Marlein Van Raalte - Theophrastus: Reappraising The Sources

Whats new in Ancient Philosophy? At the time of the biennial conference of Project Theophrastus held in Leiden, July 1993, the edition of Sources for Theophrastus (FHS&G, 1992) was less than a year old. The essays in the present volume are largely the materialisation of the papers presented and discussions occurring during that conference, centering on the question: Do the new fragments add up to a new whole? A company of scholars set themselves the task of reappraising the sources, most of them friends in a special sense through ties forged by Project Theophrastus, but at the same time representing a wide enough range of views on the achievements of their author to guarantee the sparks of intellectual fire required for progress in the Humanities.

In conformity with the theme of the conference, most of the articles in this volume are concerned in some way with the question what is Theophrastus own contribution to the various areas of study cultivated in the Peripatos. It is agreed that Theophrastus develops his views on philosophy and science in close connection with those of his teacher Aristotle. But to what extent and in what respect can his work be said to mark an advance on that of his predecessor? And what is the philosophical motivation behind his activity? Is he filling in gaps and working away at what is still a basically Aristotelian structure? Is he a systematic mind aiming to impose some sort of coherence and consistency on a growing body of positive knowledge? Or do we have a foreshadowing of the dissolution of Peripatetic thought into various more loosely connected disciplines? Or are we rather facing a problem-oriented, even an aporetic thinker? And what (new) light do the Sources cast on Theophrastus intellectual position in relation to the Stoa of Zeno and the Garden of Epicurus as well as to the contemporary Academy and even to the Peripatos as represented by the colleagues, pupils and successors of Theophrastus?

The answers provided in this volume are diverse and ground-breaking. There will be further discussion both in the commentaries to the Sources (in nine volumes) and in independent monographs. In particular, we can expect new insights and new controversies as scholars confront the texts collected in Sources with the two Theophrastean treatises on botany (represented here by the paper of Mme Amigues) and the several scientific Opuscula. If one feels that all this is merely multiplying questions: there is nothing new about that, certainly not in Ancient Philosophy.

March 1996

JMvO

MvR

Suzanne AMIGUES, Universit Paul Valry, Montpellier III, Route de Mende, 34199 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France.

Antonio M. BATTEGAZZORE, Universit di Genova, Dipartimento di Filosofia, Via Balbi 4, 16126 Genova.

Tiziano DORANDI, UPR 76, CNRS, 7 rue G. Moquet, BP 8, F-94801 Villejuif Cedex, France.

John GLUCKER, Tel-Aviv University, Dept. of Classics, Gilman Building, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel.

Woldemar GRLER, Universitt des Saarlandes, Institut fr Klassische Philologie, Postfach 151150 D-66041 Saarbrcken, Germany.

Hans B. GOTTSCHALK, University of Leeds, Dept. of Greek and Latin, Leeds LS2 9JT, England.

Frans DE HAAS, Universiteit Utrecht, Faculteit Wsbejeerle, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, Netherlands.

Andr LAKS, Centre de Recherche Philologique, URA 0992-CNRS, Universit Charles de Gaulle Lille III, BP 149, 59653 Villeneuve dAscq Cedex, France.

A.A. LONG, University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Classics, Dwinelle Hall, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

Jrgen MEJER, benhavns Universitet, Institut for Graesk og Latin, Njalsgade 92, DK 2300 Kbenhavn, Denmark.

Mario MIGNUCCI, Via Euganea 9, 35141 Padova, Italy.

Trevor SAUNDERS, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Dept. of Classics, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, England.

Dirk M. SCHENKEVELD, H. Heijermanslaan 23, 2106 ER Heemstede, Netherlands.

David SEDLEY, Christs College, Cambridge CB2 3BU, England.

Robert W. SHARPLES, University College London, Dept. of Greek and Latin, Gower Street, London WC1E 6, England.

C.M.J. SICKING, Universiteit Leiden, Vakgroep Griekse en Latijnse Talen en Culturen, Doelensteeg 16, 2311 VL Leiden, Netherlands.

Richard SORABJI, Kings College London, Dept. of Philosophy, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, England.