Professor Peter Adamson

Biography

Peter Adamson's primary areas of interest are late ancient philosophy and Arabic philosophy. His two monographs deal with the Arabic version of Plotinus, the so-called "Theology of Aristotle," and with al-Kindi (d. after 870 AD). He has devoted articles to several figures of the Greek tradition: Aristotle, Plotinus, and Porphyry; and numerous philosophers of the Arabic tradition, including al-Kindi, Abu Bakr al-Razi, Yahya Ibn 'Adi, Miskawayh, Avicenna, and Averroes. He has also edited several books including, most recently, "In the Age of Averroes" published by the Warburg Institute. In 2012 Prof Adamson moved to the LMU from King's College London, which is the home of a research project he oversees, on "Natural Philosophy in the Islamic World," funded by the Leverhulme Trust. He is also the host of the History of Philosophy podcast.

Professor Adamson holds a joint appointment with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. During 2012-13, he will be at King's in the Spring term for a research seminar on Late Ancient Philosophy.

Research interests and PhD supervision

• Late ancient philosophy, especially Neoplatonism

• Arabic philosophy

• Medieval philosophy

Professor Adam's is not currently accepting applications to supervise research students.

Expertise and public engagement

History of Philosophy without any gaps - podcast

Peter Adamson takes listeners through the history of Western philosophy, "without any gaps." Beginning with the earliest ancient thinkers, the series will look at the ideas and lives of the major philosophers (eventually covering in detail such giants as Plato, Aristotle, Avicenna, Aquinas, Descartes, and Kant) as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition.

Philosophy Bites

Peter has also contributed to the online Philosophy Bites podcast:

• on Avicenna's Flying Man argument (November 2012)
• on Plotinus on evil (July 2008)
• on Avicenna on God (September 2007)

Broadcasts

Professor Adamson is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 4's 'In Our Time' with Melvin Bragg, and other radio broadcasts:

• ABC 'The Philosopher's Zone' (Australian National Radio): on Plotinus, (11 June 2011)
• BBC 'In Our Time': on Maimonides (17 February 2011)
• ABC (Australian National Radio): on the Greek-Arabic translation movement (28 November 2009)
• BBC 'In Our Time': on the Greek-Arabic translation movement (08 October 2008)
• BBC 'In Our Time': on Avicenna (08 November 2007)

Online Encyclopaedia entries

• “Al-Kindi” in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• "Theology of Aristotle" in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Teaching

Professor Adamson is not lecturing any undergraduate or taught postgraduate modules at King's College London.