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Madeleine Mendell
(for me you'll have to visit
Phil.
Dept. Faculty)
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Educational Background
Schedule
Office Hours
On Greek Mathematics and Philosophy of Mathematics
Vignettes
of Ancient Mathematics
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College of Arts & letters
Henry Mendell
Prof.
Office: E&T 422
Phone: (323) 343-4178
or (818) 239-6912
FAX: (323) 343-4193
Email: hmendell@calstatela.edu (please note that this address has changed as of April 2006)
TEACHING INTERESTS
I mostly teach ancient philosophy. However, I also teach annually
a course in the history of the philosophy of science, which focuses on astronomy
and mathematics. This course uses lots of graphics to illustrate Greek
mathematics and astronomy, and spread sheets to illustrate Babylonian astronomy.
Some of this I have included in this WEB site; others are available on a
CD-ROM (Mac).
I enjoy teaching logic.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My principal areas of interest at present include ancient Greek philosophy
(especially Aristotle and Plato), ancient Greek mathematics, ancient astronomy
(especially Eudoxus). These focus on the relation between philosophical
issues in ancient treatments of scientific problems and how ancient philosophers
responded to those issues. Current projects involve Aristotelian
logic, conceptions of quantitative relations in Greek mathematics, infinitary
arguments in Greek mathematics, the relation between first principles
in Aristotle and in Greek mathematics, sources for Eudoxus, 4th cent.
B.C.E. conceptions of astronomy, and Plato's analogy of the Divided Line,
and his Phaedo.
Representative Professional Activities
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Date
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Recent Publications
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| 2007 |
"Two Traces of Two-Step Eudoxan Proportion Theory in Aristotle: A Tale of Definitions in Aristotle, With a Moral," Archive for History of the Exact Sciences, 61 (2007): 3-37 |
2005 |
"Putting Aristotle's Physics in its place: a discussion
of B. Morison, On Location," Oxford Studies in Ancient
Philosophy, 25 (Summer 2005), 327-66 |
| 2001 |
Eloge for Wilbur Knorr. Isis 92 (2001): 339-343 |
| 2001 |
with Pat Suppes and Julius Moravcsik (eds.). Ancient and Medieval
Traditions in the Exact Sciences: Essays in Memory of Wilbur Knorr
(Stanford: CSLI (distr. University of Chicago Press), 2001. |
| 2001 |
"The Trouble with Eudoxus." In previous, 59-138 |
| 1998 |
"Making Sense of Aristotelian Demonstration." Oxford Studies
in Ancient Philosophy, 16 (1998), 160-225. |
| 1998 |
"Reflections on Eudoxus, Callippus and their Curves: Hippopedes
and Callippopedes". Centaurus, vol. 40, nr. 3-4 (1998), 177-275. |
| Date |
Some Recent and Future Talks and Activities
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| 7-9 June 2007 |
"Ordinary Science in the Time of Plato,"
Science and philosophy in the Greco-Roman world, Central European University, Budapest |
| 7 April 2007 |
"Aristotle's Physics and Mathematical Properties,"
Pacific APA |
| 2-3 December 2006 |
"Ordinary Science in the Time of Plato," Symposium in honor of Julius Moravcsik, Stanford University |
| 10-11 December 2004 |
"Aristotle's Physics and Mathematical Properties,"
Ancient Philosophy Conference held at USC |
| 8 November 2004 |
"Pointwise Constructions, Somewhere," Conference in Memory
of David Fowler, University of Warwick |
| 28 October 2004 |
"How to Cut Plato's Line," Clark University (Boston Area Colloquia
in Ancient Philosophy) |
| 5-16 July-2004 |
Similar program to that below, Philosophy
and Science in the Greco-Roman World held at Central European
University, Budapest, Hungary |
| 28 June 2004 |
Sophocles,"Electra," directed by Randee Trabitz and performed by
Tony Abatamarco, Mark Salyer, and Chris Wells with Robbin Broad (sound),
Henry Mendell (dramaturge), and Paul Spadone (costumes). European
Cultural Centre at Delphi, Delphi, Greece |
| 16-18 June 2004 |
"Aristotle's Physics and Mathematical Properties," Physics
and Mathematics in Antiquity, Universities of Leiden and Utrecht (held
at Leiden, Holland) |
| 27 March 2004 |
Comment on Richard Foley, "Plato's Undividable Line,"
Pacific APA |
| 7-18 July 2003 |
"Applied mathematical sciences in the 5th-1st cent. BCE.,"
part of the summer seminar Philosophy
and Science in the Greco-Roman World held at Central European
University, Budapest, Hungary |
| 11 April 2003 |
"Unraveling the Spheres: Puzzles in Aristotle's Astronomy,"
Workshop on Aristotle's Metaphysics XII, Stanford University |
| 15 Jan. & 1 Feb. 2003 |
"Aristotelian Proof, Mathematical Proof," Philosophy Dept.,
Groningen University and Moody Conference, UCLA |
| 3 Oct. 2002 |
Comment on Robert Bolton, "Concepts & Conceptual Knowledge in
Aristotle," Mind & Nature: Ancient views of our place in
the world, U.C. Davis |
| 19 April 2002 |
Comment on Robin Smith, "Unlearned Knowledge: Aristotle on
How We Come to Know Principles," Philosophy and Science in the Ancient
Greek World: A Conference in Honor of Ian Mueller, Northwestern University |
| 4 Jan 2002 |
Locating Mathemtical Objects in Aristotle, Phil. Dept., U.C.I. |
| 27 Oct. 2001 |
Comment on Richard McKirahan, Aristotle and the Objects of Mathematics,
Southern California Philosophy Conference, U.C.I. |
| 2001 |
The Only Good Philosopher: a skeptical reading of the Phaedo,
Phil. Dept., Emory University |
| 2001 |
Phenomena and Models in Early Greek Astronomy, History and Philosophy
of Logic, Math, and Science working group, University of California,
Berkeley |
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Ph.D. Phil. 1986
 Stanford University
Stanford, Cal.
B.A. Phil. 1974
St. John's College
Cambridge, U.K.
A.B. Classics & Phil. 1971
Cornell University
Ithaca, N.Y.
WINTER SCHEDULE (2008)
| Course |
Sect. No. |
Title |
Units |
Day & Time |
Room |
| Phil./Hist./Chem. 380 |
01
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Ancient and Modern Science |
4
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MW 9:50-11:30 |
KH B2007 |
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Phil. 451
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01
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Aristotle
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4
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MW 11:40-1:20 |
KH B2007 |
WINTER OFFICE HOURS (2008)
| Day |
Times |
| MW |
9:00-9:40 and 2:00-3:00
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| TH |
11:30-12:45 and
4:00-5:00 (except on days of dept. colloquia) |
| or |
BY APPOINTMENT |
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