The Syntax of Time: The Phenomenology of Time in Greek Physics and Speculative Logic from Iamblichus to Anaximander

Studies in Platonism, Neoplatonism, and the Platonic Tradition #2

by Peter Manchester

The fourth century Neoplatonist Iamblichus, interpreting Plotinus on the topic of time, incorporates a 'diagram of time' that bears comparison to the figure of double continuity drawn by Husserl in his studies of time. Using that comparison as a bridge, this book seeks a phenomenological recovery of Greek thought about time. It argues that the feature of motion that the word 'time' designates in Greek differs from what most modern scholarship has assumed, that the very phenomenon of time has been misidentified for centuries. This leads to corrective readings of Plotinus, Aristotle, Parmenides, and Heraclitus, all looking back to the final phrase of the fragment of Anaximander, from which this volume takes its title: "according to the syntax of time."

Genres: Philosophy

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Christian Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not lost on me that a book on time has taken me such a long time to finish. Manchester’s short book on the syntax of time is not to be underestimated due to its length, and there is no doubt that the topics covered here provide a limited scope to further questions regarding time as a whole. Despite the limitations of such a work, Manchester is able to articulate and defend an understanding of time’s syntax from Greek thought to more contemporaneous phenomenologists. The lens in which he approaches an understanding of time allows readers to see the traditional understanding of time in a Newtonian sense to be inadequate when it comes to phenomenology. Thus, this book is important in 21st century as it furthers an understanding of where time has come and where it will go. A challenging, yet worthwhile read that aids one in breaking down modern western lenses.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. I love this book! It is delightfully written and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. I'm only halfway through and have struggled the entire time. I nonetheless cannot think of anything I'd rather as a preface to this. This text is itself a disclosure space. Love it. Few typos.