Middle Platonism

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Middle Platonism was a philosophical movement in the Hellenistic and early Roman periods that revived and systematized Plato’s ideas, blending them with elements of Aristotelianism and Stoicism and laying groundwork for later Neoplatonism.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hellenistic philosophy
philosophical movement
school of Platonism
chronologicalEndApprox 3rd century CE
chronologicalStartApprox 1st century BCE
coreDoctrine distinction between intelligible and sensible realms
emphasis on divine providence
ethical goal of assimilation to God
hierarchical metaphysical structure of reality
immortality of the soul
interpretation of Plato through systematic exegesis
transcendent first principle or highest God
emphasizes allegorical interpretation of Plato
ethical cultivation and virtue
religious and theological dimensions of Platonism
follows New Academy
Old Academy
geographicalCenter Alexandria
Athens
Rome
influenced Neoplatonism
Origen
Patristic theology
Philo of Alexandria
Plotinus
early Christian philosophy
influencedBy Aristotle
Plato
Pythagoreanism
Stoicism
languageOfExpression Ancient Greek
Latin
method harmonization of Plato and Aristotle
selective adoption of Stoic ethics and physics
notableRepresentative Alcinous
Antiochus of Ascalon
Atticus
Eudorus of Alexandria
Numenius of Apamea
Philo of Alexandria
Plutarch of Chaeronea
linked to: Plutarch
precedes Neoplatonism
relatedConcept Hellenistic philosophy
Middle Academy
Platonism
timePeriod 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE
viewOnCosmos cosmos ordered by divine providence
viewOnForms Platonic Forms as paradigms in the divine intellect
viewOnGod God as transcendent and separate from matter
viewOnSoul soul as intermediary between intelligible and sensible worlds

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (50)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Origen influencedBy Middle Platonism
Logos influencedBy Middle Platonism
Justin Martyr philosophicalSchool Middle Platonism
Philo of Alexandria influenced Middle Platonists
linked to: Middle Platonism
Platonism hasVariant Middle Platonism
Academy of Athens (ancient) tradition Middle Platonism
subject linked to: Academy of Athens
Plotinus influencedBy Middle Platonism
Hellenistic religion interpretedBy Middle Platonism
Timaeus influenced Middle Platonism
Neoplatonism influencedBy Middle Platonism
Neoplatonism relatedMovement Middle Platonism
School of Socrates influenced Middle Platonism
Plutarch philosophicalSchool Middle Platonism
De Opificio Dei philosophicalInfluence Middle Platonism
Alexandrian theology influencedBy Middle Platonism
Valentinianism influencedBy Middle Platonism
Commentary on Matthew influencedBy Middle Platonism
Homilies on Genesis influencedBy Middle Platonism
Contra Celsum philosophicalContext Middle Platonism
On the Special Laws philosophicalContext Middle Platonism
Clement of Alexandria influencedBy Middle Platonism
Speusippus associatedWith Middle Platonism (via later reception)
linked to: Middle Platonism
Xenocrates influenced Middle Platonism
Numenius of Apamea philosophicalSchool Middle Platonism
Antiochus of Ascalon movement Middle Platonism
Antiochus of Ascalon influenced Middle Platonists
linked to: Middle Platonism
Hellenistic philosophy hasPart Middle Platonism
Iamblichus of Chalcis influencedBy Middle Platonism
Thrasyllan tetralogies associatedWith Middle Platonism
Amelius Gentilianus influencedBy Middle Platonism
Demiurge philosophicalTradition Middle Platonism
Porphyry influencedBy Middle Platonism
Corpus Hermeticum philosophicalInfluence Middle Platonism
Somnium Scipionis philosophicalTradition Middle Platonism
Apuleius movement Middle Platonism
Life of Nicias literaryMovement Middle Platonism (intellectual context of author)
linked to: Middle Platonism
Moralia associatedWith Middle Platonism
Life of Romulus literaryPeriod Middle Platonism
Life of Camillus associatedWith Middle Platonism (Plutarch’s philosophical background)
linked to: Middle Platonism
Life of Aratus literaryMovement Middle Platonism
Book I (Divine Institutes) philosophicalInfluence Middle Platonism
subject linked to: Book I
negative theology influencedBy Middle Platonism