Carrello
Iamblichus, the third-century philosopher, has at various times been revered as a man of great intellect and a genius in religion, or dismissed as a verbose magician. Opinions still differ strongly today, but it is agreed that his philosophical work is an important stage in the development of Neoplatonism.
This volume, a collection of papers from the first conference ever devoted to Iamblichus, held at the University of Liverpool in September 1990, has two central and related concerns. First, the place of Iamblichus in the philosophical tradition: the survival of his work in Syrianus, Proclus, Simplicius and Priscian; and his distinctive use of philosophical concepts and vocabulary. Secondly, the interweaving of religion and philosophy in his major extant works, especially On the Mysteries of Egypt and On the Pythagorean Life. Papers related to this topic deal with such matters as the nature and survival of the soul; the nature of inspiration; the political implications of Iamblichus' philosophy; and most controversial of all his concerns, the ritual known as 'theurgy'.
The contributors to this collection include experts on Iamblichus from Europe and North America. The majority of papers are in English; some are in French or Italian.