Maria Michela Sassi
Università di Pisa, Dip. di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere, Faculty Member
The CAP reform and the recent EC communication aimed at preparing its Health Check emphasise the need for interventions locally based where agricultural policy integrates with a broader policy for rural areas growth. In this context, the... more
The CAP reform and the recent EC communication aimed at preparing its Health Check emphasise the need for interventions locally based where agricultural policy integrates with a broader policy for rural areas growth. In this context, the paper investigates the possible different sets policy indicators affecting agricultural productivity at the regional level considering spatial heterogeneity by means of a Mixed Geographically Weighted Regression approach. The analysis is based on a set of policy sensitive indicators selected according to the key component of the CAP reform and referred to a sample of 164 EU-15 regions at NUTS2 level. The methodology adopted, new for the empirical literature on the topic, allows for a more accurate understanding of spatial relationship of the agricultural and socio-economic factors affecting agricultural productivity at the local level providing useful information for policy making.
Research Interests: Geography, Spatial Analysis, Regional policy, Regional Science, Agricultural Policy, and 15 moreFood Policy, Rural Development, Productivity, Policy making, Spatial Heterogeneity, Agricultural Productivity, Cluster Analysis, Research Method, Agricultural Production, Cap Reform, Common Agricultural Policy, Rural Area, Spatial Relationships, Geographically Weighted Regression, and Socio economic factors
Making mental phenomena to depend on certain elements or organs of the body is famously recognized as a distinctive feature of
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This paper begins with the observation that in ancient Greek literary and philosophical tradition as well as in painterly practice colour is perceived as pertaining to the nature of the object itself and almost being one with it. It then... more
This paper begins with the observation that in ancient Greek literary
and philosophical tradition as well as in painterly practice colour is perceived as pertaining to the nature of the object itself and almost being one with it. It then considers the relationship between Greek painterly practice and philosophical accounts of colour(s), arguing that the philosophers show a substantial lack of interest in the painters’ practices. Dyeing technology also seems to be of little interest to colour theorists, who seem more focused on the visual effect of colours than on the behaviour of pigments and dyes. However, as I ultimately
suggest with an anthropological turn of the discourse, referring to dyeing practices may be helpful to understand the intriguing predominance of the white/black/red triad both in the scientific explanations and in the Greek chromatic vocabulary.
and philosophical tradition as well as in painterly practice colour is perceived as pertaining to the nature of the object itself and almost being one with it. It then considers the relationship between Greek painterly practice and philosophical accounts of colour(s), arguing that the philosophers show a substantial lack of interest in the painters’ practices. Dyeing technology also seems to be of little interest to colour theorists, who seem more focused on the visual effect of colours than on the behaviour of pigments and dyes. However, as I ultimately
suggest with an anthropological turn of the discourse, referring to dyeing practices may be helpful to understand the intriguing predominance of the white/black/red triad both in the scientific explanations and in the Greek chromatic vocabulary.
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Introduction to the Proceedings of the conference (coorganised with Matteo Martelli) Ancient science and technology of colour : pigments, dyes, drugs and their perception in Antiquity (Pisa, April 28-29, 2022), published in Technai 13 and... more
Introduction to the Proceedings of the conference (coorganised with Matteo Martelli) Ancient science and technology of colour : pigments, dyes, drugs and their perception in Antiquity
(Pisa, April 28-29, 2022), published in Technai 13 and 14, 2023
(Read all the open access articles here: http://www.libraweb.net/articoli.php?chiave=202310501&rivista=105)
(Pisa, April 28-29, 2022), published in Technai 13 and 14, 2023
(Read all the open access articles here: http://www.libraweb.net/articoli.php?chiave=202310501&rivista=105)
Research Interests: History of Science and Technology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Near Eastern Studies, Ancient Greek Philosophy, Ancient Greek and Roman Art, and 6 moreColours, Polychromy in Ancient Art, Ancient Painting Materials, Ancient Greek Painting, Meaning of colours in antiquity, and Ancient Greek Astrology and Alchemy
This essay aims at reconsidering Giovanni Pugliese Carratelli's brilliant comparison of the description of the 'true earth' in the Phaedo to the near-death vision recalled by Carl Gustav Jung in his 'autobiography'. The scarce ancient... more
This essay aims at reconsidering Giovanni Pugliese Carratelli's brilliant comparison of the description of the 'true earth' in the Phaedo to the near-death vision recalled by Carl Gustav Jung in his 'autobiography'. The scarce ancient sources on near-death-experiences (NDE) pointed out by Pugliese are put in relation with the rich medical contemporary evidence as well as with a few recent studies which pointed out the possible connection of such experiences with the wealth of ancient ‘visions’ of the afterlife (yet just with the myth of Er, in so far as Plato is concerned). On the one hand, the importance of Pugliese's insight, which has been passed unnoticed in the scholarship, will show off as it deserves. On the other, the question of whether Plato's visionary picture might actually be derived from some report of a near-death experience will be assessed.
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Our modern scientific explanation of colour as a subjective impression has replaced a 'pre-theoretical' notion of colour as an intrinsic property of objects, which was mainstream in ancient thought. Why have we lost such pre-theoretical... more
Our modern scientific explanation of colour as a subjective impression has replaced a 'pre-theoretical' notion of colour as an intrinsic property of objects, which was mainstream in ancient thought. Why have we lost such pre-theoretical notion, and what have we lost by losing it? I argue that most ancient Greek philosophers exploited this pre-theoretical assumptionone that was obvious to themin terms and ways that are still worthy of attention in the context of contemporary philosophy of colour. I offer an in-depth analysis of the theories of a number of early Greek philosophers, as well as of Plato in the Timaeus, showing that they tend to share the idea that colour is an essential property of external bodies and therefore plays a causal role in perception. Then I focus on a comparison between Democritus' stance and Aristotle's in order to highlight a significant contrast between the two. Democritus' theory is an exception in ancient thought because it traces the colour phenomenon back to a refraction of atmospheric light through atomic aggregates. Aristotle, instead, posits the presence of colour and light in the bodies themselves. Finally, I interpret Aristotle's account as the most complex attempt in ancient thought to weld together what we call the 'manifest image' of colour and its 'scientific image'.
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Cet article vise à faire ressortir les fils hétérogènes de la pensée sur les émotions qui traversent la littérature philosophique et médicale grecque des cinquième et quatrième siècles avant J.-C., contribuant à l'émergence de la sphère... more
Cet article vise à faire ressortir les fils hétérogènes de la pensée sur les émotions qui traversent la littérature philosophique et médicale grecque des cinquième et quatrième siècles avant J.-C., contribuant à l'émergence de la sphère des passions en tant que territoire autonome pour l'exploration des faits mentaux. Nous examinons d'abord le modèle psychologique homérique dans le but de mettre en évidence son influence sur la littérature philosophique et non philosophique grecque des siècles suivants. Les auteurs hippocratiques, en particulier, se révèlent redevables du monisme «matérialiste» d'Homère, mais on retrouve également des traces du modèle épique chez les penseurs qui, par la suite, se sont intéressés à la relation entre le corps et l'entité-âme. Nous reconstituons ensuite l'évolution au cours de laquelle, d'Héraclite à Démocrite, de Platon à aristote et au Péripatos, une notion du pathos en tant qu'émotion finit par émerger, prête à être acceptée et bien sûr précisée autant que retravaillée par les philosophies des âges hellénistique et romain 1 .
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In this paper I first address what I consider a central issue in the account of perception in Plato's Timaeus, namely, how the pathemata pass through the body to reach the soul, and thus become aistheseis. My point in Section 1 is that in... more
In this paper I first address what I consider a central issue in the account of perception in Plato's Timaeus, namely, how the pathemata pass through the body to reach the soul, and thus become aistheseis. My point in Section 1 is that in tackling this issue Plato aims to provide a firm physiological basis to the notion of perception that starts to emerge in the Theaetetus and the Philebus and is crucial to the late development of his theory of cognition. In the ensuing section I try to put the account of perception in the Timaeus into a historical perspective, aiming to highlight two points: a) Plato's description of the way in which sensible impressions "travel" inside the body and interact with its parts and other constituents is largely indebted to previous theories, such as those we find, for example, in Empedocles and a few Hippocratic writers; b) The leading role in this story (where internal air plays a significant supporting role) is played by blood flowing through the vascular system and thus performing a crucial cognitive function. Moreover, emphasizing the role of blood as well as analyzing the elaborate way in which perceptions are transmitted through the body to the soul proves vital to appreciate (in Section 3) the cognitive status of the lower parts of the soul (which are more involved in perception) and their relation to reason. Overall, the paper adds further elements to our understanding of Plato's embodied approach to cognition. 1
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The paper starts with a brief description of the corpus of physiognomic texts that was handed down from Classical Antiquity to the West via the Latin and Arabic Middle Ages, thus highlighting the importance of the Peripatetic treatise On... more
The paper starts with a brief description of the corpus of physiognomic texts that was handed down from Classical Antiquity to the West via the Latin and Arabic Middle Ages, thus highlighting the importance of the Peripatetic treatise On physiognomy (ca. 300 BCE) and of Polemon’s homonymous treatise (second century CE). The focus then shifts to the long incubation period of physiognomic knowledge that took place from Homer’s time throughout Greek culture due to an interest in the moral significance of physical features that helped to separate physiognomy from other divinatory practices. This explains the attention drawn to the art of physiognomy by Aristotle, who famously reflected on the method- ological problems it raised and on the need to enrich the field with sys- tematic observations, particularly of animals. Thus, as shown through- out the paper, Aristotle laid the foundation for the first treaty on the discipline, which not by coincidence was written within the Peripatos.
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Physiognomy, the art of observing and making inferences from physical features of the body, was practised from c. 1500 BCE (when it is mentioned in Mesopotamian handbooks on divination). A focus on personal character (and a reflection on... more
Physiognomy, the art of observing and making inferences from physical features of the body, was practised from c. 1500 BCE (when it is mentioned in Mesopotamian handbooks on divination). A focus on personal character (and a reflection on the relation between physical and psychical facts) seems to be a Greek innovation. Aristotle attempted to give an inductive basis to assertions of the interdependence of body and soul (in An. pr. 2.27); the Historia animalium provided empirical evidence that corroborated early ideas about moral types among animals. The first extant treatise on the subject, the Physiognomonica (a Peripatetic work of c. 300 BCE long attributed to Aristotle), established a few criteria of comparison with animal, racial, and gender types, as well as with the expressions of emotions. This treatise is the forerunner of a tradition embracing Polemon of Laodicea in the 2nd century CE, an anonymous Latin treatise (Anonymus Latinus) in the 4th, as well as medieval, Renaissance, and modern writers. As a sign-based form of knowledge, physiognomy has been used in (and has drawn on) medicine, ethnography, and astrology. Physiognomic judgements were prized by orators because of their persuasive force. Artists too were well versed in physiognomy. Key to the popularity of the discipline is its claim of providing a comprehensive interpretation of the human world. This was based on a rationalization of everyday intuitions, folklore, and considerations of social status.
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This paper develops the question of the important role played by Hippocratic medicine as a paradigm of knowledge and skill in Plato’s thought. Specifically, it focuses on Plato’s exploitation of the analogy between the medical notion of... more
This paper develops the question of the important role played by Hippocratic medicine as a paradigm of knowledge and skill in Plato’s thought. Specifically, it focuses on Plato’s exploitation of the analogy between the medical notion of health as a balanced condition of the body, on one hand, and political justice on the other. First, I examine Plato's thought on the status of the technai and particularly of medicine, prompted by the “Socratic” connection of moral virtue and knowledge, through an analysis of the relevant passages in a number of dialogues from the Apology of Socrates to the Gorgias and the Phaedrus. In the second section I endeavour to clarify the specific function of the references to medical techne in diverse contexts of the Republic and the Laws, aiming to claim its positive role as a model in the Platonic “psycho-political” project against Levin’s recent attempt at undermining it.
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In the surviving fragments of the early Greek philosophers we find evidence both of the awareness of the emotional impact of colours on the observer depending on their luminosity (or the lack thereof) and of the suspicion that colours may... more
In the surviving fragments of the early Greek philosophers we find evidence both of the awareness of the emotional impact of colours on the observer depending on their luminosity (or the lack thereof) and of the suspicion that colours may constitute or, worse, be exploited as a deceitful covering of the truth (cf. Parmenides, Fragment 8, 39-41 DK; Empedocles, Fragment 23 DK; Gorgias, Fragment 11, 17-18 DK). This judgment about the ‘ambivalence’ of colours is clearly shared by Plato, as shown by his criticism of painting, and particularly of the technique of σκιαγραφία, in the broader frame- work of his discussion on mimesis. However, Plato is far from being immune to the charm of colours in nature as well as in painting. As a matter of fact, as I argue in this paper, it can be shown that Plato conceived the luminosity of certain colours (esp. ‘white’ and the colours of precious metals) as the sensible medium through which intelligible Beauty makes itself visible to the human eye.
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This paper analyses chapter 58 of Theophrastus’ De sensibus, where Democritus’ account of phronein is famously presented. Democritus traces phro- nein to symmetria of the soul, that is conceived, in turn, as a state of thermic... more
This paper analyses chapter 58 of Theophrastus’ De sensibus, where Democritus’ account of phronein is famously presented. Democritus traces phro- nein to symmetria of the soul, that is conceived, in turn, as a state of thermic equilibrium, depending on his consideration of psyche as an aggregate of spherical and thin atoms flowing throughout the body and giving it life, move- ment, and perception. As a consequence, according to him, psychic states go hand in hand with changes in the body. In the following section of this paper, I offer additional evidence in favor of the controversial manuscript reading μετὰ τὴν κίνησιν. As a result, a consistent theory by Democritus can be reconstructed, according to which the balanced state of mobility and temperature of the psychic atoms concentrated in the head that generates a correct thinking neces- sarily follows the movement of sensible eidola throughout the body. In fact, a number of passages from Hippocratic writings attest that Democritus shared the key features of this explanation with the physiological and medical approach of the time.
Discussion de l'édition Laks-Most.
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Summary. I set out to explore Euripides’ religious views by considering him as a thinker and an artist at the same time, or rather as an author who raises as an artist essential questions about the meaning of human existence in relation... more
Summary. I set out to explore Euripides’ religious views by considering him as a thinker and an artist at the same time, or rather as an author who raises as an artist essential questions about the meaning of human existence in relation to that of the gods, not so much by putting into the mouth of his characters certain doxai, but rather by making them speak and act in a certain way within a specific setting. I detach myself both from the scholars who have seen in Euripides a defender of the religious tradition and from those who tend to deconstruct his figures of the gods in a set of projections of various human feelings. Instead, I argue that Euripides questions from the beginning the coherence of traditional beliefs, with growing anxiety which leads, if not to a negation of the existence of the gods, to an exasperated attitude of doubt as to their role in human existence: which is sufficient for him to be counted among the authors whom Plato accuses of impiety in Laws 10.
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In the last thirty years, Greek tragedy has been increasingly recognized as a ground of moral reflection that is at least as worthy of philosophical attention as are the writings of Plato, Aristotle, or the Stoics, owing to the simple... more
In the last thirty years, Greek tragedy has been increasingly recognized as a ground of moral reflection that is at least as worthy of philosophical attention as are the writings of Plato, Aristotle, or the Stoics, owing to the simple fact that dramatic characters move on the scene like in a living world of relationships that requires them to find their way through complex emotional situations. As regards Euripides, the characters of Phae-dra and Medea are particularly revealing for their capacity to understand and express the reasons underlying the tremendous emotional stress under which they are. The paper deals with the problem of Medea's conduct along the drama, facing once more the challenge that Euripides launched on the scene of the Great Dionysia in 431 a.C. A challenge whose meaning can be thus summarized: while Medea perpetrates a horrible crime (the most horrible one can think of, actually), her gesture did not impress the ancient audience (neither does it impress us) for its being " evil " , but for its tragic grandeur. Indeed, in analyzing the famous monologue in which Medea reflects on how to best achieve her vengeance on Jason, we see that she does not evaluate her strategy in terms of what would be morally good or bad to do, either for herself or for her children, while clearly acknowledging that she is driven by her passion (thumòs). Besides stressing the extraordinary lucidity Medea displays in the monologue, we aim to disentangle the diverse and contradictory emotions that constitute her emotional syndrome, that is, love and hate, shame and anger, pleasure in revenge and despair.
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Making mental phenomena to depend on certain elements or organs of the body is famously recognized as a distinctive feature of physiologia both in the so-called " autobiography " of Socrates in the Phaedo and in a further " doxographic "... more
Making mental phenomena to depend on certain elements or organs of the body is famously recognized as a distinctive feature of physiologia both in the so-called " autobiography " of Socrates in the Phaedo and in a further " doxographic " passage in the dialogue, where Simmias develops the argument that the soul is like " a blending and an attunement " of the bodily elements. While no earlier thinker is mentioned here, one can easily identify Parmenides and Empedocles as two of the main supporters of the notion that thought and perception depend on the various blendings of the physical constituents of the body. That they had such a view is indeed well known thanks to a few fragments , for whose discussion Aristotle's and Theophrastus' comments prove to be particularly helpful. What neither Plato nor Aristotle acknowledge, though, is that no such specific bearer of mental functions as psyche is needed in this kind of account. As a matter of fact, both Parmenides and Empedocles share with the epic and lyric tradition the idea of the precariousness of human knowledge, due to the constant exposure of human beings to change. Yet they " translate " the topos of human existence and thought subjected to the divine into a vision where the physical krasis of the body (not by chance, a medical notion) is all that matters.
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I deal first with the issue of what was the Greeks and Romans’ chromatic experience as it emerges from the linguistic evidence, showing that colors were actually perceived, and they emotionally affected people, in degrees of light and... more
I deal first with the issue of what was the Greeks and Romans’ chromatic experience as it emerges from the linguistic evidence, showing that colors were actually perceived, and they emotionally affected people, in degrees of light and darkness rather than in terms of hue. Then I claim that this assumption also underlies both ancient theories on color and vision (Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, and the Peripatetic De coloribus) and the various aesthetic judgments to be found throughout ancient literature on the beauty and emotional power of (mainly brilliant) colors. Polychromy in sculpture and the painters’ practices of mixing pigments are taken into consideration as well, along with the relevant comments by ancient authors.
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This essay provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of a cluster of Heraclitus’ fragments that revolve around an image of ‘musical’ harmony (B 8, 10, and 51 Diels-Kranz). The aim is to demonstrate that more numerous as well as more... more
This essay provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of a cluster
of Heraclitus’ fragments that revolve around an image of ‘musical’ harmony
(B 8, 10, and 51 Diels-Kranz). The aim is to demonstrate that more numerous as
well as more specific references to contemporary musical practice can be found
in these fragments than is usually thought. In particular, it is argued that in his
talk of cosmic harmonia Heraclitus might well know and exploit a musical sense
of this word, namely, that of ‘attunement’, which was already developing at his
time from the primary meaning of ‘connection’ and ‘agreement’. Furthermore,
it is shown that the investigation of musical patterns with which Heraclitus was
clearly acquainted offered him a significant analogical ground for his reflection
on the order and rationality of kosmos. He was not apparently interested in the
numerical definition of musical patterns, and thus there is no need to assume any
influence of earlier Pythagorean research on his theory of cosmic harmony: the
other way round, this theory was likely food for thought for Philolaus.
of Heraclitus’ fragments that revolve around an image of ‘musical’ harmony
(B 8, 10, and 51 Diels-Kranz). The aim is to demonstrate that more numerous as
well as more specific references to contemporary musical practice can be found
in these fragments than is usually thought. In particular, it is argued that in his
talk of cosmic harmonia Heraclitus might well know and exploit a musical sense
of this word, namely, that of ‘attunement’, which was already developing at his
time from the primary meaning of ‘connection’ and ‘agreement’. Furthermore,
it is shown that the investigation of musical patterns with which Heraclitus was
clearly acquainted offered him a significant analogical ground for his reflection
on the order and rationality of kosmos. He was not apparently interested in the
numerical definition of musical patterns, and thus there is no need to assume any
influence of earlier Pythagorean research on his theory of cosmic harmony: the
other way round, this theory was likely food for thought for Philolaus.
The focus of this essay is on Xenophanes’ criticism of anthropomorphic representation of the gods, famously sounding like a declaration of war against a constituent part of the Greek religion, and adopting terms and a tone that are... more
The focus of this essay is on Xenophanes’ criticism of anthropomorphic representation of the gods, famously sounding like a declaration of war against a constituent part of the Greek religion, and adopting terms and a tone that are unequalled amongst “pre-Socratic” authors for their directness and explicitness. While the main features of Xenophanes’ polemic are well known thanks to some of the most studied fragments of the pre-Socratic tradition, a different line of enquiry from the usual one is attempted by considering the multilayered background of the religious beliefs revolving around the idea that the gods have human form as outlined in the tradition of epic poetry or represented in cult statues: in the light of this consideration Xenophanes’ text can take on some new characteristics.
In the second part of the article, emphasis is put on the importance of the correlation Xenophanes established between the issue of the appearance of the gods and that of the certainty of knowledge, in terms that have exerted tremendous influence on later thought, most notably on Plato in the Timaeus.
In the second part of the article, emphasis is put on the importance of the correlation Xenophanes established between the issue of the appearance of the gods and that of the certainty of knowledge, in terms that have exerted tremendous influence on later thought, most notably on Plato in the Timaeus.
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Plato’s account of mental illness in the Timaeus is of paramount interest both for philosophical and historical reasons. In fact, it aims at providing a physiological explanation of the ‘Socratic paradox’ that no one does wrong willingly,... more
Plato’s account of mental illness in the Timaeus is of paramount interest both for philosophical and historical reasons. In fact, it aims at providing a physiological explanation of the ‘Socratic paradox’ that no one does wrong willingly, so implying that every act is involuntary –– which raises obvious issues as to moral behaviour, responsibility, and punishment. While touching on this topic, the paper will focus on a different issue, i. e., the terms and the scope of the general definition of psychic illness and of the sub-definitions of a few mental disorders (mania, dusthumia, etc.) that are to emerge from Plato’s text. The relationship between Plato and both Hippocratic and contemporary medical theory (Diocles of Carystus?) will be also examined, in order to establish Plato’s position as a ‘medical thinker’.
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This paper traces the history of a particular cliché of scholarship on the Presocratic philosophers which has persisted from ancient commentators until the present day, and in whose development Hermann Diels work constitutes an... more
This paper traces the history of a particular cliché of scholarship on the Presocratic
philosophers which has persisted from ancient commentators until the
present day, and in whose development Hermann Diels work constitutes an important
stage. This cliché concerns the division of early Greek philosophy into
an Ionian tradition founded by Thales and an Italic one founded by Pythagoras
– although a tripartite division is also often found, in texts in which the Eleatic
lineage is also given a certain importance and autonomy. I examine in detail how
this model, which was originally inspired simply by considerations regarding the
different places in which the traditions ß ourished, developed in various phases of
ancient and modern philosophy along with reß ections on the distinct theoretical
characteristics of the different traditions and on their relations to Plato, whose philosophical system has generally been seen as a synthesis of them. However, even
in its simplest, geographical form the
philosophers which has persisted from ancient commentators until the
present day, and in whose development Hermann Diels work constitutes an important
stage. This cliché concerns the division of early Greek philosophy into
an Ionian tradition founded by Thales and an Italic one founded by Pythagoras
– although a tripartite division is also often found, in texts in which the Eleatic
lineage is also given a certain importance and autonomy. I examine in detail how
this model, which was originally inspired simply by considerations regarding the
different places in which the traditions ß ourished, developed in various phases of
ancient and modern philosophy along with reß ections on the distinct theoretical
characteristics of the different traditions and on their relations to Plato, whose philosophical system has generally been seen as a synthesis of them. However, even
in its simplest, geographical form the
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The adjective eoikos appears in three crucial passages of Greek thought (Xenophanes, fr. 35, Parmenides, fr. 8, 60, Plato, Timaeus 29b3-c3), in all of them expressing the notion of that "resemblance" to the truth that is considered to be... more
The adjective eoikos appears in three crucial passages of Greek thought (Xenophanes, fr. 35, Parmenides, fr. 8, 60, Plato, Timaeus 29b3-c3), in all of them expressing the notion of that "resemblance" to the truth that is considered to be fundamental to the scientific discourse. In fact, this discussion shows that the three uses of the term cannot be arranged along a continuous line, owing to the difficulty in discerning what notion of truth, in what respect, and to what degree of clarity, this discourse should be "like" from time to time. In the case of Parmenides, this aspect seems even to be of secondary importance, as in the term prevails another connotation, which accompanies eoikos from Homer onwards, namely, that of "convenience" of a speech to a communicative context. The article seeks to enlighten the complicate course of the logic of similarity (and of the analogical procedures engaging with it) through such diverse ontological and epistemological frameworks as are those of Xenophanes, Parmenides, and the late Plato.
I argue in this paper that the formulation of the eristic paradox in Plato’s Meno (80d5‑e5) echoes Xenophanes’ Frg. 34, by drawing attention to a number of significant similarities of expression and to equally significant points of... more
I argue in this paper that the formulation of the eristic paradox
in Plato’s Meno (80d5‑e5) echoes Xenophanes’ Frg. 34, by drawing
attention to a number of significant similarities of expression and to equally significant points of theoretical tension between the two
texts. Bringing into focus such further authors as Protagoras, Gorgias, and Metrodorus of Chius, I claim that Xenophanes’ epistemological option was central to the philosophical debate in the Sophistic milieu, and that here started a “pre‑skeptical” reading of Frg. 34, which was to affect Plato’s.
in Plato’s Meno (80d5‑e5) echoes Xenophanes’ Frg. 34, by drawing
attention to a number of significant similarities of expression and to equally significant points of theoretical tension between the two
texts. Bringing into focus such further authors as Protagoras, Gorgias, and Metrodorus of Chius, I claim that Xenophanes’ epistemological option was central to the philosophical debate in the Sophistic milieu, and that here started a “pre‑skeptical” reading of Frg. 34, which was to affect Plato’s.
This paper is aimed at offering a general survey of ancient theories on vision and colours, in which one might see two basic trends. On the one hand, some Presocratics (particularly Empedocles) are inclined to relate different colours to... more
This paper is aimed at offering a general survey of ancient theories on vision and colours, in which one might see two basic trends. On the one hand, some Presocratics (particularly Empedocles) are inclined to relate different colours to different degrees of light in the objects; degrees of light, in turn, were conceived as determined by the elements which constitute the objects themselves. On the other hand, other thinkers are inclined to insist on the subjectivity of sensible processes, and to treat colours as not existing ‘in’ things, but depending rather upon the interaction between the daylight and the microphysical structure of the object (Democritus) or the perceiver’s visual ray (Plato’s Timaeus). I argue that Aristotle was aware of this plurality of theoretical choices, as shown by the different accounts on chromatic vision he gives in De anima and De sensu (where he is closer to the first concept of colour, which may be characterised as a ‘natural’ one), and in the more empirical frame of his Meteorologica. Finally, Hellenistic philosophers are deeply indebted to Aristotle’s formulation of the relationship between colours and objects.
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My aim is to examine in detail the arguments put forward by Vernant in the early sixties of the past century, when he famously characterized Greek philosophy as “fille de la Cité” (daughter of the polis). My main point is that the... more
My aim is to examine in detail the arguments put forward by Vernant in the early sixties of the past century, when he famously characterized Greek philosophy as “fille de la Cité” (daughter of the polis). My main point is that the category of isonomia, which is central in the political debate of Athens only since the last decades of the sixth century, cannot be easily used to explain the new conception of physical space, which emerges in Miletos at the beginning of that century. In any case, the use of political models in the early Greek science of nature is a conscious one, as I attempt to show by analysing some famous texts like Alcmaeon’s fragment 4 and Anaximander’s fragment 1. Moreover, in Anaximander’s case one may wonder if the explanandum in the analogy was the order of the world or rather of polis.
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My aim in this essay is to interpret Aristotle’s account in De memoria et reminiscentia in a phenomenological key, focusing on the intentionality of the mnemonic process, as suggested by Romeyer Dherbey a few years ago. After analyzing... more
My aim in this essay is to interpret Aristotle’s account in De memoria et reminiscentia in a phenomenological key, focusing on the intentionality of the mnemonic process, as suggested by Romeyer Dherbey a few years ago. After analyzing the Aristotle’s general notion of phantasma (psychic representation susceptible to different cognitive operations), I will examine the specific nature of the mnemonic phantasma. Linking this essentially to the notion of time allows Aristotle to define recollection as a result of a conscious ‘shifting’ of the look (in the soul) from the internal representation of a sensation (or a notion) to the moment in which the act of perception (or learning) has taken place. Then I will deal with the interpretation of Aristotle’s phantasma as visual image, to conclude with remarks on the issue of personal/non personal memory.
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I argue that Parmenides' narration in the Prologue of the poem aims to represent the philosopher's journey as a katabasis, and therefore it reprises some features of the journey of the Orphic initiate in the afterlife.
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The paper examines the first phase of the formation and elaboration of the language of Greek philosophy, showing that it is largely based on a resemantization of everyday language. In particular, the semantic development of the terms... more
The paper examines the first phase of the formation and elaboration of the language of Greek philosophy, showing that it is largely based on a resemantization of everyday language. In particular, the semantic development of the terms arché, kosmos, stoicheion, physis is considered. Furthermore, I focus on the sort of philosophical dictionary that is book 5 of Aristotle's Metaphysics.Aristotle's analyses denote the philosopher's significant awareness of a linguistic process that took place historically.
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In the “Charmides” Plato ascribes to Socrates the recourse to a curious metaphor. To young Charmides, who is in need of a headache therapy, he explains that this ought to be preceded by a cure for his soul. “The treatment of the soul... more
In the “Charmides” Plato ascribes to Socrates the recourse to a curious metaphor. To young Charmides, who is in need of a headache therapy, he explains that this ought to be preceded by a cure for his soul. “The treatment of the soul –Socrates puts it – is by means of certain charms, and these charms are kaloi logoi”. The study of this image of the charm allows the author of this book to discuss a key concept in Plato’s oeuvre: persuasion, as the subtitle reads. The main outcome of this enquiry is the sketching of an original reworking of the relationship between philosophy and rhetoric, which is often flattened to a mere opposition. Socrates is not a rhetorician, nor is Gorgias a philosopher, but both of them claim to be aiming at persuading the others. And philosophical persuasion, though in a certain sense is something completely different from the rhetorical one, in another shows itself as the offspring of a compulsory compromise of the philosopher with the rhetorician’s activity.
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How can we face today the problem of the beginnings of philosophy, avoiding the rationalistic opposition between mythos and logos and exploring instead the multiple styles of thought (hence the plural: beginnings) which emerged on the... more
How can we face today the problem of the beginnings of philosophy, avoiding the rationalistic opposition between mythos and logos and exploring instead the multiple styles of thought (hence the plural: beginnings) which emerged on the confine between mythology and the dawning reason? Maria Michela Sassi reconstructs the texture of archaic knowledge through its vanishing points, its accelerations in time, its cognitive techniques (starting from writing), the habit of intellectual competition. All these things made possible what we were used to call «the Greek miracle». Such definition, however, is misleading in its very conveying a charm that alters the features of what really happened in that far past between the Asian shores of Ionia and Magna Graecia. The beginning of the long process leading to the birth of philosophy was characterized by geographic polycentrism and disciplinary polygenesis: from Miletus to Elea, from Ephesus to Agrigento, some people started to reflect on the cosmic order, elaborated doctrines on the soul, wrote in the solemn Homeric metre or, later on, abandoned prosody in favour of an assertive prose, articulated like the laws of the polis. In order to define the category of the «Pre-Socratics», the prefix – however fortunate it has been – is not enough. The Milesian natural thinkers, the rhapsodist Xenophanes, the mathematician and “shaman” Pythagoras, the oracle-like Heraclitus, the inspired Parmenides, the “demonologist” Empedocles: all these thinkers share the same tension towards a reason which, by questioning traditionally recognized viewpoints, revolutionized the panorama of Greek knowledge.
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Introduzione. Il problema con Socrate. 1. L’eccezione filosofica. 2. L’eccezione fisiognomica. 3. Un conversare vivace e scherzoso. 4. Socrate fra le nuvole: un cattivo maestro? 5. In missione per conto del dio. 6. Contraddizioni,... more
Introduzione. Il problema con Socrate.
1. L’eccezione filosofica.
2. L’eccezione fisiognomica.
3. Un conversare vivace e scherzoso.
4. Socrate fra le nuvole: un cattivo maestro?
5. In missione per conto del dio.
6. Contraddizioni, incertezze e domande.
7. Ironia del dire, ironia del vivere.
8. Ripulse dell’eros e doglie dell’anima.
9. Coscienza e cura di sè.
10. Una tecnica per l’anima.
11. Conoscenza = virtù = felicità.
12. Segni e disegni divini.
13. Lo Stato contro Socrate.
14. La difesa di una vita.
15. Il posto in cui stare.
16. Morte di un uomo onesto.
Appendice I: inquadramento storico e biografico.
Appendice II: descrizione materiale delle fonti su Socrate
Indice dei nomi
Indice delle opere citate
1. L’eccezione filosofica.
2. L’eccezione fisiognomica.
3. Un conversare vivace e scherzoso.
4. Socrate fra le nuvole: un cattivo maestro?
5. In missione per conto del dio.
6. Contraddizioni, incertezze e domande.
7. Ironia del dire, ironia del vivere.
8. Ripulse dell’eros e doglie dell’anima.
9. Coscienza e cura di sè.
10. Una tecnica per l’anima.
11. Conoscenza = virtù = felicità.
12. Segni e disegni divini.
13. Lo Stato contro Socrate.
14. La difesa di una vita.
15. Il posto in cui stare.
16. Morte di un uomo onesto.
Appendice I: inquadramento storico e biografico.
Appendice II: descrizione materiale delle fonti su Socrate
Indice dei nomi
Indice delle opere citate
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How can we face/approach today the problem of the beginnings of philosophy? How can we avoid the sterility of the contrast between mythos and logos, and explore the multiple styles of thought which emerged on the confine between mythology... more
How can we face/approach today the problem of the beginnings of philosophy? How can we avoid the sterility of the contrast between mythos and logos, and explore the multiple styles of thought which emerged on the confine between mythology and the dawning reason? Maria Michela Sassi goes back to the canonical questions – when thought was born, its specific nature and its distinctive forms – in order to reconstruct the texture of archaic knowledge through its vanishing points, its accelerations in time, its cognitive techniques (starting from writing), the habit of intellectual competition. All these things made possible what we were used to call «the Greek miracle». Such definition, however, is misleading: the idea of origin conveys itself a charm that gives a sense of wonder and alters the features of what really happened in that far past between the Asian shores of Ionia and Magna Graecia. The beginning of the long process leading to the birth of philosophy was characterized by geographic polycentrism and disciplinary polygenesis: from Miletus to Elea, from Ephesus to Agrigento, some people started to reflect on the cosmic order, elaborated doctrines on the soul, wrote in the solemn Homeric metre or, later on, abandoned prosody in favour of an assertive prose, articulated like the laws of the polis. In order to define the category of the «pre-Socratics», the prefix – however fortunate it has been – is not enough. The three Ionic “scientists”, the rhapsodist Xenophanes, the mathematician and “shaman” Pythagoras, the oracle-like Heraclitus, the inspired Parmenides, the “demonologist” Empedocles: all these thinkers share the same tension towards a reason which, by questioning traditionally recognized viewpoints, revolutionized the panorama of Greek knowledge. Such philosophical disposition was fixed, once for all, in Alcmeon’s 1st fragment: «The gods have certainties both on invisible and on mortal things; men can only conjecture».
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Research Interests:
La costruzione del pensiero filosofico nell'età dei Presocratici/The Construction of Philosophical Discourse in the Age of the Presocratics (Secondo Symposium Praesocraticum, Pisa, Scuola Normale Superiore, 16-18 settembre 2004), a cura di M. M. Sassi, Edizioni della Normale, Pisa 2006, pp. XII-397.more
Articles by: M. Adomenas, J.-F. Balaudé, I. Barany, G. Betegh, P. Curd, M. L. Gemelli Marciano, C. Huffman, W. Leszl, G. E. R. Lloyd, E. Mogyorodi, O. Primavesi, C. Rapp, A. Roselli, M. M. Sassi, K. Sharp,
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articles by: G. Cambiano, B. Cillerai, C. D'Ancona, C. Di Martino, A. Ferrarin, F. Mignini, K. Ierodiakonou, M. Mugnai, C. Pogliano, M. M. Sassi, N. Tirinnanzi,