Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
In Spec. 3.1-6 the Jewish-Hellenistic philosopher Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE-49 CE) describes the ascent of the soul to heavens to "see God", a topic well-known from Plato. Philo, however, does...Show moreIn Spec. 3.1-6 the Jewish-Hellenistic philosopher Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE-49 CE) describes the ascent of the soul to heavens to "see God", a topic well-known from Plato. Philo, however, does not only use the concept for reasons of epistemology, but also to reflect about a personal experience that some scholars have labelled as a "mystic experience" and which had a tremendous impact on later neo-Platonic and Christian literature. The thesis explores several aspects of the passage, comparing its epistemological relevance by looking at its Platonic base, while a striking Ciceronian parallel allows reflection on the human aspects and a philosopher's duty between otium and negotium. The main question of this thesis’ "close reading" of the selected texts is "how does Philo as Jewish-Hellenistic thinker evaluate the role of God and human beings regarding seeing God?". In sum, this thesis presents an extensive contextualising discussion of Philo of Alexandria’s claim about heavenly ascent. By putting an emphasis on the distinct Philonian preoccupations and motivation, this thesis attempts to arrive at a novel way of understanding Spec. 3.1-6Show less
The analogy of the city and the soul in Plato's "Republic" has often been criticised in academic literature, perhaps most famously by Bernard Williams in his 1973 essay "The Analogy of City and...Show moreThe analogy of the city and the soul in Plato's "Republic" has often been criticised in academic literature, perhaps most famously by Bernard Williams in his 1973 essay "The Analogy of City and Soul in Plato's Republic". Building on the refutation of this criticism in an earlier essay, this thesis attempts to establish an integral interpretation of the city-soul analogy which is both conceptually and narratively adequate. A close study of the introduction of the analogy in book II of the "Republic" informs us that the analogy implies a similar structure between city and soul, but no correlation, and that it is not intended as an argument or principle, but rather as a guiding hypothesis for Socrates' experimental investigation of justice. This interpretation allows for the refutation of numerous criticisms of Plato's elaboration of the analogy in Callipolis. Finally, the combination of this interpretation with insight in the psychologically realist character of Callipolis, enables us to understand the working of the analogy in the "City of Pigs", and the role of this short-lived utopia in Plato's ethical and political theory, leading us to the conclusion that Plato's "Republic", if properly understood, is everything but a highlight of utopian thinking.Show less
