Plato's Cosmology and its Ethical Dimensions

Although a great deal has been written on Plato's ethics, his cosmology has not received so much attention in recent times and its importance for his ethical thought has remained underexplored. By offering accounts of Timaeus, Philebus, Politicus and Laws X, the book reveals a strongly symbiotic relation between the cosmic and human sphere. It is argued that in his late period Plato presents a picture of an organic universe, endowed with structure and intrinsic value, which both urges our respect and calls for our responsible intervention. Humans are thus seen as citizens of a university that can provide a context for their flourishing even in the absence of good political institutions. The book sheds light on many intricate metaphysical issues in late Plato and brings out the close connections between his cosmology and the development of his ethics.

1. Introduction; 2. Demiurgy in the Timaeus; 3. Cosmic God and human reason in the Timaeus; 4. Creating mixtures in the Philebus; 5. Cosmos and human happiness in Philebus; 6. Reversing the myth of the Politicus; 7. Cosmic and human drama in the Politicus; 8. Good and evil in Laws X; 9. Conclusion.

Although a great deal has been written on Plato's ethics, his cosmology has not received so much attention in recent times and its importance for his ethical thought has remained underexplored. By offering accounts of Timaeus, Philebus, Politicus and Laws X, the book reveals a strongly symbiotic relation between the cosmic and human sphere.

Gabriela Roxana Carone has been affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires, King's College London, the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Princeton University Center for Human Values and the Harvard University Center for Hellenic Studies. She has also been a research fellow for CONICET (Argentina), the British Council (UK) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (USA). She is the author of La Noción de dios en el Timeo de Platón (2010) and of numerous articles on ancient philosophy.