Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
London : Matheson Trust, 2011.
Description
A book on the religious, mystic origins and substance of philosophy. This is a critical survey of ancient and modern sources and of scholarly works dealing with Orpheus and everything related to this major figure of ancient Greek myth, religion and philosophy. Here poetic madness meets religious initiation and Platonic philosophy. This book contains fascinating insights into the usually downplaid relations between Egyptian initiation, Greek mysteries and Plato's philosophy and followers, right into Hellenistic Neoplatonic and Hermetic developments.
User reviews
LibraryThing member le.vert.galant
"Perhaps I am the mummy-like jackal who has come from the four corners of Nun and wishes to bark amongst the dogs of Seshat." Algis Uždavinys (1962-2010) was an incredible scholar of classical theurgy and Greek philosophy. While he claimed that with this book he had "nothing else to say," I can't
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help but feel his insights were congealing into a not quite yet realized but still marvelous synthesis of ancient thought. This monograph is a exposition of philosophy as Orphean madness, what Plato called erotike mania: the desire for the divine banquet and wisdom. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
xii, 99 p.; 23 cm
Pages
xii; 99
ISBN
9781908092076
Local notes
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
I. A Model of Unitive Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
II. Socratic Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
III. Socrates as Seer and Saviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
IV. Philosophy, Prophecy, Priesthood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
V. Scribal Prophethood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
VI. Eastern and Greek Prophethood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
VII. Inside the Cultic Madness of the Prophets . . . . . . . .25
VIII. Egyptian Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
IX. Orpheus as Prophet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
X. Orpheus and the Pythagorean Tradition . . . . . . . . . . .41
XI. Orpheus and Apollo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
XII. "e Orphic Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
XIII. Knowledge into Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
XIV. Telestic Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
XV. "e Lyre of Orpheus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
XVI. "e Cosmic Unfolding of the One . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
XVII. Recollection and Cyclic Regression . . . . . . . . . . . 68
XVIII. Orphic and Platonic Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
XIX. "e Method of Philosophical Catharsis . . . . . . . . . 76
XX. Dei%cation of the Egyptian Initiate-Philosopher. . . 79
XXI. From Homer to Hermetic Secrecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
XXII. Into the Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
XXIII. Beyond the Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
XXIV. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
I. A Model of Unitive Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
II. Socratic Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
III. Socrates as Seer and Saviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
IV. Philosophy, Prophecy, Priesthood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
V. Scribal Prophethood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
VI. Eastern and Greek Prophethood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
VII. Inside the Cultic Madness of the Prophets . . . . . . . .25
VIII. Egyptian Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
IX. Orpheus as Prophet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
X. Orpheus and the Pythagorean Tradition . . . . . . . . . . .41
XI. Orpheus and Apollo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
XII. "e Orphic Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
XIII. Knowledge into Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
XIV. Telestic Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
XV. "e Lyre of Orpheus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
XVI. "e Cosmic Unfolding of the One . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
XVII. Recollection and Cyclic Regression . . . . . . . . . . . 68
XVIII. Orphic and Platonic Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
XIX. "e Method of Philosophical Catharsis . . . . . . . . . 76
XX. Dei%cation of the Egyptian Initiate-Philosopher. . . 79
XXI. From Homer to Hermetic Secrecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
XXII. Into the Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
XXIII. Beyond the Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
XXIV. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97