A World in a Grain of Sand: The metaphysics and psychology of the Greek gods in ancient Platonism

The Ancient Greek gods – from Zeus to Athena, Artemis to Apollo – stand among the richest characters in world literature. In the generations following Plato, Greek philosophers reinterpreted the gods through novel lenses: as proto-scientific laws, psychological faculties, and metaphysical archetypes.

This talk explores how the ancient deities were understood as patterns for living and for understanding the world during the most developed and systematic periods of Greek philosophy.

Dr. Michael Griffin (D.Phil., Oxford) is Professor of Greek Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, and co-editor of the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle project (Bloomsbury). His research explores aspects of ancient Greek and Roman thought and education, including logical education, virtue, and self-transformation in late antiquity. He is also a member of an interdisciplinary Platonist-Buddhist working group, and author of books and articles in ancient philosophy. More about Dr. Griffin can be found on his personal webpage at www.michaeljamesgriffin.com.

Image: The Council of Gods, Raphael 1517-18 (Fresco, Villa Farnesina, Rome)

Tickets: £15 for an invitation on Zoom. Book using the link below.