Cordonier, Valérie 2016 The torpedo (or electric ray, or crampfish) is known for causing numbness to the fishermen’s hands when captured by into their nets. This essay reconstructs a line of discussions concerning the nature of this fish’s power at a time where “electricity” did not exist. By following selected occurrences of the animal from Plato to Galen (including Aristotle, Theophrastus, Clearchus of Soli, Strato of Lampsacus, Hero of Alexandria, Pliny the Elder, and Plutarch of Chaeronea) and by comparing the relevant passages at a small-scale level with previous, contemporary, or subsequent documents, a certain approach to doing history of ideas is suggested. On the basis of this case study, the article reflects on what interpretation is, and it illustrates what kind of philosophical interest a study of outmoded questions and texts can have. application/pdf https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/325608 https://folia.unifr.ch/documents/325608/files/2016cordonieramicro-intertextualtoancientthought.pdf eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess License undefined Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal. - Charlottesville, Philosophy Documentation Center, 2016. - 2016, vol. 37, no. 1, p. 15-48 Torpedo Electric ray Crampfish Aristotelian tradition Aristotle’s philosophy of nature The problem of physical transmission in the Peripatetic tradition Mediated action Plato Aristotle Theophrastus Clearchus of Soli Strato of Lampsacus Hero of Alexandria Pliny the Elder Plutarch of Chaeronea Galen of Pergamon Microintertextuality Ways of doing history of philosophy Methodology in history Interest of outdated approaches to some scientific questions θαλαττία νάρκη φορά κίνησις δύναμις Torpedo Torpille Raie électrique Tradition aristotélicienne Philosophie de la nature d'Aristote Problème de la transmission physique dans la tradition pérapatéticienne Action médiée Platon Aristote Théophraste Cléarque de Soles Straton de Lampsaque Héron d'Alexandrie Pline l'Ancien Plutarque Galien Micro-intertextualité Approches de la philosophie de l'histoire Méthodologie en histoire Intérêt d'approches dépassées obsolètes de questions scientifiques info:eu-repo/classification/udc/1 A Micro-Intertextual Approach to Ancient Thought : The Case of the Torpedo Fish from Plato to Galen http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501