Book contents
- The Ladder of the Sciences in Late Antique Platonism
- Cambridge Texts and Studies In Platonism
- The Ladder of the Sciences in Late Antique Platonism
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables and Charts
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Rhetoric as an Instrument of Philosophy
- Chapter 1 Good and Bad Rhetors in Damascius’ Life of Isidore
- Chapter 2 Epistolographic Philosophy
- Chapter 3 Iamblichus’ On the Pythagorean Life in Context
- Chapter 4 The Praise of the Mathematical Sciences in Late Antique Philosophy
- Chapter 5 The Rhetoric of the Ineffable in Late Antique Philosophy
- Part II Ethics
- Part III Political Science
- Part IV Mathematics
- Part V Metaphysics
- Postscript
- Bibliography
- Index Locorum
- General Index
Chapter 4 - The Praise of the Mathematical Sciences in Late Antique Philosophy
from Part I - Rhetoric as an Instrument of Philosophy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 December 2025
Book contents
- The Ladder of the Sciences in Late Antique Platonism
- Cambridge Texts and Studies In Platonism
- The Ladder of the Sciences in Late Antique Platonism
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables and Charts
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Rhetoric as an Instrument of Philosophy
- Chapter 1 Good and Bad Rhetors in Damascius’ Life of Isidore
- Chapter 2 Epistolographic Philosophy
- Chapter 3 Iamblichus’ On the Pythagorean Life in Context
- Chapter 4 The Praise of the Mathematical Sciences in Late Antique Philosophy
- Chapter 5 The Rhetoric of the Ineffable in Late Antique Philosophy
- Part II Ethics
- Part III Political Science
- Part IV Mathematics
- Part V Metaphysics
- Postscript
- Bibliography
- Index Locorum
- General Index
Summary
Chapter 4 discusses the protreptic structure of Iamblichus’ De communi mathematica scientia and of Proclus’ revision of this text in the First Prologue to his commentary on Euclid’s Elements. I note rhetorical patterns and styles of argumentation used by Iamblichus, which mean, for example, that the same arguments can be made both in support of the study of philosophy (in the Protrepticus) and in support of the study of mathematics (in the De communi mathematica scientia). I note Proclus’ use of Syrianus’ commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysics in his revision of Iamblichus’ book and suggest that Iamblichus may have been influenced by the prolegomena of Ptolemy’s Syntaxis.
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- The Ladder of the Sciences in Late Antique PlatonismSelected Essays, pp. 55 - 63Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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