Source: ISNS.
Crystal Addey (addeycj@cardiff.ac.uk) and Deepa
Majumdar (dmajumda@pnc.edu), "The
Afterlife, Reincarnation and Return to the Divine in Neoplatonism". This
panel welcomes papers on Neoplatonic eschatology, on views of the afterlife, as
well as on related topics including (but not limited to) the themes of reward
and punishment, judgement and purification, and the role of eschatology in the
Orphic Gold Tablets and in Neoplatonic uses of Orphic material. We welcome
papers on the nature, purpose and place of the doctrine of reincarnation, or
rebirth, the transmigration of souls (especially the vexed question of whether
human souls transmigrate into animal bodies), the difference between
reincarnation and return (to the First Principle), and the relationship between
reincarnation, self-knowledge, embodiment, becoming, and time. We also welcome
papers on the nature of the respites (temporal and otherwise) from reincarnation,
through death, forelife and afterlife, through the particular soul’s expiatory return
to the World Soul, and through a rapturous awakening from the state of embodiment.
The role played by reincarnation in bridging the immanent self to the transcendent
self is another welcome topic. Yet another significant theme might be the possible
relationship between the soul’s eschatological and spiritual journey(s). What
is the relationship between reincarnation, and the central goal of Neoplatonic
philosophy –namely, assimilation to the divine or becoming like a god? What justifies
the final exit from the otherwise endless temporal cycles of reincarnation? We
particularly welcome papers which consider the possible implications of
Neoplatonic views of the afterlife and reincarnation for metaphysics,
psychology, ethics and ritual praxis, such as theurgy.
Vishwa Adluri (vadluri@hunter.cuny.edu), "Neoplatonism and Indian Thought". Papers
are invited on any aspect of the relationship of Neoplatonic thought to Indian philosophy.
We are especially interested in papers on purification, Platonic and Neoplatonic
soteriology, the soul’s journey, the indefinite dyad, androgyny, and polytheism.
Contributions will also be accepted on aspects of Indo-European religion, especially
linguistic studies of the IE roots for “being.”
Florin Calian (calian_george-florin@ceu-budapest.edu)
and Alexandru Pelin (alexpelin@yahoo.it), "Proclus and Damascius on Plato's Parmenides". Plato’s
Parmenides was a constant challenge for the Neoplatonists, in their endeavor to
expand their doctrines, but also to criticize their predecessors within the
Neoplatonic School. This panel is dedicated to the differences and similarities
in Proclus’ and Damascius’ readings of Plato’s Parmenides, as paradigmatic for
late Neoplatonic philosophy. Another aspect to be considered is how much of
their enterprise was a dogmatic one and tributary to a Neoplatonic agenda, and
the degree of innovation that their interpretation exemplified. Papers that
deal with comparisons between Proclus and Damascius, separated features of
their reading of Plato’s Parmenides, or traces of a critical attitude towards
the Neoplatonic program in the writings of these two authors are welcome.
Edrisi Fernandes (edrisi@email.com) and Oscar Federico
Bauchwitz (neoplatonismo@bol.com.br), "Modern and Contemporary Receptions of Neoplatonism". The SIAEN
panel centers on the modern and contemporary reception of Neoplatonism. Submitted
contributions are expected to highlight direct or indirect repercussions of key
concepts of Neoplatonism present in post-medieval or contemporary authors of
any national backgrounds, who have expressed themselves not only in philosophy,
but also in literature and in other forms of art, in environmental studies and
in science, in ways that can be considered relevant to contemporary thought and
life. Authors are advised to indicate possible or putative influences received
from the Hellenistic or Medieval tradition; discussions between advocates of
classical ontology, process philosophy and meontology are encouraged.
Communications should be orally presented in Portuguese, Spanish or English;
texts can be submitted in those languages and also in Galician, Catalan, French
or Italian. O painel da SIAEN tem como objetivo congregar pesquisadores em
torno da recepção moderna e contemporânea do neoplatonismo. São esperadas contribuições que
destaquem repercussões diretas ou indiretas de conceitos-chave do
neoplatonismo, presentes em autores pós-medievais ou contemporaneos de qualquer
background nacional, e que tenham se manifestado não apenas na filosofia, mas
também na literatura e em outras formas de arte, em estudos ambientais e na
ciência, na medida em que possam ser considerados relevantes para o pensamento
e para a vida contemporâneos. Recomenda-se aos autores indicar as correntes de
possíveis e supostas influências recebidas da tradição helenística ou medieval;
discussões entre defensores da ontologia clássica, filosofia do processo e
meontologia serão estimuladas. As comunicações devem ser oralmente apresentadas
em português, espanhol ou inglês; os textos podem ser escritos nessas línguas e
também em galego, catalão, francês ou italiano.
Liana De Girolami Cheney (lianacheney@earthlink.net)
and John Hendrix (jhendrix@rwu.edu), "Neoplatonism
and the Arts". This session aims to show the cultural influence of
Neoplatonic ideas - of beauty, hypostases of being, and workings of phantasia
and nous, for example, as they are represented in the visual arts-architecture,
painting and sculpture and drawing. The presences
of Neoplatonic structures in the arts reveal emblematic, theological and social
traditions.
Jean-Michel Charrue (jmcharrue@free.fr), "Neoplatonism, Freedom, Providence, and Fate".
This panel continues the previous ones which began in 2007. The original
intention was to explore the theme of providence and connection with freedom in
order to uncover a framework for the concepts post-Plotinian Neoplatonism;
other aspects, or other authors worth studying, once more. Contributions on all
aspects of Neoplatonism are welcome including the most important Platonic
texts, the Timaeus, and the Laws, as well as the writings of Aristotle, the
Stoïcs, and the late commentators, such as Simplicius, so too Hermeticism,
Gnosticism, the Platonism of the Church Fathers, and later or contemporary
Neoplatonism, the theme of Providence in connection with freedom. Thus,
possible topics include Platonic theology of divine providence, treatment of
human freedom in any form of Platonism, studies on fatalism and determinism,
and the role of daimons, in philosophy or religion.
John Dillon (jmdillon@eircom.net) and Andrei Timotin
(timotin@ehess.fr), "Neoplatonic Theories
of Prayer". Philosophy for the later Platonists is also a religious
way of life, and an important aspect
of their daily activity was the practice of prayer,
sacrifice and meditation. The goal of this round table is to explore the role
of prayer in the Platonic tradition (e.g., Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus,
Proclus, but also Pseudo-Dionysius and Psellos), also in relation with the
religious practices of the Graeco-Roman world, a topic understudied in the
field of Neoplatonic studies.The starting point of this reflection could be two
passages of Plato’s work which will have a significant influence in the later
period, that with which Timaeus begins his cosmological exposition in the
Timaeus (27 c), and the prescriptions on prayer made by the Athenian Stranger
in Laws VII, 801 a-b.We intend to analyze, for
example, the Neoplatonic prayer as form of meditation/
contemplation (theôria) and as spiritual exercise. Papers on the relation
between prayer and theurgy, possibly in relation with the formulae prescribed
in the magical papyri, are equally welcome. Other suitable topics would be the
Neoplatonic classifications of prayers or the relation between prayer and the
mystic union (henôsis) with the divine. The final purpose of this reflection
should be a better understanding of the spiritual life and religious experience
of the later Platonists.
John F. Finamore (john-finamore@uiowa.edu), Ilaria
Ramelli (ilaria.ramelli@unicatt.it), and Svetla Slaveva-Griffin (sslavevagriffin@fsu.edu),
"Lovers of the Soul, Lovers of the Body:
Platonists on the Soul and the Body." The times have passed when the
scholarly discussion of the relation between soul and body in ancient
philosophy resembled one concerning positive and negative images in photography.
Intrigued and inspired by the dialectics of the ancient philosophers' famous analogy
of the relation between soul and body as "mixing between wine and
water," we would like to invite papers investigating this relationship in
the Platonic tradition, including Middle and Neoplatonism, ‘pagan,’ Jewish, and
Christian alike. Papers presenting the Peripatetic and Islamic views on the
topic are equally welcomed. A tentative but not exclusive list of topics
includes the nature, composition, origin of the soul and the body, the relation
of soul to matter, and the relation of the body to eternal
destiny.
Gary Gabor, Hamline University (ggabor01@hamline.edu)
D.M. Hutchinson, St Olaf College (dmunoz@stolaf.edu), "Philosophy as a Way of Life in Late
Antiquity". A unique feature of ancient philosophy that sets it apart
from modern and contemporary philosophy is the emphasis it places on philosophy
as a way of life. Pierre Hadot (Philosophy as a Way of Life (1995), What is
Ancient Philosophy (2002) et al.) has introduced the framework for
understanding how ancient philosophers conceived of philosophy as a way of
life, and John Cooper (Pursuits of Wisdom: Six Ways of Life in
Ancient philosophy (2012)) has elevated the rigor by
which reason could be understood as providing the intellectual basis and
motivating force for living a good life; however their work has by no means
exhausted the topic.The aim of this panel is to continue the discussion began
by Hadot and Cooper, with particular historical attention to late antiquity. We
invite submissions on individual philosophers, groups of philosophers, or
schools ranging from Epictetus (1st century CE) to Simplicius (6th century CE),
which deal with themes related to how philosophy provides a complete way of
life for its adherents. Please send submissions to both panel organizers with
the subject heading “Philosophy as
a Way of Life ISNS 2013.”
Stephen Gersh (Stephen.E.Gersh.1@nd.edu) Andrea Le
Moli (andrealemoli@libero.it), "Latin
Neoplatonism". This panel will emphasize the importance of Neoplatonic
(and Middle Platonic) authors, both pagan and Christian, of late antiquity who
wrote in Latin, not only because of their
intrinsic importance within the history of late
ancient philosophy but because of their enormous influence upon the western
Middle Ages, during which time they were often the primary transmitters of
ancient Greek philosophy to later generations. We invite the submission of
paper proposals dealing with any aspect, philosophical, literary, or historical,
of either late ancient or western Medieval authors (IXth to XVth Century) AUTHORS
(just suggestions) Cicero, Seneca, Gellius, Apuleius, Calcidius, Macrobius, Martianus
Capella, Boethius, Censorinus, Marius Victorinus, Augustine, Firmicus Maternus,
Favonius Eulogius, Servius, Fulgentius, Priscianus Lydus, Varro.
Gary Gurtler S.J. (gary.gurtler@bc.edu) and Suzanne
Stern-Gillet (s.sterngillet@plotinus.demon.co.uk), "Plotinus and Aristotle: Critical Engagement". This panel seeks
to investigate Plotinus’ engagement with Aristotle, covering areas of agreement
and points of conflict. Logic
(especially the categories), metaphysics (primary and secondary activity), and epistemology
(sensation and imagination) provide topics of convergence, but not without
difficulties from both sides. The soul
as entelechy, the conflict between civic and purificatory virtues, the nature
of eudaimonia, by contrast, present neuralgic points, especially for
Plotinus. Papers will be welcome in
these and other areas where the thought of Aristotle and Plotinus engage one
another.
Marilynn Lawrence (mlawrence1@mail.immaculata.edu),
"Platonic Appropriations".
This panel covers issues related to how Platonic authors (including the early
academy, Middle Platonism, later Academies, and Neoplatonism) used ideas from
other schools of thought as a part of a Platonic worldview. Were such
importations successful? Can we say they naturally follow from Plato's
writings, or are they interjections that contradict other concerns and
doctrines within the body of Platonic thought? Can we find appropriated
philosophies that are implicit in the writings of Platonists, though not attributed
to the originating school? Some schools that have been or may have been appropriated
include the Pythagoreans, Sophists, various religious cults, Stoics, Epicureans
(yes? maybe?), Skeptics, Hermeticists, Gnostics, and Peripatetics.
Angela Longo (angela.longo@univaq.it), "Pagan-Platonic Anti-Christian Polemic".
In Ennead II 9 [33], which Porphyry entitled "Against the Gnostics"
or "Against those who say that the Demiurge of the world is evil and that
the world is evil," Plotinus mentions various polemical themes against his
opponents, who appear to be Christian and Gnostic, although he never calls them
such. Plotinus presents four main areas of criticism against his polemical
target, not so much to attack them as to defend their influence on his students:
1) their theology and physics;
2) their ethics;
3) their attitude towards society;
4) their attitude towards culture, science, and
philosophy (especially with regard to the doctrine of Plato).
In light of these, the principal theme of the panel
would be to consider the precedents and effects of these Plotinian themes in
Platonically-inspired authors before and after Plotinus. Moreover, attention
can usefully be paid also to the forms and styles of this controversy, as well
as to its purpose. These sorts of argument can be multiplied and used to
convince Christians to desist from their positions so that they will be
reabsorbed into the customary beliefs of the Roman Empire, or—without aspiring
to dislodge them from their positions--at least to try to defend other pagans
so they do not fall into the Christian "trap" or so that they will
simply survive as pagans in a world subject to profound cultural, political,
and religious change.
Sergei Mariev (s.mariev@lmu.de), "Byzantine Perspectives on Neoplatonism".
One of the differences between the intellectual history of the Latin West and
that of the Byzantine East stems from the fact that the Byzantine intellectual
elite not only had direct access to the Neoplatonic sources in the original
language but also, at times, showed a particular interest in them. The present
panel welcomes contributions that focus on the "Byzantine side" of
the reception process of Neoplatonic authors from Late Antiquity (= Early
Byzantine Period) through to the Late Byzantine Period (15th century and
beyond). In particular, contributions should aim to identify some specific
questions and concerns that drew the interest of Byzantine scholars from
different periods towards Neoplatonic sources. Which aspects of the Neoplatonic
doctrine provoked responses from Christian scholars during the Early Byzantine
Period? Which questions attracted the attention of a Byzantine polymath such as
Michael Psellos and his student John Italos in the 11th C..? What role did
Neoplatonic Philosophy play in the context of "Byzantine Humanism" in
the 14th C. (Nikephoros Gregoras and his circle)? Why would Georgios Gemistos
(alias Pletho) want to turn to Neoplatonic doctrines in the 15th C.?
Donka Markus (markusdd@umich.edu), "The experience of philosophical
discipleship in Late Antiquity". The focus of this panel is on the
individual and subjective experience of discipleship
rather than on the relations between city and school
as in E. Watts (2006)Epictetus charted two approaches to discipleship: one of
surrender for the purpose of spiritual growth and the other – conceptual for
the display of learning: Do I go to my teacher, like one who goes to consult an
oracle, prepared to obey? Or do I too, like a sniffling child, go to school to
learn only the history of philosophy and to understand the books which I did
not understand before, and, if chance offers, to explain them to others?”
(Epictetus, Discourses 2.21.10, tr. W. A. Oldfather) Did these two paths
mutually exclude each other or were they integrated into a unified experience?
Socrates consulted the Delphic oracle: did the philosopher in late antiquity become
an oracular figure himself? Are there aspects of discipleship that were unique
to late antiquity? Are there traits that pervaded the tradition from the
beginning to its end? How were master-disciple relationships articulated? What
were the fissures between ideal and reality? What were the overlaps and
differences between the Christian monastic ideal and the ideal of philosophical
discipleship? Are there any useful ways to compare the late antique experience
of discipleship with master-disciple relations in other times and cultures?
This panel seeks to build upon the already rich
scholarship on this topic and to deepen our understanding of the dynamics of
teacher-disciple relations in the philosophical schools of Late Antiquity.
Harold Tarrant (clhast@cc.newcastle.edu.au), "Later Platonist Interpretation of the Republic".
This panel covers any readings from the time of Cicero until the end of
antiquity. The topic could include readings of the mathematics (e.g. Theon of
Smyrna), the tripartite psychology, educational theory, political implications, the critique of drama
and other poetry, and the Myth of Er. the Republic’s place in the curriculum,
and its widerinfluence on Neoplatonism.
John Turner (jturner2@unl.edu) and Kevin Corrigan
(kcorrig@emory.edu), "Neoplatonism
and Gnosticism". Any paper that deals with the relationship between
Neoplatonic and Gnostic thought will be considered. Sample topics could include
the influence of Neoplatonic ideas and terminology on Gnostic literature (or
Gnostic influence on Neoplatonism), clash and controversy between Platonic and
Gnostic thinkers, comparison of Neoplatonic theurgy and Gnostic divinization,
comparison of Gnostic and Neoplatonic approaches to myth, etc. Papers on
‘Gnosis’ in its wider sense, covering a range of esoteric Platonism (e.g. Hermetica,
Chaldaean Oracles, etc.), are also welcome.