Lecture 6.2  Plato: Timaeus

Heisenberg was inspired to study physics on reading the Timaeus
one of the last dialogues written
barely a dialogue
Timaeus: unknown

fulfills the promise of the Phaedo: the final cause, the good
-like Genesis, but very different in character
    creation is not ex nihilo
-a historia

demiurge: master craftsman
        art is an imitation of nature
        intelligence is primary
        but the materials will pose limitations

the intelligible order of the universe preexists the material manifestation
Chaos preexists the ordering of the material universe
lack of jealousy: principle of plenitude
        everything should come into being that can
        everything should be as good as it can be

-things with intelligence is better than lack of intelligence
    intelligence is not without soul
the demiurge creates the world a living intelligent animal, the great God
creates it on the model of the intelligible universe, the Form of the All

proportion and mathematics plays an important role in explaining the good
    the elements are ranged in double proportion, fitting for a solid: recalled the doubling of the cube
    proportion and harmony is beautiful
    and the beautiful is good

completeness is also a form of the good
    the unverse is complete in itself and self-sufficient
    nothing is outside it
a mixture of Xenophanes and Parmenides

soul permeates the whole body of the universe
he makes it everlasting, but not eternal
    creates the souls of the spheres from same, different and being
    in proportion of powers of 2 and 3
        with interspersed arithmetic and geometric means
    time is the moving image of eternity

The traditional gods then make the souls and bodies of other living things

Necessity: material causation: the motions of the elements
    can give only a probable account
    because they do not have a good
    he can only describe them as they are (probably) and not why (for what) they are

the Receptacle: the womb of becoming
    note the gender typing
    development of the notion of matter
        matter is nothing
even the elements are not really things but qualities in continual flux

elements are given a geometrical character to make their natures more distinct

goes on to a discussion of man, his body, soul, and diseases of body and soul