Eriugena, Berkeley, and the Idealist Tradition

The contributors cover a wide range of philosophical writers and texts to which the label “idealism” has been or might reasonably be attached. These include Plato, the Roman Stoics, the Neoplatonism of Plotinus, Augustinian Neoplatonism, Johannes Scottus Eriugena, the Arabic Book of Causes, George Berkeley, Immanuel Kant, and classical German idealism.

"This is a rich, subtle, thought-provoking collection on central, though neglected topics in idealism and its history, offering fresh and important insights into both familiar and less familiar major figures, views, and issues. Most important, perhaps, are its presentation and assessment of non-subjective forms of idealism, as well as mind-dependence forms of idealism prior to Descartes. Contemporary philosophers have become sophisticated about various forms of realism, anti-realism and irrealism. Such discussions, among others, will benefit significantly by accepting this volume’s invitation to become more sophisticated about idealism as well. This very welcome contribution to the literature should find a broad readership." —Kenneth R. Westphal, University of East Anglia

"If it is true—as Hegel and his followers have claimed—that being and truth are indissociable from history, then philosophy cannot be successful if it limits itself exclusively to investigations of individual thinkers and periods. What is at stake, ultimately, is the development of Western thought as a whole. In this volume, a fine international group of scholars investigate the meaning of idealism across the ages. Without sacrificing nuance, their contributions show that a core of shared assumptions characterizes idealist philosophies. The historical dialogue which this volume advances emphasizes the relevance of ancient and medieval thinkers for the current debate, but it also challenges us to place modern representatives of idealism—such as Berkeley, Kant, and Hegel—in historical perspective." —Philipp W. Rosemann, University of Dallas

STEPHEN GERSH is professor of philosophy at the Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame. He is the author of, among other titles, Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism: The Latin Tradition (Notre Dame Press, 1986).
 
DERMOT MORAN is professor of philosophy at University College, Dublin, and a Member of the Royal Irish Academy. His most recent book is Edmund Husserl, Founder of Phenomenology.

The contributors include: Vasilis Politis, John Dillon, Vittorio Hösle, Gretchen Reydam-Schils, Andrew Smith, Jean Pépin, Dermot Moran, Stephen Gersh, Agnieszka Kijewska, Peter Adamson, Bertil Belfrage, Timo Airaksinen, Karl Ameriks, and Walter Jaeschke.