How Plato Explained the Universe: A Deep Dive into the Timaeus w/ Dr Peter Larsen
Dr Peter Larsen is a lecturer in Philosophy at Dublin City University, specialising in ancient philosophy and particularly the cognitive psychology of Plato and Aristotle.
In this conversation, we discusses Plato's Timaeus, exploring its themes of cosmology, the nature of the cosmos, and the relationship between natural science and ethics. We emphasizes the importance of understanding both divine and necessary causes, the role of the forms, and the overarching concept of the good in Plato's philosophy. We delve into the intersections of philosophy, science, and causation, exploring the contemplative tradition, the limitations of physicalism, and the role of teleology in understanding reality. They discuss the aims of science, the insights of Plato and Berkeley, and the implications of causation on free will and determinism, ultimately questioning the completeness of scientific explanations in light of philosophical inquiries.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Plato and the Timaeus
06:11 Exploring the Nature of the Cosmos
12:53 Divine and Necessary Causes in Natural Science
20:11 The Forms and Their Relation to Physical Reality
30:34 The Good and Its Role in Understanding Reality
35:36 Exploring the Contemplative Tradition
36:22 The Aim of Science: Beyond Physicalism
39:43 The Limits of Physicalist Natural Science
41:49 The Role of Regularities in Understanding Reality
42:19 Berkeley's Insights on Causation
45:10 Causal Hierarchies and the Divided Line
48:29 Constraints and Causality in Science
50:11 Teleology and Causation: A Philosophical Inquiry
53:11 Revisiting Plato's Causation in Modern Contexts
57:41 Understanding Causation: Necessary vs. Divine
01:01:30 The Debate on Determinism and Free Will
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