Gregory Vlastos

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Gregory Vlastos (Greek: Γρηγόριος Βλαστός; July 27, 1907 October 12, 1991) was a scholar of ancient philosophy, and author of several works on Plato and Socrates. He was also a Christian and has written on Christian faith as well.

Life and works

Vlastos was born in Istanbul, to a Scottish mother and a Greek father, where he received a Bachelor of Arts from Robert College before moving to Harvard University where he received a PhD in 1931. After teaching for several years at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, he moved to Cornell University in 1948. He was Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University between 1955 and 1976, and then Mills Professor of Philosophy at University of California, Berkeley until 1987. He received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1990. He was twice awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a corresponding fellow of the British Academy, and a member of the American Philosophical Society.[1] Vlastos died in 1991, before finishing a new compilation of essays on Socratic philosophy.

He is credited with bringing about a renaissance of interest in Plato among philosophers throughout the world.[1] Many of Vlastos' students have become important scholars of ancient philosophy, including Terence Irwin, Richard Kraut, Frank A. Lewis, Paul Woodruff, Sara Ahbel-Rappe, and Alexander Nehamas.

Theory of Socratic philosophy

In his work The Philosophy of Socrates: a Collection of Critical Essays (UNDP 1971). Vlastos advanced the idea "that one can identify in certain Platonic dialogues a philosophical method and a collection of philosophical theses which may properly be attributed to Socrates."[2] He maintained that this can be described as "Socratic philosophy, as distinct from what is commonly know as Platonism".[2] The idea remains controversial[2] and those who agree with his position are referred to as Vlastosians.

Published works

Edited

  • Towards the Christian Revolution - with R.B.Y. Scott, Willett, Clark & Company, 1936.
  • Plato, a Collection of Critical Essays: I, Metaphysics and Epistemology; II, Ethics, Politics, and Philosophy of Art and Religion Anchor Books / Doubleday and Company, 1971
  • Philosophy of Socrates: a Collection of Critical Essays (Modern Studies in Philosophy), University of Notre Dame Press, 1980, ISBN 978-0-268-01537-4 ISBN 0268015376

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 An In memoriam essay
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Robert B. Talisse (2002). "Misunderstanidng Socrates". Arion (9.3 ed.): 111–121. 

External links

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