The notion of life in the Timaeus

Abstract

This article examines the concept of life in Plato’s Timaeus by analyzing the metaphysical and cosmological principles that structure the dialogue, with the aim of clarifying how Plato explains the transition from inert matter to living beings. The central argument is that life can only be understood through the presence of a divine principle—the soul—which, once joined to an ordered body, makes living existence possible. Methodologically, the study identifies and systematizes the fundamental premises of the Timaeus: the eternal triad composed of the divine craftsman, the intelligible model, and matter; the ontological and epistemological dualism between what is and what becomes; the causal necessity of becoming; and the superiority of order over disorder. From these elements, the author reconstructs the formation of the universe as the first living being and analyzes the criteria by which Plato establishes a hierarchy of life, based on both the chronology of generation and the degree of ontological perfection. The article highlights the detailed explanation of the cosmos’ structure, the generation of the world soul, the production of the human being, and the ontological degradation that gives rise to other species. The objective is to demonstrate that Platonic biosophy articulates life, order, and rationality within a coherent metaphysical framework.