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Plato's Cosmology: Timaeus of Plato
A reprint of the Routledge edition of 1935.
- GenresPhilosophyScience
392 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 1997
About the author
Francis Macdonald Cornford
77 books47 followers1874-1943. Classicist
Cornford was educated at St Paul's School and was admitted to Trinity in 1893, being elected a Scholar the following year. Cornford obtained firsts in both parts of the classical tripos in 1905 and 1907; he was awarded the Chancellor's Classical Medal in the latter year. In 1897 he applied for the Chair of Greek at Cardiff, but was unsuccessful. However, in 1899 he was elected a Fellow of Trinity. He was appointed Assistant Lecturer in Classics in 1902 and Lecturer in 1904. In 1909 he married Frances Darwin, daughter of Ellen Crofts of Newnham College and the botanist Francis Darwin.
During the First World War Cornford was a musketry instructor at Grantham and rose to the rank of Captain before transferring to the Ministry of Munitions.
In 1921 and 1928 Cornford was unsuccessfully a candidate for the Regius Chair of Greek. In 1927 he was appointed Brereton Reader in Classics and four years later became the first to hold the Laurence Chair in Ancient Philosophy, a post which he held until retirement in 1939. He was elected FBA in 1937.
Early in his academic career, Cornford became disenchanted with "Cambridge classics" with its emphasis on philology, and published The Cambridge Classical Course: an essay in anticipation of further reform in 1903. He soon allied with like-minded persons such as Jane Ellen Harrison, Gilbert Murray and A.B. Cook in a group that became known as the "Cambridge Ritualists" who looked for the underlying thoughts and myths that underpinned classical Greece. A string of publications ensued: Thucydides Mythistoricus (1907), From Religion to Philosophy: a study in the origins of Western speculation (1912), The Origins of Attic Comedy (1914), Greek Religious thought from Homer to Alexander (1923), The Laws of Motion in Ancient Thought (1931), Before and After Socrates (1931), Plato's Theory of Knowledge: the Theaetetus and Sophist of Plato (1935), Plato's Cosmology: the Timaeus of Plato (1937), Plato and Parmenides (1939). Unwritten Philosophy and Other essays was published posthumously.
Cornford was also active politically on the Cambridge scene. In 1897 he organised a student petition in favour of degrees for women and in 1904 published an anonymous flysheet on the subject of compulsory chapel. To support rationalist moves in the University he joined with C.K. Ogden in founding the Heretics. His most famous excursion into University politics was Microcosmographia Academica, first published anonymously in 1908 and reissued many times since. In it he satirises the Cambridge system and the types of administrator that it produced. During WWI, when Bertrand Russell was deprived of his College lectureship, Cornford was one of the body of Fellows that attempted to get him reinstated.
Cornford died at his home, Conduit Head on 3 January 1943.
Cornford was educated at St Paul's School and was admitted to Trinity in 1893, being elected a Scholar the following year. Cornford obtained firsts in both parts of the classical tripos in 1905 and 1907; he was awarded the Chancellor's Classical Medal in the latter year. In 1897 he applied for the Chair of Greek at Cardiff, but was unsuccessful. However, in 1899 he was elected a Fellow of Trinity. He was appointed Assistant Lecturer in Classics in 1902 and Lecturer in 1904. In 1909 he married Frances Darwin, daughter of Ellen Crofts of Newnham College and the botanist Francis Darwin.
During the First World War Cornford was a musketry instructor at Grantham and rose to the rank of Captain before transferring to the Ministry of Munitions.
In 1921 and 1928 Cornford was unsuccessfully a candidate for the Regius Chair of Greek. In 1927 he was appointed Brereton Reader in Classics and four years later became the first to hold the Laurence Chair in Ancient Philosophy, a post which he held until retirement in 1939. He was elected FBA in 1937.
Early in his academic career, Cornford became disenchanted with "Cambridge classics" with its emphasis on philology, and published The Cambridge Classical Course: an essay in anticipation of further reform in 1903. He soon allied with like-minded persons such as Jane Ellen Harrison, Gilbert Murray and A.B. Cook in a group that became known as the "Cambridge Ritualists" who looked for the underlying thoughts and myths that underpinned classical Greece. A string of publications ensued: Thucydides Mythistoricus (1907), From Religion to Philosophy: a study in the origins of Western speculation (1912), The Origins of Attic Comedy (1914), Greek Religious thought from Homer to Alexander (1923), The Laws of Motion in Ancient Thought (1931), Before and After Socrates (1931), Plato's Theory of Knowledge: the Theaetetus and Sophist of Plato (1935), Plato's Cosmology: the Timaeus of Plato (1937), Plato and Parmenides (1939). Unwritten Philosophy and Other essays was published posthumously.
Cornford was also active politically on the Cambridge scene. In 1897 he organised a student petition in favour of degrees for women and in 1904 published an anonymous flysheet on the subject of compulsory chapel. To support rationalist moves in the University he joined with C.K. Ogden in founding the Heretics. His most famous excursion into University politics was Microcosmographia Academica, first published anonymously in 1908 and reissued many times since. In it he satirises the Cambridge system and the types of administrator that it produced. During WWI, when Bertrand Russell was deprived of his College lectureship, Cornford was one of the body of Fellows that attempted to get him reinstated.
Cornford died at his home, Conduit Head on 3 January 1943.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 26, 2026
Well this one took me a little bit to get through! This is by no means an easy read, but my copy had Plato’s Timaeus as well as Francis M. Cornford’s excellent but dense and scholarly commentary on the text. In this work, Plato sets out a probable or likely account of the creation of the universe by the Demiurge. This is a truly pivotal text for the study in ancient cosmology. In three parts, Plato, through the dialogue of the character Timaeus, sets out the creation of the universe by reason and necessity, as well as the formation of the human being.
The final part of the book on the body and soul of the human being was very intriguing and thought-provoking. Pertinent to my dissertation research was Plato’s rather foundational teachings on space and time in this book. For Plato, space or place is the “Receptacle of becoming,” and time is the imitation of eternity. Most confusing and difficult in this book are the geometry sections where the primary principles of the universe seem to come down to…different types of triangles? It’s a tough text but oh so foundational for the history of philosophy and Plato studies. Do I believe in Plato’s “likely account” of creation? No, but it makes for good reading!
This passage from Plato is a good summary of his cosmological vision:
“As was said at the outset, these things were in disorder and the god introduced into them all every kind of measure in every respect in which it was possible for each one to be in harmonious proportion both with itself and with all the rest. For at first they were without any such proportion, save by mere chance, nor was there anything deserving to be called by the names we now use fire, water, and the rest; but all these he first set in order, and then framed out of them this universe, a single living creature containing within itself all living creatures, mortal and immortal. Of the divine he himself undertook to be the maker; the task of making the generation of mortals, he laid upon his own offspring. They, imitating him, when they had taken over an immortal principle of soul, went on to fashion for it a mortal body englobing it round about. For a vehicle they gave it the body as a whole, and therein they built on another form of soul, the mortal, having in itself dread and necessary affections: first pleasure, the strongest lure of evil; next, pains that take flight from good; temerity moreover and fear, a pair of unwise counsellors passion hard to entreat, and hope too easily led astray. These they combined with irrational sense and desire that shrinks from no venture, and so of necessity compounded the mortal element.”
The final part of the book on the body and soul of the human being was very intriguing and thought-provoking. Pertinent to my dissertation research was Plato’s rather foundational teachings on space and time in this book. For Plato, space or place is the “Receptacle of becoming,” and time is the imitation of eternity. Most confusing and difficult in this book are the geometry sections where the primary principles of the universe seem to come down to…different types of triangles? It’s a tough text but oh so foundational for the history of philosophy and Plato studies. Do I believe in Plato’s “likely account” of creation? No, but it makes for good reading!
This passage from Plato is a good summary of his cosmological vision:
“As was said at the outset, these things were in disorder and the god introduced into them all every kind of measure in every respect in which it was possible for each one to be in harmonious proportion both with itself and with all the rest. For at first they were without any such proportion, save by mere chance, nor was there anything deserving to be called by the names we now use fire, water, and the rest; but all these he first set in order, and then framed out of them this universe, a single living creature containing within itself all living creatures, mortal and immortal. Of the divine he himself undertook to be the maker; the task of making the generation of mortals, he laid upon his own offspring. They, imitating him, when they had taken over an immortal principle of soul, went on to fashion for it a mortal body englobing it round about. For a vehicle they gave it the body as a whole, and therein they built on another form of soul, the mortal, having in itself dread and necessary affections: first pleasure, the strongest lure of evil; next, pains that take flight from good; temerity moreover and fear, a pair of unwise counsellors passion hard to entreat, and hope too easily led astray. These they combined with irrational sense and desire that shrinks from no venture, and so of necessity compounded the mortal element.”
December 7, 2022
Cornford’s commentary on Plato’s Timaeus is incredibly insightful and illuminating. Cornford’s divisions of the text make a lot of sense, and help provide time to digest new concepts as Plato brings them up before moving on.
Identifying influences from Anaxagoras, Pythagoras, and other presocratics on this work was illuminating (I’d recommend reading some of the presocratics before reading this commentary to get additional value from it); as were comparisons with ancient physicians like Hippocrates and Galen.
Cornford takes a straightforward interpretation of the text without grand pronouncements of it being allegorical to some hidden meaning. For this reason I think it serves well as a reader’s first commentary on a text (hot takes being better left till after someone’s read the text conventionally). But it still provides value to more experienced readers with extensive footnotes on the minutiae of the original Greek which went well over my head.
Overall a worthwhile read, and highly recommend.
Identifying influences from Anaxagoras, Pythagoras, and other presocratics on this work was illuminating (I’d recommend reading some of the presocratics before reading this commentary to get additional value from it); as were comparisons with ancient physicians like Hippocrates and Galen.
Cornford takes a straightforward interpretation of the text without grand pronouncements of it being allegorical to some hidden meaning. For this reason I think it serves well as a reader’s first commentary on a text (hot takes being better left till after someone’s read the text conventionally). But it still provides value to more experienced readers with extensive footnotes on the minutiae of the original Greek which went well over my head.
Overall a worthwhile read, and highly recommend.
October 20, 2010
The classic treatment. Superb.
July 21, 2012
A very useful and thorough commentary to read along with the Timaeus.
February 5, 2013
Insanely impressive commentary on one of the most important texts in the canon and perhaps the one most prone to misinterpretation.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews