Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles

This article attempts to reconstruct the concept of the principles of the world in Plutarch of Chaeronea. For this purpose, four of his works were analysed: On the E at Delphi, Isis and Osiris, The Obsolescence of Oracles, and On the Generation of the Soul in the Timaeus. It was attempted to point o...

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Main Author: Mateusz Biernaczyk
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Papieski Wydział Teologiczny we Wrocławiu 2019-12-01
Series:Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny
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Online Access:https://ojs.academicon.pl/wpt/article/view/2125
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author Mateusz Biernaczyk
author_facet Mateusz Biernaczyk
author_sort Mateusz Biernaczyk
collection DOAJ
description This article attempts to reconstruct the concept of the principles of the world in Plutarch of Chaeronea. For this purpose, four of his works were analysed: On the E at Delphi, Isis and Osiris, The Obsolescence of Oracles, and On the Generation of the Soul in the Timaeus. It was attempted to point out that it is hard to find consistency in the Middle Platonist’s theological and cosmological views. One time, following Plato, he writes about the highest efficient cause – transcendent God, whom he calls good, the reason, father and creator of the whole of reality. Another time, he refers to the views of the “Old Academy,” i.e. the concept of the One (Hen) and the indefinite Dyad (aoristos Dyas) as the highest principles. Moreover, citing Plato, Plutarch mentions the eternal cause responsible for the evil in the created world. However, a characteristic feature of Plutarch’s thought is the concept of the transcendent cause of reality as a whole. Not only will that idea and the one of an immanent reason – Logos affect the later Platonists, but it will also inspire the first representatives of Christian philosophy.
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spelling doaj-art-d4533bac9cd64721b8778e255c4b3eec2025-08-20T02:16:49ZdeuPapieski Wydział Teologiczny we WrocławiuWrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny1231-17312544-64602019-12-0127222524510.52097/wpt.21251981Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of PrinciplesMateusz Biernaczyk0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3751-3825Doktorant Nauk o Polityce, Filozofii i Socjologii Uniwersytetu WrocławskiegoThis article attempts to reconstruct the concept of the principles of the world in Plutarch of Chaeronea. For this purpose, four of his works were analysed: On the E at Delphi, Isis and Osiris, The Obsolescence of Oracles, and On the Generation of the Soul in the Timaeus. It was attempted to point out that it is hard to find consistency in the Middle Platonist’s theological and cosmological views. One time, following Plato, he writes about the highest efficient cause – transcendent God, whom he calls good, the reason, father and creator of the whole of reality. Another time, he refers to the views of the “Old Academy,” i.e. the concept of the One (Hen) and the indefinite Dyad (aoristos Dyas) as the highest principles. Moreover, citing Plato, Plutarch mentions the eternal cause responsible for the evil in the created world. However, a characteristic feature of Plutarch’s thought is the concept of the transcendent cause of reality as a whole. Not only will that idea and the one of an immanent reason – Logos affect the later Platonists, but it will also inspire the first representatives of Christian philosophy.https://ojs.academicon.pl/wpt/article/view/2125godmiddle platoniststheologytranscendenceplutarch of chaeronea
spellingShingle Mateusz Biernaczyk
Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles
Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny
god
middle platonists
theology
transcendence
plutarch of chaeronea
title Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles
title_full Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles
title_fullStr Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles
title_full_unstemmed Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles
title_short Plutarch of Chaeronea – the Concept of Principles
title_sort plutarch of chaeronea the concept of principles
topic god
middle platonists
theology
transcendence
plutarch of chaeronea
url https://ojs.academicon.pl/wpt/article/view/2125
work_keys_str_mv AT mateuszbiernaczyk plutarchofchaeroneatheconceptofprinciples