The Great Tradition

Booknews

The author's second collection of reprinted articles begins with a study of Plato's ironic way of making use of the ancient concept of a Golden Age, and continues with the history of the idea that the philosopher should develop something of an art or science of erotics. Other topics and figures discussed include Plato's nephew and successor Seusippus; the Platonist origins of the Gnostic concept of the "pleroma"; Porphyry and Iamblichus; different aspects of the philosophy of Proclus; and features of Damascius' philosophizing in the . Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.