorabji's main suggestions, however, are included in Chapter I in the discussion of matter and extension (pp 18 and 23). The remairnng chapters, apart from the inaugural lecture, were solicited or written for the volume, two of them (5 and 12) having been delivered first at a seminar on Ancient Science at the Institute of Classical Studies. [preface, p. ix-x]","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/buhMZZl0djmIx9v","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":1383,"pubplace":"Ithaca, New York","publisher":"Cornell University Press","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":"1","valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":[1987]}

Philoponus: Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World, 1987
By: Philoponos, Johannes,
Title Philoponus: Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World
Type Monograph
Language English
Date 1987
Publication Place London
Publisher Duckworth
Series Ancient Commentators on Aristotle
Categories no categories
Author(s) Philoponos, Johannes
Editor(s)
Translator(s) Wildberg, Christian(Wildberg, Christian) .
Philoponus' treatise Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World, an attack on Aristotle's astronomy and theology is concerned mainly with the eternity and divinity of the fifth element, or 'quintessence', of which Aristotle took the stars to be composed. Pagans and Christians were divided on whether the world had a beginning, and on whether a belief that the heavens were divine was a mark of religion. Philoponus claimed on behalf of Christianity that the universe was not eternal. His most spectacular arguments, where wrung paradox out of the pagan belief in an infinite past, have been wrongly credited by historians of science to a period 700 years later. The treatise was to influence Islamic, Jewish, Byzantine and Latin thought, though the fifth element was defended against Philoponus even beyond the time of Copernicus. The influence of the treatise was not easy to trace before the fragments were assembled. Dr. Wildberg has brought them together for the first time and provided a summary which makes coherent sense of the whole. He has also studied a Syriac fragment, which reveals that the treatise originally contained an explicitly theological section on the Christian expectation of a new heaven and a new earth. [Author’s abstract]

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  • PAGE 1 OF 1
Impetus Theory and the Hermeneutics of Science in Simplicius and Philoponus, 1999
By: Wildberg, Christian
Title Impetus Theory and the Hermeneutics of Science in Simplicius and Philoponus
Type Article
Language English
Date 1999
Journal Hyperboreus
Volume 5
Issue 1
Pages 107–124
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Let me come to a conclusion:  In  the  first part of this paper I claimed  that 
historians o f science do and  should  inquire  into the context o f origin of past 
philosophical  theories,  not  only  into  the  context  of the  validity  (1).  Three 
different  attempts  to  explain  the  innovative  character  o f John  Philoponus' 
philosophy  were  discussed;  all  were  flawed  by  the  fact that  they  sought  an 
explanation by means o f external  historiography:  in religion, biography and 
economic  circumstances  (II).  In  the  main  part  o f this  paper  attention  was drawn  to  the  striking  difference  between  the  presuppositions  at  work  in 
Simplicius’ and  Philoponus'  respective  hermeneutics o f science (111).  I  have 
argued that Philoponus was able to liberate his mind  in an  unprecedented way 
from  the constraints of the Neoplatonists'  commitment to harmony, authority 
and salvation through philosophy.  Philoponus’  alternative heuristic  method, 
termed  constructive  criticism,  was  then  identified  as  perhaps  the  most  im­
portant driving force  behind  his scientific  innovations (IV).  I  should  like  to 
conclude with the general  recommendation  that  anyone  who  is  interested  in 
elucidating the origin o f philosophical-scientific  ideas and controversies,  be 
it o f the sixth century or at any other time, might find  it more fruitful  to study 
carefully the methodological  presuppositions involved, be they  hermeneutic, 
empirical,  or  speculative,  rather  than  to  gesture  all  too  readily  to  external 
parameters  like  religion,  anecdotes,  or  the  socio-economics  of the  market 
place. [conclusion p. 123-124]

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John Philoponus' criticism of Aristotle's theory of aether, 1988
By: Wildberg, Christian
Title John Philoponus' criticism of Aristotle's theory of aether
Type Monograph
Language English
Date 1988
Publication Place Berlin – New York
Publisher de Gruyter
Series Peripatoi
Volume 16
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
The  foremost aim  of the  contra  Aristotelem    is the denial  of the  thesis  that  the  world  is  eternal.  Apart  from  his  rejection  of  Aristotle's  argu-ments   for  the  eternity   of  motion   and  time,21   Philoponus'   criticism   focuses  on  Aristotle's  cosmology,  in  particular  the  seminal  theory  of  aether.   In  books   I —V  of  the  original   treatise  Philoponus  cites   the   arguments  put  forward  in  De  cáelo  12 — 4  and  attempts  to  refute  them  systematically.22  Due  to  the  fragmentation  of  the  treatise  his  objections  can  no  longer  be  considered  within  their  original  context,  and  quite  often  the  significance  of  particular  points  against  Aristotle  is  not  im-mediately  obvious.  In  order  to  do  Philoponus'  arguments  justice,  one  must  analyse  Aristotle's  theory  of  aether  before  one  embarks  on  commeriting  on  Philoponus'  critique.  Consequently,  the  present  study  con-sists  of  two  major  sections.  The  first  part  discusses  the  methodology  and  arguments  of  Aristotle's  presentation  of  the  theory  of  aether.  Its  aim  is  to  understand  and  evaluate  this  important  episode  of  ancient  science  within  the  framework  of  Aristotle's  general  physical  theory.  The  second  part  deals  with  Philoponus'  objections  to  the  postu-lation  of  aether.  The  commentary  attempts  to  evaluate  the  significance  of    the  fragments  of  books  I —V  as  a  critique  of  Aristotle  and,  at  the  same time,  to cast  light  on their  relevance  in  the  context  of  Philoponus'  alternative  cosmological  theory.  The  essay  concludes  with  a summary  comparison  of Aristotle's  and  Philoponus'  cosmological  tenets  and  a  discussion  of  the  importance  of  the  contra   Aristotelem    when  viewed  as  a stage  in Philoponus'  continuous  doctrinal  development  which  culminates  in  the  application  of  impetus  theory  to  the  curvilinear  movements  of  the  heavens.  [Introduction p. 4-5]

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Philoponus : corollaries on place and void ; with Simplicius against Philoponus on the Eternity of the World, 1991
By: Simplicius, Philoponus
Title Philoponus : corollaries on place and void ; with Simplicius against Philoponus on the Eternity of the World
Type Monograph
Language English
Date 1991
Publication Place London
Publisher Bloomsbury
Series Ancient Commentators on Aristotle
Categories no categories
Author(s) , Simplicius , Philoponus
Editor(s)
Translator(s) Furley, David J.(Furley, David J. ) , Wildberg, Christian(Wildberg, Christian) ,
In the Corollaries on Place and Void, Philoponus attacks Aristotle's conception of place as two-dimensional, adopting instead the view more familiar to us that it is three-dimensional, inert and conceivable as void. Philoponus' denial that velocity in the void would be infinite anticipated Galileo, as did his denial that speed of fall is proportionate to weight, which Galileo greatly developed.

In the second document Simplicius attacks a lost treatise of Philoponus which argued for the Christians against the eternity of the world. He exploits Aristotle's concession that the world contains only finite power. Simplicius' presentation of Philoponus' arguments (which may well be tendentious), together with his replies, tell us a good deal about both Philosophers. [author's abstract]

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Philoponus: Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World, 1987
By: Philoponos, Johannes,
Title Philoponus: Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World
Type Monograph
Language English
Date 1987
Publication Place London
Publisher Duckworth
Series Ancient Commentators on Aristotle
Categories no categories
Author(s) Philoponos, Johannes
Editor(s)
Translator(s) Wildberg, Christian(Wildberg, Christian)
Philoponus' treatise Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World, an attack on Aristotle's astronomy and theology is concerned mainly with the eternity and divinity of the fifth element, or 'quintessence', of which Aristotle took the stars to be composed. Pagans and Christians were divided on whether the world had a beginning, and on whether a belief that the heavens were divine was a mark of religion. Philoponus claimed on behalf of Christianity that the universe was not eternal. His most spectacular arguments, where wrung paradox out of the pagan belief in an infinite past, have been wrongly credited by historians of science to a period 700 years later. The treatise was to influence Islamic, Jewish, Byzantine and Latin thought, though the fifth element was defended against Philoponus even beyond the time of Copernicus. The influence of the treatise was not easy to trace before the fragments were assembled. Dr. Wildberg has brought them together for the first time and provided a summary which makes coherent sense of the whole. He has also studied a Syriac fragment, which reveals that the treatise originally contained an explicitly theological section on the Christian expectation of a new heaven and a new earth. [Author’s abstract]

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Philosophy in the Age of Justinian, 2005
By: Wildberg, Christian, Maas, Michael (Ed.)
Title Philosophy in the Age of Justinian
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 2005
Published in The Cambridge companion to the Age of Justinian
Pages 316-340
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Maas, Michael
Translator(s)
In order to bring some clarity to the sometimes confusing list of names 
of nowadays little-known philosophers active during the period in ques­
tion,  it is  necessary  to begin with a short  prosopography.  A history of 
philosophy in the Age ofjustinian must include an account of two tow­
ering but very different figures, Damascius (c. 460-540) and Ammonius, 
(c. 440-517 or 526). The philosophical activities of both these men oc­
cur well before the accession ofjustinian, but through their pupils they 
shaped  the views  and methods of their philosophical successors in  the 
period that concerns us. [p. 318] 
To illustrate the point that commentaries were not written to elucidate 
otherwise  obscure  texts  but  were  the  preferred  genre  of discourse  to 
establish,  negotiate,  and  criticize  substantive  philosophical  claims,  we 
now turn to some of the controversies that were discussed in a more or 
less open fashion.  In an influential article,  Karl  Praechter once argued 
that one can distinguish clearly between different schools and directions 
within the broader Neoplatonic movement in late antiquity.23  In partic­
ular, Praechter argued that the salient difference between the two major 
schools,  the  Athenian and the Alexandrian branch,  lay in  their differ­
ent exegetical  methods.  Whereas the Athenian  school  (represented by 
Syrianus,  Proclus,  Damascius,  and  Simplicius)  was  heavily influenced, 
broadly  speaking,  by  Iamblichuss  tendency  to  bring  out  in  any  text, 
as far  as  possible,  the  understanding it  offers  of the  intelligible  world, 
the Alexandrian  School  (represented by Hierocles in the  fifth  century, 
and by Ammonius, Philoponus, Olympiodorus, Elias, and David in the 
sixth)  tended toward  a  more  sober and less  metaphysical  technique  of 
interpretation.  Praechter connected these observations with two socio­
cultural differences separating the schools: Alexandria had traditionally 
been  a  center  of learning  in  the  exact  sciences  (hence  the  preference for  Aristotle)  and  possessed  a  large  Christian  intellectual  community 
attending  the  Alexandrian  philosophers’  lectures  and  classes  (which 
would  temper  the  propagation  of Platonism  as  an  antigospel).  Thus, 
as compared to the Athenians, the Alexandrian Neoplatonists were less 
of a sect  (hairesis)  and more of a collegium of higher education. [p. 323-324]

{"_index":"sire","_id":"428","_score":null,"_source":{"id":428,"authors_free":[{"id":577,"entry_id":428,"agent_type":null,"is_normalised":null,"person_id":360,"institution_id":null,"role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"},"free_name":"Wildberg, Christian","free_first_name":"Christian","free_last_name":"Wildberg","norm_person":{"id":360,"first_name":"Christian","last_name":"Wildberg","full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","short_ident":"","is_classical_name":null,"dnb_url":"http:\/\/d-nb.info\/gnd\/139018964","viaf_url":"","db_url":"","from_claudius":null}},{"id":578,"entry_id":428,"agent_type":null,"is_normalised":null,"person_id":471,"institution_id":null,"role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"},"free_name":"Maas, Michael","free_first_name":"Michael","free_last_name":"Maas","norm_person":{"id":471,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Maas","full_name":"Maas, Michael","short_ident":"","is_classical_name":null,"dnb_url":"http:\/\/d-nb.info\/gnd\/12626094X","viaf_url":"","db_url":"","from_claudius":null}}],"entry_title":"Philosophy in the Age of Justinian","main_title":{"title":"Philosophy in the Age of Justinian"},"abstract":"In order to bring some clarity to the sometimes confusing list of names \r\nof nowadays little-known philosophers active during the period in ques\u00ad\r\ntion, it is necessary to begin with a short prosopography. A history of \r\nphilosophy in the Age ofjustinian must include an account of two tow\u00ad\r\nering but very different figures, Damascius (c. 460-540) and Ammonius, \r\n(c. 440-517 or 526). The philosophical activities of both these men oc\u00ad\r\ncur well before the accession ofjustinian, but through their pupils they \r\nshaped the views and methods of their philosophical successors in the \r\nperiod that concerns us. [p. 318] \r\nTo illustrate the point that commentaries were not written to elucidate \r\notherwise obscure texts but were the preferred genre of discourse to \r\nestablish, negotiate, and criticize substantive philosophical claims, we \r\nnow turn to some of the controversies that were discussed in a more or \r\nless open fashion. In an influential article, Karl Praechter once argued \r\nthat one can distinguish clearly between different schools and directions \r\nwithin the broader Neoplatonic movement in late antiquity.23 In partic\u00ad\r\nular, Praechter argued that the salient difference between the two major \r\nschools, the Athenian and the Alexandrian branch, lay in their differ\u00ad\r\nent exegetical methods. Whereas the Athenian school (represented by \r\nSyrianus, Proclus, Damascius, and Simplicius) was heavily influenced, \r\nbroadly speaking, by Iamblichuss tendency to bring out in any text, \r\nas far as possible, the understanding it offers of the intelligible world, \r\nthe Alexandrian School (represented by Hierocles in the fifth century, \r\nand by Ammonius, Philoponus, Olympiodorus, Elias, and David in the \r\nsixth) tended toward a more sober and less metaphysical technique of \r\ninterpretation. Praechter connected these observations with two socio\u00ad\r\ncultural differences separating the schools: Alexandria had traditionally \r\nbeen a center of learning in the exact sciences (hence the preference for Aristotle) and possessed a large Christian intellectual community \r\nattending the Alexandrian philosophers\u2019 lectures and classes (which \r\nwould temper the propagation of Platonism as an antigospel). Thus, \r\nas compared to the Athenians, the Alexandrian Neoplatonists were less \r\nof a sect (hairesis) and more of a collegium of higher education. [p. 323-324]","btype":2,"date":"2005","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/5eGVb60bqhLTv0z","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":471,"full_name":"Maas, Michael","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":428,"section_of":17,"pages":"316-340","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":17,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":null,"type":4,"language":"en","title":"The Cambridge companion to the Age of Justinian","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Maas2005","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"2005","edition_no":null,"free_date":"2005","abstract":"This book introduces the Age of Justinian, the last Roman century and the first flowering of Byzantine culture. Dominated by the policies and personality of emperor Justinian I (527\u2013565), this period of grand achievements and far-reaching failures witnessed the transformation of the Mediterranean world. In this volume, twenty specialists explore the most important aspects of the age including the mechanics and theory of empire, warfare, urbanism, and economy. It also discusses the impact of the great plague, the codification of Roman law, and the many religious upheavals taking place at the time. Consideration is given to imperial relations with the papacy, northern barbarians, the Persians, and other eastern peoples, shedding new light on a dramatic and highly significant historical period. [a.a]","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/VO13SyosuR7rCEZ","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":17,"pubplace":"Cambridge \u2013 New York","publisher":"Cambridge University Press","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":null,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":["Philosophy in the Age of Justinian"]}

Prolegomena to the Study of Philoponus' contra Aristotelem, 1987
By: Wildberg, Christian, Sorabji, Richard (Ed.)
Title Prolegomena to the Study of Philoponus' contra Aristotelem
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 1987
Published in Philoponus and the Rejection of Aristotelian Science
Pages 197-209
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Sorabji, Richard
Translator(s)
Judging from the number and content of his commentaries, Philoponus was a thinker in the Aristotelian  tradition.  One of his  major achievements lies in 
the fact that as a commentator he accepted and developed the heritage of his teacher Ammonius. For that reason alone it is remarkable that he composed a treatise  which  attacked  vital  topics  of  Aristotle’s  philosophy  with  little compromise. Although it is true that throughout Antiquity many philosophers ventured to criticise the great Aristotle, one may agree that Philoponus did so,  as Cesare Cremonini put it in 1616, ‘more sharply than anyone’ (acerrime omnium).' Where does this attack fit into the context of Philoponus’doctrinal development? No doubt his outspoken critique of Aristotle in the de Aetemitate Mundi  contra  Aristotelem  somehow  swayed  Philoponus  to  desert  the philosophical and join the theological camp.  But the story is probably more complex. The general point of dissent was, as the title indicates, the doctrine of the eternity of the world. Being a Christian, Philoponus perhaps possessed a 
particular  motivation  for  launching  his  attack  -   as  a  feat  of praeparatio evangélica.  This  fact  has  been  sufficiently  recognised  and  appreciated.  Less appreciated and  studied,  however,  has been  the  philosophical side,  i.e.  the actual  argument  and  structure of the treatise  in  question.  Since  it  has  not survived  the  content  must  be  reconstructed  from  a  number  of substantial fragments  found  mainly  in  the  commentaries  of  Philoponus’  adversary Simplicius.  An  adequate  treatment of the  double  controversy Simplicius  v Philoponus  v Aristotle  would  fill  a  volume  on  its  own and  cannot  be  the subject of this chapter.2  Instead,  I will  attempt  to revise apparently  firmly established views about the treatise, in particular its composition and date. This, it is hoped,  may lead to a revised view of that treatise and at the same  time encourage a more advanced study of Philoponus’ doctrinal development in general. [introduction p. 197-198]

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One of his major achievements lies in \r\nthe fact that as a commentator he accepted and developed the heritage of his teacher Ammonius. For that reason alone it is remarkable that he composed a treatise which attacked vital topics of Aristotle\u2019s philosophy with little compromise. Although it is true that throughout Antiquity many philosophers ventured to criticise the great Aristotle, one may agree that Philoponus did so, as Cesare Cremonini put it in 1616, \u2018more sharply than anyone\u2019 (acerrime omnium).' Where does this attack fit into the context of Philoponus\u2019doctrinal development? No doubt his outspoken critique of Aristotle in the de Aetemitate Mundi contra Aristotelem somehow swayed Philoponus to desert the philosophical and join the theological camp. But the story is probably more complex. The general point of dissent was, as the title indicates, the doctrine of the eternity of the world. Being a Christian, Philoponus perhaps possessed a \r\nparticular motivation for launching his attack - as a feat of praeparatio evang\u00e9lica. This fact has been sufficiently recognised and appreciated. Less appreciated and studied, however, has been the philosophical side, i.e. the actual argument and structure of the treatise in question. Since it has not survived the content must be reconstructed from a number of substantial fragments found mainly in the commentaries of Philoponus\u2019 adversary Simplicius. An adequate treatment of the double controversy Simplicius v Philoponus v Aristotle would fill a volume on its own and cannot be the subject of this chapter.2 Instead, I will attempt to revise apparently firmly established views about the treatise, in particular its composition and date. This, it is hoped, may lead to a revised view of that treatise and at the same time encourage a more advanced study of Philoponus\u2019 doctrinal development in general. [introduction p. 197-198]","btype":2,"date":"1987","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/dbFxqr9z9aZi48i","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":133,"full_name":"Sorabji, Richard","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":430,"section_of":1383,"pages":"197-209","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":1383,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":"bibliography","type":4,"language":"en","title":"Philoponus and the Rejection of Aristotelian Science","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Sorabij1987d","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"1987","edition_no":null,"free_date":null,"abstract":"All the chapters in this book are new, except for the inaugural lecture (Chapter 9), which I apologise for reprinting virtually unrevised and with the original lecture context still apparent. It seemed desirable, however, that so crucial a part ofthe controversy should be represented. The collection originated in a conference on Philoponus held at the Institute of Classical Studies in London in June 1983, which provided an opportunity for interested parties to pool knowledge from the many different disciplines that are relevant to his work. Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 are drawn from the conference, while two other conference papers, those of Henry Blumenthal and Richard Sorabji, are being incorporated into books in preparation (see Bibliography). Sorabji's main suggestions, however, are included in Chapter I in the discussion of matter and extension (pp 18 and 23). The remairnng chapters, apart from the inaugural lecture, were solicited or written for the volume, two of them (5 and 12) having been delivered first at a seminar on Ancient Science at the Institute of Classical Studies. [preface, p. ix-x]","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/buhMZZl0djmIx9v","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":1383,"pubplace":"Ithaca, New York","publisher":"Cornell University Press","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":"1","valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":["Prolegomena to the Study of Philoponus' contra Aristotelem"]}

Simplicius (fl. first half of 6th century AD), 1998
By: Wildberg, Christian, Craig, Edward (Ed.)
Title Simplicius (fl. first half of 6th century AD)
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 1998
Published in Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Vol. 8)
Pages 788-791
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Craig, Edward
Translator(s)
Simplicius of Cilicia, a Greek Neoplatonic philosopher and polymath, lived in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. He is the author of the most learned commentaries on Aristotle produced in antiquity, works which rest upon the accumulated accomplishments of ancient Greek philosophy and science. In them he gives numerous illuminating references and explanations that not only lead to a fuller understanding of Aristotle, but also allow one to reconstruct the history of the interpretation and criticism of Aristotelian doctrines in antiquity.  The main principle that guides Simplicius’ exegesis is the conviction that most Greek philosophers, including some Presocratics, can be brought into agreement with Neoplatonism. Simplicius adduces copious quotations to prove his point, thereby supplying us with substantial fragments from lost works of thinkers like Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Eudemus and the Stoics. A devout pagan, Simplicius sought to defend traditional Greek religion and philosophy against the oppressive dominance of Christianity. His commentaries have influenced the reception and interpretation of Aristotle’s philosophy ever since. [Author’s abstract]

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Simplicius und das Zitat. Zur Überlieferung des Anführungszeichens, 1993
By: Wildberg, Christian, Berger, Friederike (Ed.), Brockmann, Christian (Ed.), De Gregorio, Giuseppe (Ed.), Ghisu, Maria Irene (Ed.), Kotzabassi, Sofia (Ed.), Noack, Beate (Ed.)
Title Simplicius und das Zitat. Zur Überlieferung des Anführungszeichens
Type Book Section
Language German
Date 1993
Published in Symbolae Berolinenses. Für Dieter Harlfinger
Pages 187-199
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Berger, Friederike , Brockmann, Christian , De Gregorio, Giuseppe , Ghisu, Maria Irene , Kotzabassi, Sofia , Noack, Beate
Translator(s)
Gewiss, ein lückenloser Beweis der Ursprünglichkeit der Anführungszeichen im Mardanus 226, geschweige denn für die Zeichensetzung im Allgemeinen, ist hiermit nicht gelungen und war in Anbetracht der Quellenlage auch gar nicht möglich. Dennoch, die aus diesen Beobachtungen zu ziehende Schlussfolgerung ist, dass die in mittelalterlichen Handschriften so häufigen und eindeutigen Anführungszeichen keineswegs im Namen der Textkritik ignoriert werden sollten. Möglicherweise ließe sich dieselbe Forderung mit ähnlicher Berechtigung auch für andere Zeichen geltend machen.

Jedenfalls sollte man ernsthaft in Betracht ziehen, dass gerade in Abschriften aus Texten spätantiker Zeit Zeichen überliefert sein können, die nicht nur für das korrekte Verständnis eines Textes unverzichtbar sind, sondern auch dem Autor selbst, und nicht irgendeinem gelehrten Schreiber viel späterer Zeit, zu verdanken sind. Es sei daher abschließend an dieser Stelle und achtzig Jahre nach dem Erscheinen der Grundzüge und Chrestomathie der Papyruskunde an einen ganz ähnlichen Hinweis Ulrich Wilckens erinnert:

"Einige Interpunktionszeichen wird man in den Urkunden selten finden ... Dagegen war es von den frühesten Zeiten an eine weitverbreitete Sitte, Sätze oder Satzteile oder gar Wörter durch größere oder kleinere Spatien zu trennen. Auf diese in den Editionen noch viel zu wenig zum Ausdruck kommende Interpunktion möchte ich die Papyrusleser ganz besonders aufmerksam machen, da durch sie uns oft die authentische Interpretation des Schreibers an die Hand gegeben wird." [conclusion p. 196-197]

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Zur \u00dcberlieferung des Anf\u00fchrungszeichens","main_title":{"title":"Simplicius und das Zitat. Zur \u00dcberlieferung des Anf\u00fchrungszeichens"},"abstract":"Gewiss, ein l\u00fcckenloser Beweis der Urspr\u00fcnglichkeit der Anf\u00fchrungszeichen im Mardanus 226, geschweige denn f\u00fcr die Zeichensetzung im Allgemeinen, ist hiermit nicht gelungen und war in Anbetracht der Quellenlage auch gar nicht m\u00f6glich. Dennoch, die aus diesen Beobachtungen zu ziehende Schlussfolgerung ist, dass die in mittelalterlichen Handschriften so h\u00e4ufigen und eindeutigen Anf\u00fchrungszeichen keineswegs im Namen der Textkritik ignoriert werden sollten. M\u00f6glicherweise lie\u00dfe sich dieselbe Forderung mit \u00e4hnlicher Berechtigung auch f\u00fcr andere Zeichen geltend machen.\r\n\r\nJedenfalls sollte man ernsthaft in Betracht ziehen, dass gerade in Abschriften aus Texten sp\u00e4tantiker Zeit Zeichen \u00fcberliefert sein k\u00f6nnen, die nicht nur f\u00fcr das korrekte Verst\u00e4ndnis eines Textes unverzichtbar sind, sondern auch dem Autor selbst, und nicht irgendeinem gelehrten Schreiber viel sp\u00e4terer Zeit, zu verdanken sind. Es sei daher abschlie\u00dfend an dieser Stelle und achtzig Jahre nach dem Erscheinen der Grundz\u00fcge und Chrestomathie der Papyruskunde an einen ganz \u00e4hnlichen Hinweis Ulrich Wilckens erinnert:\r\n\r\n\"Einige Interpunktionszeichen wird man in den Urkunden selten finden ... Dagegen war es von den fr\u00fchesten Zeiten an eine weitverbreitete Sitte, S\u00e4tze oder Satzteile oder gar W\u00f6rter durch gr\u00f6\u00dfere oder kleinere Spatien zu trennen. Auf diese in den Editionen noch viel zu wenig zum Ausdruck kommende Interpunktion m\u00f6chte ich die Papyrusleser ganz besonders aufmerksam machen, da durch sie uns oft die authentische Interpretation des Schreibers an die Hand gegeben wird.\" [conclusion p. 196-197]","btype":2,"date":"1993","language":"German","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/cjMqjU5dghJg6Mi","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":361,"full_name":"Berger, Friederike","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":473,"full_name":"Brockmann, Christian","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":474,"full_name":"De Gregorio, Giuseppe","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":475,"full_name":"Ghisu, Maria Irene","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":476,"full_name":"Kotzabassi, Sofia","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":477,"full_name":"Noack, Beate","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":722,"section_of":353,"pages":"187-199","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":353,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":null,"type":4,"language":"no language selected","title":"Symbolae Berolinenses. F\u00fcr Dieter Harlfinger","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Berger1993","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"1993","edition_no":null,"free_date":"1993","abstract":"","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/WynC9SYoNF55LD8","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":353,"pubplace":"Amsterdam","publisher":"Hakkert","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":null,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":["Simplicius und das Zitat. Zur \u00dcberlieferung des Anf\u00fchrungszeichens"]}

The Will and its Freedom: Epictetus and Simplicius on what is up to us, 2014
By: Wildberg, Christian, Destrée, Pierre (Ed.), Zingano, Marco (Ed.)
Title The Will and its Freedom: Epictetus and Simplicius on what is up to us
Type Book Section
Language English
Date 2014
Published in What is up to us? Studies on Agency and Responsibility in Ancient Philosophy
Pages 329-350
Categories no categories
Author(s) Wildberg, Christian
Editor(s) Destrée, Pierre , Zingano, Marco
Translator(s)
The text explores the historical development of the concept of free will, drawing parallels with the evolution of understanding projectile motion. Three distinct periods are identified: an initial stage marked by a misunderstanding of projectile motion, where objects were thought to require continuous external motion; a second stage where the concept of "impetus" was introduced to explain forced motion at a distance; and a final stage, ushered in by Galileo, Descartes, and Newton, where the correct understanding of inertia emerged. The discovery of free will is compared to the discovery of the will as a distinct human faculty in late antiquity. Similar to the concept of impetus, the will is depicted as capable of being strong or weak and has significant influence over human actions. The philosophical discussion surrounding free will is likened to the debates on projectile motion, with various perspectives on its existence and nature. Some argue for the existence of free will, while others contend that it is unnecessary and incoherent. The text concludes by pointing out the need for a deeper understanding of the historical context and metaphysical assumptions underlying the concept of free will. It suggests that the concept of free will is a remnant of past intellectual certainty about metaphysical truths and may not be as morally neutral as commonly believed. The modern discussion on free will is encouraged to consider its historical development and potential implications more carefully. [introduction]

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Three distinct periods are identified: an initial stage marked by a misunderstanding of projectile motion, where objects were thought to require continuous external motion; a second stage where the concept of \"impetus\" was introduced to explain forced motion at a distance; and a final stage, ushered in by Galileo, Descartes, and Newton, where the correct understanding of inertia emerged. The discovery of free will is compared to the discovery of the will as a distinct human faculty in late antiquity. Similar to the concept of impetus, the will is depicted as capable of being strong or weak and has significant influence over human actions. The philosophical discussion surrounding free will is likened to the debates on projectile motion, with various perspectives on its existence and nature. Some argue for the existence of free will, while others contend that it is unnecessary and incoherent. The text concludes by pointing out the need for a deeper understanding of the historical context and metaphysical assumptions underlying the concept of free will. It suggests that the concept of free will is a remnant of past intellectual certainty about metaphysical truths and may not be as morally neutral as commonly believed. The modern discussion on free will is encouraged to consider its historical development and potential implications more carefully. [introduction]","btype":2,"date":"2014","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/mOZ7OMN3pKwTAfd","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":360,"full_name":"Wildberg, Christian","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}},{"id":90,"full_name":"Destr\u00e9e, Pierre ","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}},{"id":472,"full_name":"Zingano, Marco","role":{"id":2,"role_name":"editor"}}],"book":null,"booksection":{"id":427,"section_of":329,"pages":"329-350","is_catalog":null,"book":{"id":329,"bilderberg_idno":null,"dare_idno":null,"catalog_idno":null,"entry_type":null,"type":4,"language":"en","title":"What is up to us? Studies on Agency and Responsibility in Ancient Philosophy","title_transcript":"","title_translation":"","short_title":"Destr\u00e9e2014","has_no_author":null,"volume":null,"date":"2014","edition_no":null,"free_date":"2014","abstract":"The problem of responsibility in moral philosophy has been lively debated in the last decades, especially since the publication of Harry Frankfurt's seminal paper, 'Alternate possibilities and moral responsibility' (1969). Compatibilists - also known as 'soft' determinists - and, on the other side, incompatibilists - libertarians and 'hard' determinists - are the main contenders in this major academic controversy. The debate goes back to Antiquity. After Aristotle, compatibilists, and especially the Stoics, debated this issue with the incompatibilists, notably Epicurus (though his classification as an incompatibilist has been disputed in modern scholarship), Alexander of Aphrodisias and Plutarch.\r\n\r\nThe problem debated at that time and the problem debated nowadays are fundamentally the same, even though the terms and the concepts evolved over the centuries. In Antiquity, the central notion was that of 'what is up to us', or 'what depends on us'. The present volume brings together twenty contributions devoted to examining the problem of moral responsibility as it arises in Antiquity in direct connection with the concept of what is up to us - to eph' h\u00eamin, in Greek, or in nostra potestate and in nobis, in its Latin counterparts, aiming to promote classical scholarship, and to shed some light on the contemporary issues as well.\r\n\r\nWith contributions by Marcelo D. Boeri, Mauro Bonazzi, Susanne Bobzien, Pierre Destr\u00e9e, Javier Eche\u00f1ique, Dorothea Frede, Michael Frede, Lloyd P. Gerson, Laura Liliana G\u00f3mez, Jean-Baptiste Gourinat, Christoph Horn, Monte Ransom Johnson, Stefano Maso, Susan Sauv\u00e9 Meyer, Pierre-Marie Morel, Ricardo Salles, Carlos Steel, Daniela Patrizia Taormina, Emmanuele Vimercati, Katja Maria Vogt, Christian Wildberg and Marco Zingano. [official abstract]","republication_of":null,"online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/WCz3sdLMsMTkFmE","translation_of":null,"new_edition_of":null,"is_catalog":0,"in_bibliography":0,"is_inactive":0,"notes":null,"doi_url":null,"book":{"id":329,"pubplace":"Sankt Augustin","publisher":"Academia Verlag","series":"","volume":"","edition_no":null,"valid_from":null,"valid_until":null}}},"article":null},"sort":["The Will and its Freedom: Epictetus and Simplicius on what is up to us"]}

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