Chrysippus on the beautiful : studies in a Stoic conception of aesthetic properties
Abstract
This thesis is dedicated to exploring the ways in which Chrysippus, the third head of
the Stoic philosophical school, employed beauty terms (especially to kalon) in his
arguments, and what conceptualisation of aesthetic properties these usages underpin.
It consists of an introduction, five chapters and an epilogue. I start my enquiry by
presenting some general philosophical issues pertinent to theories of the beautiful and
discussing methodological issues, including the problematic nature of fragmentary
Stoic sources. Then the consecutive five chapters are dedicated to analysing and
discussing the following Chrysippean ideas and arguments: the Stoic definition of
beauty as summetria, the role that beauty plays in the process of acquiring
philosophical knowledge, the argument that only the beautiful is the good, the Stoic
theological and theodicean arguments that use the presence of beauty to establish the
rational generation/maintenance of the world and, finally, Stoic ideas on human
beauty, particularly concentrating on their paradoxical claim that only the wise man is
beautiful. In the epilogue, I briefly summarise my arguments and discuss how Stoic
ideas could be of interest even today. All my examinations of Chrysippus’ ideas in this
work result in the reconstruction of his theorisation of aesthetic properties in more
generally as well as the evaluation of not only the significance of his ideas in their
historical context but also their contribution to the aesthetic tradition in general.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: 2025-01-08
Embargo Reason: Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Print and electronic copy restricted until 8th January 2025
Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.