麻豆社

Use 麻豆社.com or the new 麻豆社 App to listen to 麻豆社 podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Episode details

Radio 4,20 Sep 2016,15 mins

2. Aristotle鈥檚 Rapprochement

A History of the Infinite

Available for over a year

Adrian Moore continues his journey through philosophical thought on infinity over the last two and a half thousand years. He introduces us to the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who attempted a reconciliation between the idea of things going on for ever and ever and the Greeks鈥� abhorrence of the very notion. We hear how he came up with the idea of two different types of infinite - the potential and the actual - and how it was the potential infinite that he presented as the acceptable face of infinity. With the help of Ursula Coope, Professor of Ancient Philosophy at Oxford University, Adrian explains the idea of infinite divisibility and re-visits the paradoxes of Zeno which suggest that motion isn鈥檛 possible. He carries out his own experiment to see whether using Aristotle鈥檚 theory of the infinite he can disprove Zeno鈥檚 conclusions and actually get himself home. And he reveals how Aristotle鈥檚 theory of the infinite held sway for thousands of years, despite the challenges to it. Producer: Philippa Goodrich A Juniper production for 麻豆社 Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2016.

Programme Website
More episodes