Raphael Woolf
Biographic Data
| ID | 5635930 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Raphael Woolf |
| GIVEN NAMES | Raphael |
| FAMILY NAME | Woolf |
| SIGNATURE | WOOLF R |
| AFFILIATIONS | King's College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8128-9648 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 3 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Cicero's Tusculan Disputations
Cicero composed the Tusculan Disputations in the summer of 45 BC at a time of great personal and political turmoil. He was grieving for the death of his daughter Tullia earlier that year, while Caesar's defeat of Pompey's forces at Munda and return to Rome as dictator was causing him great fears and concerns for himself, his friends and the Republic itself. This collection of new essays offers a holistic critical commentary on this important work…
The Virtue of Agency
In this erudite and stimulating book, Christopher Moore explores the history and meaning of the elusive—and virtually untranslatable—Greek ethical term sōphrosunē. The term is commonly rendered in English as ‘moderation’, ‘temperance’, ‘self-control’, or sometimes (and etymologically closest to the Greek) ‘sound-mindedness’, but none of these captures in a satisfactory way an idea that, as Moore shows, was itself hotly contested, in regard to bot…
Avatars and Accountability
Power and Persuasion in Cicero's Philosophy
Extensively trained as a philosopher, Cicero was also a working politician with a keen awareness of the distance between pure intellectual endeavor and effective strategies of persuasion. This volume explores a series of interrelated problems in his works, from the use of emotion, self-correction, and even fiction in intellectual inquiry, to the motives of political agents and the morality of political arguments, to the means of justifying the us…
Cicero's ‘De Officiis'
Cicero's De Officiis, perhaps his most influential philosophical work, ranges over a wide variety of themes, from the role of the family in society to the question of whether our duties can conflict with one another, and from the moral significance of offence to the question of whether it is right to kill a dictator. This Critical Guide, the first collection of essays devoted to the work, is helpfully organised in thematic sections and aims to il…
Plato’s Epistemology
In this stimulating book, Jessica Moss aims to show that Plato’s epistemological project is “radically different” (6) from what one might expect if exposed only to the contemporary epistemological scene. Moss’s main thesis has two distinct but related parts: first, about Plato’s key epistemological concepts; second, about the motivation behind Plato’s epistemology.In conceptual terms, Moss sees the principal contrast for Plato not as one between …
Rereading Ancient Philosophy
The chapter explores whether we should take Aristotle to be a virtue ethicist, understood as distinct from consequentialist and deontological approaches. For Aristotle the decisive questions whether virtue is prior to ethically good action or vice versa is equivalent to the question which mean is prior, the one characterising virtue or the one characterising good action. I argue that Aristotle would not seem to be a virtue ethicist because a) the…
Aristotle
Plato and the Norms of Thought
This paper argues for the presence in Plato’s work of a conception of thinking central to which is what I call the Transparency View. According to this view, in order for a subject to think of a given object, the subject must represent that object just as it is, without inaccuracy or distortion. I examine the ways in which this conception influences Plato’s epistemology and metaphysics and explore some ramifications for contemporary views about m…
Cicero and Gyges
The tale of Gyges' ring narrated by Cicero at De officiis 3.38 is of course originally found, and acknowledged as such by Cicero, in Plato ( Resp. 359c–360b). I would like in this paper to address two questions about Cicero's handling of the tale – one historical, one philosophical. The purpose of the historical question is to evaluate, with respect to the Gyges narration, Cicero's quality as a reader of Plato. How well does Cicero understand the…
Pleasure and desire
Pleasure is the goal of life for an Epicurean. But it is pleasure of a particular kind that represents this goal, namely lack of pain in body (aponia) and lack of distress in soul (ataraxia). It is clear that, for Epicurus, to be free from bodily pain and mental distress is, in and of itself, to be in a state of pleasure. He does not recognize a neutral state of neither pleasure nor pain; for a percipient subject, being without pain is already pl…
Truth as a Value in Plato's Republic
To what extent is possession of truth considered a good thing in the Republic? Certain passages of the dialogue appear to regard truth as a universal good, but others are more circumspect about its value, recommending that truth be withheld on occasion and falsehood disseminated. I seek to resolve this tension by distinguishing two kinds of truths, which I label 'philosophical' and 'non-philosophical'. Philosophical truths, I argue, are considere…
Particularism, Promises, And Persons In Cicero’ S De Officiis
Could Cicero have been an ethical particularist? Could he, that is, have believed that ethics should proceed without rules or principles? The answer, at first blush, looks like an obvious no. After all, Cicero’s main work on practical ethics, the De officiis, seems precisely aimed at setting out ethical principles
The Practice Of A Philosopher
IN a competitive field, Socrates’ pronouncement that the philosopher practises dying and being dead (Phaedo 64 A 5-6) must rank as one of the most startling in all of Plato’s works. What does he mean by it? The following, at least, seems tolerably clear. Death is the release or separation of the soul from the body (64 c), so that one who practises death strives even in life to effect this separation to the greatest possible extent. Given that the…
What Kind of Hedonist was Epicurus
This paper addresses the question of whether or not Epicurus was a psychological hedonist. Did he, that is, hold that all human action, as a matter of fact, has pleasure as its goal? Or was he just an ethical hedonist, asserting merely that pleasure ought to be the goal of human action? I discuss a recent forceful attempt by John Cooper to answer the latter question in the affirmative, and argue that he fails to make his case. There is considerab…
A Shaggy Soul Story
This paper sets out to re‐examine the famous Wax Tablet model in Plato's Theaetetus, in particular the section of it which appeals to the quality of individual souls’wax as an explanation of why some are more liable to make mistakes than others (194c‐195a). This section has often been regarded as an ornamental flourish or a humorous appendage to the model's main explanatory business. Yet in their own appropriations both Aristotle and Locke treat …
Consistency and Akrasia in Plato's Protagoras
Relatively little attention has been paid to Socrates' argument against akrasia in Plato's Protagoras as an example of Socratic method. Yet seen from this perspective the argument has some rather unusual features: in particular, the presence of an impersonal interlocutor ("the many") and the absence of the crisp and explicit argumentation that is typical of Socratic elenchus. I want to suggest that these features are problematic, considerably mor…
Plato and the Hero
Plato and the Hero
Book Review| January 01 2002 PLATO AND THE HERO: COURAGE, MANLINESS AND THE IMPERSONAL GOOD PLATO AND THE HERO: COURAGE, MANLINESS AND THE IMPERSONAL GOOD. By Angela Hobbs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Pp. xvii, 280. Raphael Woolf Raphael Woolf Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Philosophical Review (2002) 111 (1): 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-111-1-95 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook…
On Moral Ends
This 2001 translation makes one of the most important texts in ancient philosophy available to modern readers. Cicero is increasingly being appreciated as an intelligent and well-educated amateur philosopher, and in this work he presents the major ethical theories of his time in a way designed to get the reader philosophically engaged in the important debates. Raphael Woolf's translation does justice to Cicero's argumentative vigour as well as to…
Callicles and Socrates
In this paper I want to offer a new way of looking at Callicles’ position in Plato’s Gorgias, and at the conception of the good life which Socrates presents in return. In particular I want to suggest that these two positions, on the surface radically opposed, have a certain deeper affinity. None the less, Callicles’ position contains internal contradictions, as Socrates’ does not. This is connected with the fact that Socrates’ position is charact…
What Kind of Hedonist was Epicurus
This paper addresses the question of whether or not Epicurus was a psychological hedonist. Did he, that is, hold that all human action, as a matter of fact, has pleasure as its goal? Or was he just an ethical hedonist, asserting merely that pleasure ought to be the goal of human action? I discuss a recent forceful attempt by John Cooper to answer the latter question in the affirmative, and argue that he fails to make his case. There is considerab…
Consistency and Akrasia in Plato's Protagoras
Relatively little attention has been paid to Socrates' argument against akrasia in Plato's Protagoras as an example of Socratic method. Yet seen from this perspective the argument has some rather unusual features: in particular, the presence of an impersonal interlocutor ("the many") and the absence of the crisp and explicit argumentation that is typical of Socratic elenchus. I want to suggest that these features are problematic, considerably mor…
Truth as a Value in Plato's Republic
To what extent is possession of truth considered a good thing in the Republic? Certain passages of the dialogue appear to regard truth as a universal good, but others are more circumspect about its value, recommending that truth be withheld on occasion and falsehood disseminated. I seek to resolve this tension by distinguishing two kinds of truths, which I label 'philosophical' and 'non-philosophical'. Philosophical truths, I argue, are considere…
Callicles and Socrates
In this paper I want to offer a new way of looking at Callicles’ position in Plato’s Gorgias, and at the conception of the good life which Socrates presents in return. In particular I want to suggest that these two positions, on the surface radically opposed, have a certain deeper affinity. None the less, Callicles’ position contains internal contradictions, as Socrates’ does not. This is connected with the fact that Socrates’ position is charact…
On Moral Ends
This 2001 translation makes one of the most important texts in ancient philosophy available to modern readers. Cicero is increasingly being appreciated as an intelligent and well-educated amateur philosopher, and in this work he presents the major ethical theories of his time in a way designed to get the reader philosophically engaged in the important debates. Raphael Woolf's translation does justice to Cicero's argumentative vigour as well as to…
Consistency and Akrasia in Plato's Protagoras
Relatively little attention has been paid to Socrates' argument against akrasia in Plato's Protagoras as an example of Socratic method. Yet seen from this perspective the argument has some rather unusual features: in particular, the presence of an impersonal interlocutor ("the many") and the absence of the crisp and explicit argumentation that is typical of Socratic elenchus. I want to suggest that these features are problematic, considerably mor…
Plato and the Hero
Plato and the Hero
Book Review| January 01 2002 PLATO AND THE HERO: COURAGE, MANLINESS AND THE IMPERSONAL GOOD PLATO AND THE HERO: COURAGE, MANLINESS AND THE IMPERSONAL GOOD. By Angela Hobbs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Pp. xvii, 280. Raphael Woolf Raphael Woolf Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Philosophical Review (2002) 111 (1): 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-111-1-95 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook…
The Practice Of A Philosopher
IN a competitive field, Socrates’ pronouncement that the philosopher practises dying and being dead (Phaedo 64 A 5-6) must rank as one of the most startling in all of Plato’s works. What does he mean by it? The following, at least, seems tolerably clear. Death is the release or separation of the soul from the body (64 c), so that one who practises death strives even in life to effect this separation to the greatest possible extent. Given that the…
What Kind of Hedonist was Epicurus
This paper addresses the question of whether or not Epicurus was a psychological hedonist. Did he, that is, hold that all human action, as a matter of fact, has pleasure as its goal? Or was he just an ethical hedonist, asserting merely that pleasure ought to be the goal of human action? I discuss a recent forceful attempt by John Cooper to answer the latter question in the affirmative, and argue that he fails to make his case. There is considerab…
A Shaggy Soul Story
This paper sets out to re‐examine the famous Wax Tablet model in Plato's Theaetetus, in particular the section of it which appeals to the quality of individual souls’wax as an explanation of why some are more liable to make mistakes than others (194c‐195a). This section has often been regarded as an ornamental flourish or a humorous appendage to the model's main explanatory business. Yet in their own appropriations both Aristotle and Locke treat …
Particularism, Promises, And Persons In Cicero’ S De Officiis
Could Cicero have been an ethical particularist? Could he, that is, have believed that ethics should proceed without rules or principles? The answer, at first blush, looks like an obvious no. After all, Cicero’s main work on practical ethics, the De officiis, seems precisely aimed at setting out ethical principles
Truth as a Value in Plato's Republic
To what extent is possession of truth considered a good thing in the Republic? Certain passages of the dialogue appear to regard truth as a universal good, but others are more circumspect about its value, recommending that truth be withheld on occasion and falsehood disseminated. I seek to resolve this tension by distinguishing two kinds of truths, which I label 'philosophical' and 'non-philosophical'. Philosophical truths, I argue, are considere…
Pleasure and desire
Pleasure is the goal of life for an Epicurean. But it is pleasure of a particular kind that represents this goal, namely lack of pain in body (aponia) and lack of distress in soul (ataraxia). It is clear that, for Epicurus, to be free from bodily pain and mental distress is, in and of itself, to be in a state of pleasure. He does not recognize a neutral state of neither pleasure nor pain; for a percipient subject, being without pain is already pl…
Aristotle
Plato and the Norms of Thought
This paper argues for the presence in Plato’s work of a conception of thinking central to which is what I call the Transparency View. According to this view, in order for a subject to think of a given object, the subject must represent that object just as it is, without inaccuracy or distortion. I examine the ways in which this conception influences Plato’s epistemology and metaphysics and explore some ramifications for contemporary views about m…
Cicero and Gyges
The tale of Gyges' ring narrated by Cicero at De officiis 3.38 is of course originally found, and acknowledged as such by Cicero, in Plato ( Resp. 359c–360b). I would like in this paper to address two questions about Cicero's handling of the tale – one historical, one philosophical. The purpose of the historical question is to evaluate, with respect to the Gyges narration, Cicero's quality as a reader of Plato. How well does Cicero understand the…
Rereading Ancient Philosophy
The chapter explores whether we should take Aristotle to be a virtue ethicist, understood as distinct from consequentialist and deontological approaches. For Aristotle the decisive questions whether virtue is prior to ethically good action or vice versa is equivalent to the question which mean is prior, the one characterising virtue or the one characterising good action. I argue that Aristotle would not seem to be a virtue ethicist because a) the…
Plato’s Epistemology
In this stimulating book, Jessica Moss aims to show that Plato’s epistemological project is “radically different” (6) from what one might expect if exposed only to the contemporary epistemological scene. Moss’s main thesis has two distinct but related parts: first, about Plato’s key epistemological concepts; second, about the motivation behind Plato’s epistemology.In conceptual terms, Moss sees the principal contrast for Plato not as one between …
Power and Persuasion in Cicero's Philosophy
Extensively trained as a philosopher, Cicero was also a working politician with a keen awareness of the distance between pure intellectual endeavor and effective strategies of persuasion. This volume explores a series of interrelated problems in his works, from the use of emotion, self-correction, and even fiction in intellectual inquiry, to the motives of political agents and the morality of political arguments, to the means of justifying the us…
Cicero's ‘De Officiis'
Cicero's De Officiis, perhaps his most influential philosophical work, ranges over a wide variety of themes, from the role of the family in society to the question of whether our duties can conflict with one another, and from the moral significance of offence to the question of whether it is right to kill a dictator. This Critical Guide, the first collection of essays devoted to the work, is helpfully organised in thematic sections and aims to il…
Avatars and Accountability
Cicero's Tusculan Disputations
Cicero composed the Tusculan Disputations in the summer of 45 BC at a time of great personal and political turmoil. He was grieving for the death of his daughter Tullia earlier that year, while Caesar's defeat of Pompey's forces at Munda and return to Rome as dictator was causing him great fears and concerns for himself, his friends and the Republic itself. This collection of new essays offers a holistic critical commentary on this important work…
The Virtue of Agency
In this erudite and stimulating book, Christopher Moore explores the history and meaning of the elusive—and virtually untranslatable—Greek ethical term sōphrosunē. The term is commonly rendered in English as ‘moderation’, ‘temperance’, ‘self-control’, or sometimes (and etymologically closest to the Greek) ‘sound-mindedness’, but none of these captures in a satisfactory way an idea that, as Moore shows, was itself hotly contested, in regard to bot…
Philosophy (18 works) · Classical Philosophy and Thought (17 works) · Epistemology (17 works) · Art (8 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Law (8 works) · Political science (8 works) · Literature (6 works) · Cicero (5 works) · Classical Antiquity Studies (5 works)