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Gaia gets to know herself: Proclus on the self-perception of the cosmos
Proclus' interpretation of the Timaeus confronts the question of whether the living being that is the Platonic cosmos perceives itself. Since sense perception is a mixed blessing in the Platonic tradition, Proclus solves this problem by differentiating different gradations of perception. The cosmos has only the highest kind. This paper contrasts Proclus' account of the world's perception of itself with James Lovelock's notion that the planet Earth, or Gaia, is aware of things going on within itself. This contrast illuminates several key differences between contemporary theories of perception and the neoplatonic world view. In particular, it argues that the neoplatonists had a radically different view of these matters because they assigned the property of truth not only to representations, but to objects as well. © 2009 Brill Academic Publishers.
History
Publication title
PhronesisVolume
54Pagination
261-285ISSN
0031-8868Department/School
School of HumanitiesPublisher
BrillPlace of publication
NetherlandsRights statement
Copyright Brill PublishersRepository Status
- Restricted