Power Structuralism in Ancient Ontologies

A talk from Galen Strawson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Texas. Structure considered just as such is an abstract, purely logico-mathematically characterisable phenomenon. It appears to follow that if a structure is concretely realised then it must be concretely realised by something that isn't itself just a matter of structure. So there must be more to concrete reality than structure. It's arguable, however, that a thing's structural nature must completely fix its non-structural nature in any world to which the notion of structure is generally applicable. Is this correct? If it is, what follows? Is Max Newman right when he says that 'it seems necessary to give up the 'structure-quality' division of knowledge in its strict form'.

John Sellars, Wolfson College, Oxford, gives a talk as part of the series "Marcus Aurelius: Philosophical, Historical, and Literary Perspectives".

Michael Griffin, Assistant Professor in Philosophy at University of British Columbia, gives a talk as part of the series "Marcus Aurelius: Philosophical, Historical, and Literary Perspectives".

Mark Edwards, Christ Church College, Oxford, discusses religion in the age of Marcus Aurelius as part of the series "Marcus Aurelius: Philosophical, Historical, and Literary Perspectives".

Professor Christopher Gill, University of Exeter, meditates on Marcus Aurelius as part of the series, "Marcus Aurelius: Philosophical, Historical, and Literary Perspectives".

In this talk Anna Marmodoro, Corpus Christi, Oxford, explore the view that Empedocles' world is both dynamic and changeless, and investigate the metaphysical account that Empedocles gives for such a world.

A talk given by Professor Oliver Primavesi, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat, from the series on Empedocles' Metaphysics.

A talk about Empedoclean Superorganisms from Professor David Sedley, Christ's College, Cambridge, from the series on Empedocles' Metaphysics.

A talk from Professor Catherine Rowett, University of East Anglia, from a series on Empedocles' Metaphysics.

John shows how recognising that the Empedoclean roots - fire, water, earth, and air - are subject to forms of generation and destruction consistent with his rejection into nothing. This makes for improved understanding of the difficult verses at Physika 1.234-6 (31B17.3-5 D-K), the block of text in which they occur, and Empedocles' element theory more generally.