INTRODUCTION.

The monstrous accretions which some of them superimposed is manifest to any reader of Plotinus A major Greek-speaking philosopher (c. 204–270 AD) and the founder of Neoplatonism. or Proclus One of the last major Greek philosophers (412–485 AD), who wrote extensive commentaries on Plato.. Such being the concordance of ancient authorities, is it not worth while to inquire whether they be not justified in attaching so profound a significance to this dialogue?

The object of this essay is to establish that they were justified. No one indeed can read the Timaeus, however casually, without perceiving that in it the great master has given us some of his profoundest thoughts and sublimest utterances: but my aim is to show that in this dialogue we find, as it were, the focus to which the rays of Plato’s thought converge; that by a thorough comprehension of it (can we but arrive at this) we may perceive the relation of various parts of the system one to another and its unity as a whole: that in fact the Timaeus, and the Timaeus alone, enables us to recognise Platonism as a complete and coherent scheme of monistic idealism The philosophical view that reality is a unified whole (monism) and is fundamentally mental or spiritual in nature (idealism)..

I would not be understood to maintain that Plato’s whole system is unfolded in the Timaeus; there is no single dialogue of which that could be said. The Timaeus must be pieced together with the other great critical and constructive dialogues of the later period, if we are rightly to apprehend its significance. But what I would maintain is that the Timaeus furnishes us with a master-key, whereby alone we may enter into Plato’s secret chambers. Without this it is almost or altogether impossible to find in Platonism a complete whole; with its aid I am convinced that this is to be done. I am far from undervaluing the difficulty of the task I have proposed: but it is worth the attempt, if never so small a fraction may be contributed to the whole result.

With this end in view, it is necessary to consider Plato’s intellectual development in relation to certain points in the history of previous Greek philosophy. These points are all notorious enough, but it seems desirable for our present purpose to bring them under review.

Pre-platonic basis of Platonism: Heraclitus, Parmenides, Anaxagoras.

§ 2. Now it seems that if we would rightly estimate the task which lay before Plato at the outset of his philosophical career and appreciate the service he has rendered to philosophy, we must throw ourselves back into his position, we must see with his eyes and compute as he would have computed the net result of pre-platonic theorising. What is the material which his predecessors had handed down for him to work upon? what are the solid and enduring verities they have brought to light? and