Ancient Self-Refutation

The Logic and History of the Self-Refutation Argument from Democritus to Augustine

Häftad, Engelska, 2015

AvLuca Castagnoli

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A 'self-refutation argument' is any argument which aims at showing that (and how) a certain thesis is self-refuting. This study was the first book-length treatment of ancient self-refutation and provides a unified account of what is distinctive in the ancient approach to the self-refutation argument, on the basis of close philological, logical and historical analysis of a variety of sources. It examines the logic, force and prospects of this original style of argumentation within the context of ancient philosophical debates, dispelling various misconceptions concerning its nature and purpose and elucidating some important differences which exist both within the ancient approach to self-refutation and between that approach, as a whole, and some modern counterparts of it. In providing a comprehensive account of ancient self-refutation, the book advances our understanding of influential and debated texts and arguments from philosophers like Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, the Stoics, the Academic sceptics, the Pyrrhonists and Augustine.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2015-03-05
Mått151 x 230 x 21 mm
Vikt600 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor416
FörlagCambridge University Press
ISBN9781107470637

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Introduction; Part I. Truth, Falsehood and Self-Refutation: 1. Preliminaries; 2. A modern approach: Mackie on the absolute self-refutation of 'nothing is true'; 3. Setting the ancient stage: Dissoi Logoi 4.6; 4. Self-refutation and dialectic: Plato; 5. Speaking to Antiphasis: Aristotle; 6. Introducing peritroph: Sextus Empiricus; 7. Augustine's turn; 8. Interim conclusions; Part II. Pragmatic, Ad Hominem and Operational Self-Refutation: 9. Epicurus against the determinist: blame and reversal; 10. Anti-sceptical dilemmas: pragmatic or ad hominem self-refutations?; 11. Must we philosophise? Aristotle's protreptic argument; 12. Augustine's 'Si fallor, sum': how to prove one's existence by Consequentia Mirabilis; 13. A step back: operational self-refutations in Plato; Part III. Scepticism and Self-Refutation: 14. Self-bracketing Pyrrhonism: Sextus Empiricus; 15. Scepticism and self-refutation: looking backwards; Conclusion.

'In this thoroughly stimulating and in every way impressive book, Castagnoli offers a comprehensive examination and analysis of a large number and variety of self-refutation arguments in ancient philosophy … C.'s command of such exceedingly wide and complex material is nothing short of masterful, as is his acutely rigorous, sharply focussed and immensely detailed use of tools - philological, historical, logical - for the handling of it.' Vasilis Politis, Classical Review