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About this book
A stimulating intellectual history of Ptolemy's philosophy and his conception of a world in which mathematics reigns supreme
The Greco-Roman mathematician Claudius Ptolemy is one of the most significant figures in the history of science. He is remembered today for his astronomy, but his philosophy is almost entirely lost to history. This groundbreaking book is the first to reconstruct Ptolemy's general philosophical systemâincluding his metaphysics, epistemology, and ethicsâand to explore its relationship to astronomy, harmonics, element theory, astrology, cosmology, psychology, and theology.
In this stimulating intellectual history, Jacqueline Feke uncovers references to a complex and sophisticated philosophical agenda scattered among Ptolemy's technical studies in the physical and mathematical sciences. She shows how he developed a philosophy that was radical and even subversive, appropriating ideas and turning them against the very philosophers from whom he drew influence. Feke reveals how Ptolemy's unique system is at once a critique of prevailing philosophical trends and a conception of the world in which mathematics reigns supreme.
A compelling work of scholarship, Ptolemy's Philosophy demonstrates how Ptolemy situated mathematics at the very foundation of all philosophyâtheoretical and practicalâand advanced the mathematical way of life as the true path to human perfection.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication Page
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- 1: Introduction
- 2: Defining the Sciences
- 3: Knowledge or Conjecture
- 4: Mathematics and the Good Life
- 5: Harmonia
- 6: Harmonics and Astronomy
- 7: Mathematizing the Human Soul
- 8: Astrology and Cosmology
- 9: Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index