Syrianus’ critique of Aristotelian antiplatonism: general remarks

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Published: Nov 29, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/dia.39536
Keywords:
Syrianus Plato Aristotle realism nominalism universal (thing) of secondary origin
Christos Terezis
Professor, University of Patras
Abstract

Focusing on the field of the History of Philosophy and specifically on the topic about the debate between realism and nominalism, in this article we attempt to investigate the passage of the critical commentary of Syrianus, the Neoplatonist philosopher, on the M, 1079A19-33 of Aristotle’s Metaphysica. Through this commentary, we have the chance to see how the Neoplatonic School of the fifth century approached the “ideological opponent” of the founder of the Academy, whose theories aims to preserve integral. Syrianus’ passage is significantly interesting, since it focuses on how Aristotle attempted to exercise critique on the Platonic theory of the “Ideas”. Through his comments, we face a Platonic reading of the Aristotelian critique, since the Neoplatonist commentator, following the approach of Plotinus and Iamblichus, moves in the context of ontological monism. Our article is structured by four sections, in which we pay attention on the consequences of his theoretical approach on the fields of Metaphysics, Cosmology and, partially, Epistemology, as well as how realism is metaphysically founded. The greatest conclusion that we draw is that he is fully conversant with the philosophical tradition and that he presents an excellent eclectic performance. 

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