Dr. Andreea-Maria Lemnaru Espuna (PhD in Philosophy, Paris Sorbonne University) has been awarded a fellowship funded by the Austrian Science Fund at the University of Vienna as the Principal Investigator of the research project ‘Cosmic Sympathy in Neoplatonism’ - ESP-693.
This project’s goal is to emphasize the value of the Platonic tradition in addressing our time’s most important challenge: the survival of the planet in the ecological crisis.
‘Cosmic Sympathy in Neoplatonism’ aims at analyzing the foundations of cosmic sympathy in Plotinus, Iamblichus, and Proclus - with an interest in the early-Christian concept of providence and Asian philosophy of religions and nature.
The project will bring out 2 underexplored, yet major aspects of late antique Neoplatonism:
1. the sanctity of nature, its philosophical implications and practical consequences
2. the central role of divine feminine principles and how they operate within the onto-metaphysical hierarchy
‘Cosmic Sympathy in Neoplatonism’ will result in the production of a monograph and the organization of several conferences in collaboration with the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism.
It will provide a work of reference on this major topic of Western cosmology and metaphysics to philosophers, historians of religions and philologists, in addition to building a valuable bridge between Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy of Religions and Philosophy of Nature.