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Cultures of Mathematics and LogicA Fashionable Curiosity: Claudius Ptolemy’s ‘Desire for Knowledge’ in Literary Context

Cultures of Mathematics and Logic: A Fashionable Curiosity: Claudius Ptolemy’s ‘Desire for... [This article examines in detail the second-century CE polymath Claudius Ptolemy’s expression of the ‘desire for knowledge’, situating it against a wider backdrop of similar expressions in the Greek textual tradition. I argue that in his expression, Ptolemy creatively alludes to Plato’s Phaedrus, a practice that, surprisingly, here ties his work more closely to contemporary oratory and the ‘novel’ than to generic precursors in the exact sciences. The piece thus demonstrates how an author in the highly formalized genre of mathematics employs specific textual strategies held in common with his wider, contemporary literary culture.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

Cultures of Mathematics and LogicA Fashionable Curiosity: Claudius Ptolemy’s ‘Desire for Knowledge’ in Literary Context

Part of the Trends in the History of Science Book Series
Editors: Ju, Shier; Löwe, Benedikt; Müller, Thomas; Xie, Yun
Wietzke, Johannes
Cultures of Mathematics and Logic — Aug 11, 2016
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24 pages

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References (46)

Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Copyright
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
ISBN
978-3-319-31500-3
Pages
81 –105
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-31502-7_5
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[This article examines in detail the second-century CE polymath Claudius Ptolemy’s expression of the ‘desire for knowledge’, situating it against a wider backdrop of similar expressions in the Greek textual tradition. I argue that in his expression, Ptolemy creatively alludes to Plato’s Phaedrus, a practice that, surprisingly, here ties his work more closely to contemporary oratory and the ‘novel’ than to generic precursors in the exact sciences. The piece thus demonstrates how an author in the highly formalized genre of mathematics employs specific textual strategies held in common with his wider, contemporary literary culture.]

Published: Aug 11, 2016

Keywords: Literary Practice; Fourth Century; Exact Science; Literary Culture; Harmonic Power

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