Eudorus of Alexandria

Eudorus of Alexandria (Greek: Εὔδωρος; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, and a representative of Middle Platonism.[1] He attempted to reconstruct Plato's philosophy in terms of Pythagoreanism.[2]

He formulated a teleological principle for Platonism, derived from the Theaetetus: "as much as we can, become like God."[3] In this he believed that he had found an apt definition of the common goal of Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato.[4] His metaphysics and cosmology combined Platonist, Pythagorean and Stoic ideas.[4]

He is mentioned by Alexander of Aphrodisias as a commentator on Aristotle's Metaphysics,[5] which he is said to have criticized. Simplicius refers to him as a Peripatetic philosopher, and relates that he had written on the Aristotelian Categories. He was a native of Alexandria, and had, like Aristo of Alexandria, written a work on the Nile.[6]

Notes

  1. Middle Platonism entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  2. George E. Karamanolis, 2006, Plato and Aristotle in agreement?, pages 82-4. Oxford University Press
  3. Plato, Theaetetus, 176b
  4. 1 2 Eduard Zeller, Outlines of the History of Greek Philosophy, 13th edition, page 306
  5. Alexander of Aphrodisias, ad Arist. Metaph. p. 26
  6. Strabo, Geographica, xvii.

Bibliography

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