Potamo of Alexandria and the Emergence of Eclecticism in Late Hellenistic Philosophy

Eclecticism is a concept widely used in the history of ancient philosophy to describe the intellectual stance of diverse thinkers such as Plutarch, Cicero and Seneca. In this book the historical and interpretative problems associated with eclecticism are for the first time approached from the point of view of the only self-described eclectic philosopher from antiquity, Potamo of Alexandria. The evidence is examined in detail with reference to the philosophical and wider intellectual background of the period. Potamo's views are placed in the context of key debates at the forefront of late Hellenistic philosophical activity to which he contributed, such as the criterion of truth, the first principles in physics, the moral end and the interpretation of Aristotle's esoteric works. The emergence of eclecticism is thus treated in connection with the major shift in philosophical interests and methods that marked the passage from Hellenistic to Imperial philosophy.

Author: Myrto Hatzimichali
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 05/14/2015
Pages: 210
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.44d
ISBN: 9781107526495

About the Author
Hatzimichali, Myrto: - Myrto Hatzimichali is Leventis Lecturer on the Impact of Greek Culture in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter. Her research interests centre on intellectual and cultural history, including ancient philosophy and specifically on how literary and philosophical texts were transmitted, received and professionally studied in the Hellenistic and early Imperial periods. She has contributed papers to volumes on Hellenistic poetry, the history of encyclopaedism and the philosopher Antiochus of Ascalon.