Configurare il mondo: l'atomismo geometrico di Plutarco e il dimensionamento dell'anima cosmica

Shaping the World: Plutarch’s Geometric Atomism and the Structuring of the Cosmic Soul · This paper examines Plutarch’s account of geometric atomism and its implications for his cosmology and interpretation of Plato’s Timaeus. Focusing on Platonic Question V, it analyzes three exegetical solutions to the problem of the elementary constitution of bodies (Tim. 53b–55c). The paper argues that Plutarch, adopting a consistently reductionist model, extends geometric structuring even to the cosmic soul, assigning it a circular dimension analogous to the rectilinear dimensioning of physical bodies. This move supports his broader view of the soul’s demiurgic role in shaping matter and establishes the ontological and axiological priority of the ‘circular’ (i. e. soul and intellect) over the ‘rectilinear’ (i. e. bodies). The paper also considers possible Proto-Academic influences on Plutarch’s argument, particularly Xenocrates’ theory of indivisible lines.