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The End of Epicurean Infinity: Critical Reflections on the Epicurean Infinite UniverseIn Carla Palmerino, Delphine Bellis & Frederik Bakker (eds.), Space, Imagination and the Cosmos From Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, Springer Verlag. 2018.
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Gassendi’s Interpretation of Epicurus’ Method of Multiple Explanations: Between Scepticism and ProbabilismIn Francesca Masi, Pierre-Marie Morel & Francesco Verde (eds.), Epicureanism and Scientific Debates. Antiquity and Late Reception – Vol. I: Language, Medicine, Meteorology, Leuven University Press. pp. 277-307. 2023.
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An alternative reconstruction of Diogenes of Oinoanda, fr. 21 III 14 - IV 14Epigraphica Anatolica 1 (54): 129-135. 2021.Fragment 21 (= NF 40/YF 097) of the Epicurean inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda continues the argument of the so-called Theological Physics-Sequence (= NF 167 + NF 126 + NF 127 + fr. 20 + NF 182, henceforth: Theol.). In Theol. XIV, Diogenes sets out to investigate whether god designed everything for the sake of human beings. The discussion is divided into two parts: the design of the world and the design of human beings themselves. The part dealing with the world starts in Theol. XIV and conti…Read more
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12Introduction: Continental Interpretations of Hellenistic ThoughtSymposium 24 (2): 1-4. 2020.Cette introduction présente et contextualise les articles publiés dans la section spéciale dont le but est d’analyser l’interprétation de la pensée hellénistique chez les philosophes continentaux très influents tels que : Agamben, Arendt, Blumenberg, Foucault, Heidegger et Stiegler. Les articles prêtent une attention particulière à trois directions de recherche. Ils examinent tout d’abord l’influence de la pensée hellénistique sur ces auteurs et la façon dont ils ont interprété, utilisé et mésin…Read more
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9Vergilius Astronomiae Ignarus? A Vindication of Virgil’s Astronomical Knowledge in Georgics 1.231-258Mnemosyne 72 (4): 621-646. 2019.Both in antiquity and today Virgil is sometimes accused of ignorance in astronomy. This paper argues that, on the contrary, Virgil’s treatment of astronomical topics in Georgics 1.231-258 shows that he was quite familiar with the subject, and was able (when he wished to) to combine information from different sources (Aratus, Eratosthenes and other, unidentified ones) into a sensible and harmonious whole. On the other hand, the omission of essential steps between the various parts of his account,…Read more
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37Motion to the Center or Motion to the Whole? Plutarch’s Views on Gravity and Their Influence on GalileoIsis 111 (2): 217-238. 2020.While it is well known that Plutarch’s De facie in orbe lunae was a major source of inspiration for Galileo’s Sidereus nuncius, its influence on his Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo, and especially on his views on gravity, has not been sufficiently explored. This essay offers the first systematic comparison of Plutarch’s and Galileo’s accounts of gravity by focusing on four themes: the thought experiment of a stone falling in a tunnel passing through the center of the Earth; t…Read more
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490The End of Epicurean Infinity: Critical Reflections on the Epicurean Infinite UniverseIn Carla Palmerino, Delphine Bellis & Frederik Bakker (eds.), Space, Imagination and the Cosmos From Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, Springer Verlag. pp. 41-67. 2018.In contrast to other ancient philosophers, Epicurus and his followers famously maintained the infinity of matter, and consequently of worlds. This was inferred from the infinity of space, because they believed that a limited amount of matter would inevitably be scattered through infinite space, and hence be unable to meet and form stable compounds. By contrast, the Stoics claimed that there was only a finite amount of matter in infinite space, which stayed together because of a general centripet…Read more
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11In Epicurean Meteorology Frederik Bakker discusses the meteorology as laid out by Epicurus and Lucretius, offering an updated and qualified account of Epicurean meteorology.
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10Correction to: The End of Epicurean Infinity: Critical Reflections on the Epicurean Infinite UniverseIn Carla Palmerino, Delphine Bellis & Frederik Bakker (eds.), Space, Imagination and the Cosmos From Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, Springer Verlag. 2018.Owing to an oversight on the part of Springer, Chapter 3 was initially published as a regular chapter. However, this is an Open Access chapter.
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12Space, Imagination and the Cosmos, from Antiquity to the Early Modern Period: IntroductionIn Carla Palmerino, Delphine Bellis & Frederik Bakker (eds.), Space, Imagination and the Cosmos From Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, Springer Verlag. pp. 1-9. 2018.In this introduction, we explain our choice to approach the topic of space from a cosmological perspective, that is, by studying the conceptions of space that were implicitly or explicitly entailed by ancient, medieval and early modern representations of the cosmos, and the role that imagination played in those conceptions. We compare our approach with those of Alexandre Koyré and Edward Grant, and we present the two important issues this book intends to shed light on, namely the continuity and …Read more
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32Space, Imagination and the Cosmos From Antiquity to the Early Modern Period (edited book)Springer Verlag. 2018.This volume provides a much needed, historically accurate narrative of the development of theories of space up to the beginning of the eighteenth century. It studies conceptions of space that were implicitly or explicitly entailed by ancient, medieval and early modern representations of the cosmos. The authors reassess Alexandre Koyré’s groundbreaking work From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe and they trace the permanence of arguments to be found throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. …Read more
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6Aëtius, Achilles, Epicurus and Lucretius on the Phases and Eclipses of the MoonMnemosyne 66 (4-5): 682-707. 2013.
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672Three Studies in Epicurean CosmologyDissertation, Utrecht University. 2010.[For an updated version of this thesis, see Frederik A. Bakker, Epicurean Meteorology: Sources, Method, Scope and Organization, Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2016] This dissertation consists of three studies dealing with various aspects of Epicurean cosmology. The first study discusses the Epicurean practice of explaining astronomical and meteorological phenomena by multiple alternative theories. The second study compares the meteorological accounts of Epicurus and Lucretius with other ancient meteorolo…Read more
Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Areas of Interest
Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy |
Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy |