The Demiurge in Ancient Thought
The Demiurge in Ancient Thought
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Summary
A lucid and wide-ranging book arguing that the concept of the Demiurge, or Craftsman-god, first advanced by Plato's Timaeus, was highly influential on the many discussions of world-generation operating in Middle Platonist, Gnostic, Hermetic and Christian contexts in the first three centuries AD, until its demise in Neoplatonism.
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The Demiurge in Ancient Thought by Carl Obrien
How was the world generated and how does matter continue to be ordered so that the world can continue functioning? Questions like these have existed as long as humanity has been capable of rational thought. In antiquity, Plato's Timaeus introduced the concept of the Demiurge, or Craftsman-god, to answer them. This lucid and wide-ranging book argues that the concept of the Demiurge was highly influential on the many discussions operating in Middle Platonist, Gnostic, Hermetic and Christian contexts in the first three centuries AD. It explores key metaphysical problems such as the origin of evil, the relationship between matter and the First Principle and the deployment of ever-increasing numbers of secondary deities to insulate the First Principle from the sensible world. It also focuses on the decreasing importance of demiurgy in Neoplatonism, with its postulation of procession and return.
Carl Séan O'Brien is Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg and Research Associate in the Centre for the Study of the Platonic Tradition at Trinity College Dublin.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781107428096 |
| ISBN 10 | 1107428092 |
| Title | The Demiurge in Ancient Thought |
| Author | Carl Séan O'brien |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2018-11-08 |
| Number of pages | 349 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |