Determinism and Fate
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Peter looks at the Stoic idea of god, a providential fire that pervades nature, and considers their idea of a deterministic and eternally recurring cosmos.
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Peter considers two of the Stoics’ most challenging ideas, a determinism that leaves room for moral responsibility, and the ideal of an ethically perfect sage.
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David Sedley of Cambridge University chats with Peter about the development of the Stoic school, from the early days to the imperial age.
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Alexander of Aphrodisias writes the greatest ancient commentaries on Aristotle and tries to demolish the Stoic teaching on fate.
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Ptolemy uses philosophy in the service of studying the stars, while philosophers of all persuasions evaluate the widespread practice of astrology.
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Apuleius, Victorinus, Martianus Capella, Macrobius and Calcidius present and interpret Platonic teachings for readers of Latin.
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John Marenbon joins Peter to discuss Boethius' solution to the problem of divine foreknowledge.
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A group of mostly Christian philosophers transpose the practices of antique Aristotelian philosophy to 10th century Baghdad.
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Peter begins to look at the systematic rethinking of Hellenic philosophy offered by al-Fārābī, focusing on his logic and metaphysics.
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Al-Ash'arī puts his stamp on the future of Islamic theology by emphasizing God’s untrammeled power and freedom.
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Avicenna’s proof of the Necessary Existent is ingenious and influential; but does it amount to a proof of God’s existence?
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John Scotus Eriugena debates free will with his rival Gottschalk, arguing that God predestines the saved but not the damned.
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Peter Damian takes up a question with surprising philosophical implications: can God restore virginity to a woman who has lost it?
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John Marenbon returns to the podcast to discuss Abelard's views on necessity and freedom.
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The origins of the idea of karma, its moral significance in the Upanisads, and an alternative conception in the Bhagavad-Gita.
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Scotus, Ockham, and Bradwardine ask how we can be free if God knows and chooses the things we will do in the future.
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The larger meaning of history in the chronicles written by Michael Psellos, Michael Attaleiates, Anna Komnene, and Niketas Choniates.
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Is traditional African religion in some sense monotheist, despite the worship of many divinities?
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Thomas Aquinas finds avid readers among Byzantines at the twilight of empire, and is used by both sides of the Hesychast controversy.
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Was Gemistos Plethon, the last great thinker of the Byzantine tradition, a secret pagan or just a Christian with an unusual enthusiasm for Platonism?
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Eighteenth century black authors touch on philosophical themes in autobiographical narratives, poetry, and other literary genres.
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Bessarion and George Trapenzuntius, rival scholars from the Greek east who helped inspire the Italian Renaissance.
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Preacher and Revolutionary War soldier Lemuel Haynes argues that the principles of the American Revolution demand the abolition of slavery.
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The rediscovery of Epicurus, Lucretius, and Sextus Empiricus spreads challenging ideas about chance, atomism, and skepticism.
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Ficino, Pico, Cardano, and other Renaissance thinkers debate whether astrology and magic are legitimate sciences with a foundation in natural philosophy.
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Vanessa Wills speaks to us about Marx and his Africana legacy, with a special focus on black women Marxists.
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Erasmus clashes with Martin Luther over the question whether our wills are free or enslaved to sin.
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John Calvin's views on predestination and the limits of human reason.
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Amidst religious conflict in the Netherlands, Dirck Coornhert pleads for religious toleration and freedom of expression.
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Justus Lipsius draws on Seneca and other Stoics to counsel peace of mind in the face of political chaos, but also writes a work on how such chaos can be avoided.
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John Sellars returns to the podcast to discuss Lipsius' work on Seneca and the early modern Neo-Stoic movement.
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A leading expert on the history of the Reformation joins us to explain the very different stories of England and Scotland in the 16th century.
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What was Luis de Molina trying to say about human free will with his doctrine of “middle knowledge,” and why did it provoke such controversy?
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Were Confucian ideas about Heaven, ritual, and fate driven by a religious attitude, or a naturalistic one?
