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The Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism

Each term, the Centre hosts various reading seminars devoted to Platonic themes and Authors. See below for both present and past reading groups:

Ongoing Reading Seminars
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Previous Reading Seminars

Michaelmas 2023:
  • Plotinus: Ennead III.6 (26), 'On the Impassivity of Things without Body'.

Lent 2023:

  • Plotinus: Ennead VI.7 (38), 'The Forms and the Good'.

Easter 2021:

  • Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite: Divine Names

Lent 2021:

  • Iamblichus: De Mysteriis

Michaelmas 2020:

  • Proclus: The Elements of Theology

Easter 2020:

  • Plotinus: Ennead II.9 (33), 'Against the Gnostics'.

Lent 2020:

  • Plotinus: Ennead IV.7 (2), 'On the Immortality of Soul'.

Michaelmas 2019:

  • Plotinus: Ennead V.5 (32), 'That the Intelligibles are not Outside the Intellect, and On the Good'.

Lent 2019:

  • Plotinus: Ennead III.2-3 (47), 'On Providence', & III.4 (15), 'On Our Allotted Guardian Spirit' - Thursdays 11.00-12.30, starting 17 January.
  • Hegel: Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion - Wednesdays 11.00-12.30, Room 4.
  • Levinas: Autrement qu’être ou au-delà de l’essence/Otherwise than Being, or Beyond Essence (1974) - Tuesday, 14:00-15:30, Room 4, starting January 23.
  • Eriugena: Periphyseon III - Tuesdays 11.00-12.30, Room 4, starting 15 January. 

Michaelmas 2018:

  • Plotinus: Ennead III.2 (47), 'On Providence'.
  • Schelling: The Ages of the World (Weltalter, 1815).
  • Kant: Transition from the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural 
  • Science to Physics.
  • Eriugena: Periphyseon II on Trinitarian processions & Primordial causes.

Latest news

Workshop | 'An Anthology of the Cambridge Platonists' | 25th-26th April 2025

19 April 2025

The University of Münster in collaboration with the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism is hosting a workshop on the recent volume An Anthology of the Cambridge Platonists , edited by Douglas Hedley and Christian Hengstermann (Routledge, 2024). This event will begin with a public lecture by Douglas Hedley on the...

New Publications from Centre Members

8 March 2025

Two new publications by Centre members, published by the Prometheus Trust. Harold Tarrant’s monograph, Chaerephon: Rethinking Platonic Characters in the Light of the Derveni Papyrus examines the significance of minor characters in the dialogues of Plato in the light of recent advances in our understanding of the Orphic...

Talk | Sean McGrath, 'The Soul of Nature: Boehme / Schelling / Jung' | 11th March 2025

5 March 2025

On Tuesday 11th March 2025, the Centre will host Prof. Sean McGrath, who will give a talk, 'The Soul of Nature: Boehme / Schelling / Jung'. This event will take place in the Runcie Room of the Faculty of Divinity, beginning at 5pm (UK time). The talk can be joined remotely via this Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/...

Conference | Theosis | 9th-10th June 2025

7 February 2025

On Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th June 2025, the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism will host a conference on the theme of 'Theosis'. As this year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, this event will explore this crucial aspect of theology and philosophy through Christian history, and in...

Talk | John Vervaeke, 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis'

30 January 2025

On Tuesday 4th March 2025, the Centre will host Dr John Vervaeke, who will give a talk, 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis'. This event will take place in the Runcie Room of the faculty of Divinity, from 1-3pm (UK time). The talk can be joined via this Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83321325592