Stephen Gersh is professor of philosophy at the Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame. He is the author of, among other titles, Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism: The Latin Tradition (Notre Dame Press, 1986).
"This is a rich, subtle, thought-provoking collection on central,
though neglected topics in idealism and its history, offering fresh
and important insights into both familiar and less familiar major
figures, views, and issues. Most important, perhaps, are its
presentation and assessment of non-subjective forms of idealism, as
well as mind-dependence forms of idealism prior to Descartes.
Contemporary philosophers have become sophisticated about various
forms of realism, anti-realism and irrealism. Such discussions,
among others, will benefit significantly by accepting this volume’s
invitation to become more sophisticated about idealism as well.
This very welcome contribution to the literature should find a
broad readership." —Kenneth R. Westphal, University of East
Anglia
"If it is true—as Hegel and his followers have claimed—that being
and truth are indissociable from history, then philosophy cannot be
successful if it limits itself exclusively to investigations of
individual thinkers and periods. What is at stake, ultimately, is
the development of Western thought as a whole. In this volume, a
fine international group of scholars investigate the meaning of
idealism across the ages. Without sacrificing nuance, their
contributions show that a core of shared assumptions characterizes
idealist philosophies. The historical dialogue which this volume
advances emphasizes the relevance of ancient and medieval thinkers
for the current debate, but it also challenges us to place modern
representatives of idealism—such as Berkeley, Kant, and Hegel—in
historical perspective." —Philipp W. Rosemann, University of
Dallas
“All fourteen essays collected in this volume are solid pieces of
scholarship, and the book as a whole is a welcome addition to the
ongoing debate on the role that the history of philosophy can play
in enriching our conceptual apparatus by reminding us of the
complexity of our philosophical tradition. The book succeeds in
reminding us that idealism is a constellation of different
positions.” —The Review of Metaphysics
“Fourteen essays trace the concept of idealism from Plato, the
Roman Stoics, Plotinus, and Augustine through to Berkeley and the
age of Kant and Hegel. Three papers on the ninth-century Irish
writer Johannes Scottus Eriugena and on the Liber de causis, from
ninth-century Baghdad, inspired by a concern to understand the
common ground between medieval Neoplatonism and nineteenth-century
Hegelian idealism . . . are especially instructive for
medievalists.” —Medium Aevum
"This is a very rich volume and constitutes a good starting point
for a discussion of the multiple meanings of 'idealism.' In
particular, it teaches the lesson that broad 'philosophical'
definitions should be held in deep suspicion unless tied to
specific contexts of discussion and specific historical periods."
—Journal of the History of Philosophy
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