I'm going Adamson of the El-MU in Munich. You're listening to the History of

Philosophy podcast still brought to you with the support of King's College London and the Lever Hume Trust

online at www history of philosophy net. Today's episode King of Animals, Porphyry. Never underestimate the importance of a good

introduction. As you may have noticed I've been trying to begin each episode of

this podcast series with an attention- grabbing example or anecdote,

which may be of dubious relevance to the actual topic, but highlights a central theme of the

episode. And today's offering will be no exception as I begin by paying tribute to a man who made an entire career out of introductions. His name was Danny Ray. He performed a crucial role in one of the best stage shows of all time.

As the main act prepared to hit the stage,

Danny Ray would warm up the audience by telling them that they were about to witness an artist who would make their liver quiver, their bladder, splatter, and their knees freeze.

Godfather of soul, King of soul. Soul Brother Number One all over the world, James Brown.

At the end of the show, Danny would return to escort James Brown off the stage while draping a cape over his shoulders,

which Brown would then cast aside repeatedly to return to the microphone for one last verse.

The Danny Ray of ancient philosophy was named Porphyry. Actually this was a nickname. It means

purple in Greek and he was called after this royal color because his real name meant king, albeit not king of soul.

Not only did Porfury write the Life of Plaitinus as an introduction for his addition of

Platinus's writings, which he organized as the Eniads.

He also wrote a short little treatise with the wonderfully imaginative title, Introduction,

in Greek Aesagogae.

In due course it would become Porphyry's most influential and famous work, in fact what I think

must be the most frequently read philosophical treatise of late antiquity.

In just a few pages, Porfory deftly sketched some of the basics of Aristotle's logic as he understood

it.

...