E-Book Overview
This volume deals with the general theory of pleasure of Plato and his successors. The first part describes the two paradigms between which all theories of pleasure oscillate: Plato's definition of pleasure as the repletion of a lack, and Aristotle's view that pleasure is the perfect performance of an activity. After an excursus on Epicureans and Stoics, the book concentrates on Neoplatonism, opposing the "standard Neoplatonic view" of Plotinus and Proclus to the original viewpoint of Damascius' commentary on Plato's "Philebus". The volume sheds light on the discussion between hedonists and anti-hedonists, by concentrating on the "crucial point" at which any philosophical analysis of the good life (hedonistic or other) ought to argue that the life of the philosopher is the most desirable, and thus truly pleasurable, life.
E-Book Content
PLEASURE AND THE GOOD LIFE
-
PHILOSOPHIA ANTIOUA A SERIES OF STUDIES ON ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
FOUNDED BY J.H. WASZINKf AND W.J. VERDENIUSf EDITED BY
J. MANSFELD, D.T. RUNIA J.C. M. VAN WINDEN
VOLUME LXXXV
GERD VAN RIEL
PLEASURE AND THE GOOD LIFE
PLEASURE AND THE GOOD LIFE PLATO, ARISTOTLE, AND THE NEOPLATONISTS
GERD VAN RIEL
BRILL LEIDEN BOSTON KOLN 2000
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData Riel, Gerd Van. Pleasure and the good life : Plato, Aristotle and the Neoplatonists / by Gerd Van Riel. cm.-(Philosophia antiqua, ISSN 0079- 1687; v. 85) p Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 90041 17970 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Pleasure. 2. Philosophy, Ancient. I. Title. 11. Series. B187.P57 R54 2000 00-02977 1 17 1'.4'0938-dc2 1 CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufhahrne Riel, Gerd Van : Pleasure and the good life : Plato, Aristotle and the neoplatonists / by Gerd Van Riel. - Leiden ; Boston ; Koln : Brill, 2000 (Philosophia antiqua ; Vol. 85) ISBN 90-04-1 1797-0
ISSN 0079- l687 ISBN 9004 117970
0 Copyright 2000 by Koninklike Brill W L i d e n , The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part if this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission3om the publisher. Authorization to photocopy itemsfor internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriatefees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 91 0 Danvers M 0192.3, USA. Fees are subject to change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................... Introduction .................................................................................. Chapter One . Two Paradigms : Plato and Aristotle .................... I . Plato: The 'Replenishment Theory' ......................................... 1. From the Protagoras to the Republic ........................................ 2. The Philebus .......................................................................... 2.1. The Definition of Pleasure ........................................... 2.2. Plato's Critique of Hedonism ....................................... 3. An Evaluation of Plato's Theory ......................................... 3.1. A Positive Doctrine? .................................................... 3.2. The Physiological Presuppositions of the Definition ... 3.3. The Identity of Pleasure and Replenishment .............. 3.4. Plato's Merits ............................................................... I1. Aristotle: The 'Theory of the Perfect Activity' ........................ 1. Aristotle's Rejection of the Platonic Definition ................... 1.1. The 'Platonic' Definition of