The Gold Analogy in the Timaeus

Aristotle and Mathematics

“…78 Against this, Tom Robinson (1970) & (1987) claims that the definition of soul found in the Phaedrus cannot be assumed to apply to the concept of soul in the Tzmaeus. Mohr (1985) accepts Robinson's argument and hence claims that the World-Soul in the Tzmaeus functions as a maintainer of order against the natural tendency of the corporeal to be chaotic. If this were the case, however, one would expect Aristotle to exploit the inconsistencies in Plato's account of the soul as an origin of motion.…”

“…79 79 Some commentators, such as Comford (1937), Hintikka (1973), von Leyden (1935), andWhittaker (1968) think that Platonic Forms are (merely) everlasting, while others, like Chemiss (1957b) and Vlastos (1975) suppose that Forms are timelessly eternal or outside time, in some sense. Owen ( 1953) finds Plato wavering between these two views but I think that Mohr (1985) is right to see this as being due to the fact that the immanent standards of the early dialogues must share in the permanence of the Forms that they imitate closely Prior ( 1985) argues convincingly that Forms and phenomena are sharply separated in the Timaeus, so that self-predication is ruled out for the Forms, while phenomenal things merely cling to Being through participation and by virtue of being 'in' the Receptacle.…”

“…50 Prior (1985) 87-126 treats Plato's introduction of the Demiurge as a response to the objections in the Parmenides against the causality of Forms with reference to the world of appearances. 51 R. Mohr (1985) 9--52 analyses this relationship, as does WJ. Prior (1985) ch.…”

“…In 80 Mohr (1985) 58 takes this statement to mean that the Demiurge uses the motions of these heavenly bodies to make clocks that measure temporal succession. He suggests that Plato has a rather technical sense of time in mind here; i.e.…”

“…The simile of the nurse captures the dual function of the Receptacle both as a place for generation and a source of nourishing material. 90 Richard Mohr (1985) 85 ff. argues convincingly that the problem here is not about individuation but rather about identifYing kinds, given that the sensible phenomena are taken to be in flux.…”