Melina G. Mouzala – Department of Philosophy

Melina G. Mouzala
Associate Professor
mmouzala@upatras.gr

Education

Ptychion (MA) in Classical Philology, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Philosophy, Department of Philology
Ptychion (MA) in Philosophy, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, Section of Philosophy
PhD in Philosophy , The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, Section of Philosophy

PhD Thesis : Το πρόβλημα της κινήσεως και της μεταβολής στην Φυσικήν ακρόασιν του Αριστοτέλους (The Problem of Motion and Change in Aristotle’s Physics)

Specialization

Ancient Philosophy
The Platonic and Aristotelian Tradition in Late Antiquity and Byzantium

Publications

Books

Το πρόβλημα της κινήσεως και της μεταβολής στην Φυσικήν ακρόασιν του Αριστοτέλους(The Problem of Motion and Change in Aristotle’s Physics) PhD Thesis. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, Section of Philosophy, Athens 2003, pp. 544.
Oυσία και Ορισμός. Η Προβληματική της ενότητος εις τα οικεία κεφάλαια των Μετά τα φυσικά του Αριστοτέλους ( Ousia and Definition: The Problem of Unity in the central books of Aristotle’s Metaphysics), Athens 2007: Armos Editions, pp.215.
Περί του καθ’ετερότητα μη όντος στον Σοφιστή του Πλάτωνος[=Peri tou kath’ heterotēta mē ontos in Plato’s Sophist], Athens 2007: Armos Editions, pp.118.
Ζητήματα Γνωσιολογίας, Οντολογίας και Μεταφυσικής στην φιλοσοφία του Αριστοτέλους, Υπό το φως αρχαίων και βυζαντινών υπομνημάτων[Issues of Epistemology, Ontology and Metaphysics in Aristotle’s Philosophy, In the light of Ancient and Byzantine Commentaries], Αthens 2013: Gutenberg-Dardanos Publications, pp. 395.

Books edited

Mουζάλα Μ.Γ. (επιμ.), Θέματα Οντολογίας-Μεταφυσικής, Φιλοσοφίας των Μαθηματικών και Λογικής. Συλλογικός τόμος in memoriam Δημ. Μούκανου, Αθήνα 2018: Εκδ. Gutenberg, σσ. 316 [Μouzala M.G. (ed.), Issues of Ontology-Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic. A Collection of Essays, In Memoriam of Dem. Moukanos, Athens 2018: Gutenberg Editions, pp. 316].
Mουζάλα Μ.Γ. (επιμ.), Αυτογνωσία και Επιμέλεια Ψυχής/Εαυτού: Αρχαία· Ελληνιστική· Νεοπλατωνική· Βυζαντινή· Νεοελληνική Φιλοσοφία, Aθήνα 2020: Εκδ. Παπαζήσης [Μouzala M.G. (ed.), Self-knowledge and Care of Soul/ Self: Ancient· Hellenistic· Neoplatonic· Byzantine· Neo-Hellenic Philosophy, Athens 2020: Papazēsēs Editions, pp. 314].
Μουζάλα, Μελίνα Γ. (Διεύθυνση και επιμέλεια) (2022), Αρχαία Φιλοσοφικά Θέματα στην Πατερική και Βυζαντινή Φιλοσοφία, Αθήνα: Εκδ. Παπαζήσης, (ISBN: 978-960-02-4004-7) [Μouzala M.G. (ed.), Ancient Philosophical Topics in Patristics and Byzantine Philosophy, Athens: Papazēsēs Editions.
Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (2023), Ancient Greek Dialectic and its Reception, Series: Topics in Ancient Philosophy/Themen der antiken Philosophie, vol. 10, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, ISBN 978-3-11-074406-4 (pp. 525).
Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (2024), Cognition in Ancient Greek Philosophy and its Reception: Interdisciplinary Approaches, Academia Philosophical Studies 86, Baden-Baden: Academia, ISBN 978-3-98572-174-0 (pp. 375).
Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (forthcoming in 2025), Nature and Human Nature in Ancient Greek Philosophy and its Reception, Series: Publications of the Netherlands Institute at Athens, Sidestone Press.

Articles

«Το πρόβλημα της σχέσεως του ορισμού προς την ουσίαν στα κεφάλαια Ζ10-Ζ12 των Μετά τα φυσικά του Αριστοτέλους» (“The Problem of the Relation between Definition and Ousia in Chapters Z10-Z12 of Aristotle’s Metaphysics”), Skepsis, A Journal for Philosophy and Inter-disciplinary Research, Volume XIII-XIV, Athens-Olympia 2002-2003, 171-180.
“Antisthenes the Cynic: Theses in his Logik, Ontology and Knowledge Theory”, Journal of Classical Studies (Zbornik za klasicne studije MS), Volume 11, 2009, 47-54.
“Names and Falsity in Plato’s Cratylus”, Journal of Classical Studies (Zbornik za klasicne studije MS), Volume 13, 2011, 51-77.
“The Cognitive Value of Ousia as absolute Reality in Plato: Epistemological ramifications of Platonic Ontology”, Parnassos, Volume 53, 2011, 221-230.
“Aristotle’s Method of Understanding the First Principles of Natural Things in the Physics I.1”, Peitho- Examina Antiqua- ,1(3), 2012, 31-50.
“On the Cratylean Argumentation in Support of the Correctness of Names in Plato’s Cratylus”, Journal of Classical Studies (Zbornik za klasicne studije MS), Volume 14, 2012, 73-86.
«Η οντολογική κλίμακα του Αγαθού στο ΣΤ΄ βιβλίο της πλατωνικής Πολιτείας: μία προσέγγισις με αφετηρία την πρόκλεια ανάγνωση», (“The ontological climax of the Good in Book VI of the Republic: an approach having as starting-point Proclus’ lecture”), Philosophein 10, 2014, 265-282.
“Olympiodorus and Damascius on the Philosopher’s Practice of Dying in Plato’s Phaedo”, Peitho- Examina Antiqua- ,1(5), 2014, 177-198.
«Κίνησις, Νους και Ζωή στην αριστοτελική οντολογική Θεολογία του Λ΄ Βιβλίου των Μετάταφυσικά», (Kinēsis, Nous and Zōē in the Aristotelian Ontological Theology of Book Lambda of the Metaphysics) Philosophein 11, 2015, 195-219.
“Syrianus on the Platonic Tradition of the Separate Existence of Numbers”, Peitho- Examina Antiqua- ,1(6), 2015, 167-195.
«Διαλεκτική και Θεολογία στον Πλάτωνα. Η λογική θεμελίωσις της σωκρατικής ηθικής θεολογίας στον Ευθύφρονα», συμμετοχή στον τιμητικό τόμο για τον Καθ. Αυ. Μπαγιώνα, στο Χ. Τερέζης (επιμ.) Τόκος ἐν καλῷ, Αθήνα 2016 (“Dialectic and Theology in Plato.The logical foundation of the Socratic ethical theology in the Euthyphro”.Contribution to a memorial volume in honour of Prof. August Bagionas, in Ch.Terezis, Tokos en kalō, Athens 2016, 131-154.
«Διαλεκτική, Δραματουργία και Αυτογνωσία στον Χαρμίδη του Πλάτωνος-Dialectic, Drama and Self-knowledge in Plato’s Charmides”, Studia Gilsoniana 5:1(January- March 2016), 179-194.
“Aristotle’s Criticism of the Platonic Forms as Causes in De Generatione et Corruptione II.9. A Reading Based on Philoponus’ Exegesis”, Peitho- Examina Antiqua- ,1(7), 2016, 123-144.
“Aristotle’s Criticism of the Platonic Idea of the Good in the Nicomachean Ethics A6”, (Participation to the World Congress for the 2400 years of Aristotle “The Philosophy of Aristotle”. Athens, July 2016), Peitho- Examina Antiqua- ,1(8), 2017, 309-341.
«Αριστοτέλης, Θέων ο Σμυρναίος, Συριανός: μαθηματικοί (ή μοναδικοί) και ειδητικοί αριθμοί» (“Aristotle, Theon of Smyrna, Syrianus: mathematical [or monadic] and eidetic numbers”) in Mουζάλα Μ.Γ. (επιμ.), Θέματα Οντολογίας-Μεταφυσικής, Φιλοσοφίας των Μαθηματικών και Λογικής, Συλλογικός τόμος in memoriam Δημ. Μούκανου, Αθήνα 2018: Εκδ. Gutenberg, 235-279 [Μouzala M.G. (ed.), Issues of Ontology-Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic. A Collection of Essays, In Memoriam of Dem. Moukanos, Athens 2018: Gutenberg Editions, 235-279].
“Logos as ῾sumplokē or koinonia tōn peri tēn ousian dēlomatōn᾿ in Plato’s Sophist (Speech as weaving together or communion of indications about ousia in Plato’s Sophist)”, Platonic Investigations 10, Νο. 1, 2019, 35-75.
“Simplicius on the principal meaning of phusis in Aristotle’s Physics II. 1-3”, Analogia, Vol. 7: The Byzantine Aristotle, 2019, 43-82.
«Έρως, Αυτογνωσία, Τέχνη και Τεχνική στον πλατωνικό Μείζονα Αλκιβιάδη» (“Erōs, Self-knowledge, Technē and Technique in the Platonic Alcibiades Major”, in Μουζάλα Μ.Γ., Αυτογνωσία και Επιμέλεια Ψυχής/Εαυτού: Αρχαία·Ελληνιστική·Νεοπλατωνική·Βυζαντινή·Νεοελληνική Φιλοσοφία, Aθήνα 2020: Εκδ. Παπαζήσης, 95-145 [Μouzala M.G. (ed.), Self-knowledge and Care of Soul/ Self: Ancient· Hellenistic· Neoplatonic· Byzantine· Neo-Hellenic Philosophy, Athens 2020: Papazēsēs Editions, 95-145]
“Forms as paradigms in Plato’s Parmenides 132c-d: Proclus’ Response to Aristotle’s and Alexander of Aphrodisias’ Attacks on the Forms Considered as Patterns”. Chapter in: Luc Brisson, Arnaud Macé, Olivier Renaut [Eds.] (2022), Plato’s Parmenides, Selected Papers of the Twelfth Symposium Platonicum, International Plato Studies 41 (Published under the auspices of the International Plato Society), Baden-Baden: Academia Verlag/Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 501-508.
“Proclus on the Forms as Paradigms in Plato’s Parmenides: The Neoplatonic Response to Aristotle and Alexander of Aphrodisias’ Criticisms”, Journal of Ancient Philosophy 2022, vol. 16, issue 1, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-9471.v16i1, pp. 115-163.
«Η υπεράσπισις του πλατωνικού περί ειδών λόγου έναντι της αριστοτελικής κριτικής στο “Περὶ ὧν Ἀριστοτέλης πρὸς Πλάτωνα διαφέρεται” του Γεωργίου Γεμιστού ή Πλήθωνος» (“Plētho’s Defence of the Platonic Theory of Forms against Aristotle’s Criticism in the De Diferentiis”), In: Μouzala M.G. (ed.), Ancient Philosophical Topics in Patristics and Byzantine Philosophy, Athens: Papazēsēs Editions, pp. 425-482.
Mouzala, Melina G. (2023), “Introduction”, In: Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.), Ancient Greek Dialectic and its Reception, Berlin: De Gruyter, pp. 1-34.
Mouzala, Melina G. (2023),“Pursuing Self-Knowledge in Plato’s Sophist: The Communion of the Sophistic and Socratic Dialectic in the Sixth definition of the Sophist. A reading based on Proclus’ Interpretation of Dialectic in the Sophist”. In: Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.), Ancient Greek Dialectic and its Reception, Berlin: De Gruyter 2023, pp. 157-188.
Μουζάλα, Μελίνα Γ. (2021), «Αρχαία Διαλεκτική, Ίασις, και Αυτογνωσία: Αρχαία Ψυχοθεραπεία;», Φιλοσοφείν 24, 251-282 [Mouzala, Melina G. (2021), “Ancient Dialectic, Healing and Self-Knowledge: Ancient Psychotherapy?”, Philosophein 24, 251-282].
Nikoleta Samaridi, Evangelos C. Papakitsos, Michail Papoutsidakis, Melina Mouzala, Nikitas N. Karanikolas, “Developing a Logistics Ontology for Natural Language Processing”, WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on INFORMATION SCIENCE and APPLICATIONS, pp. 385-397.DOI: 10.37394/23209.2024.21.36
“Soul as Principle in Plato’s Charmides: A Reading of Plato’s Anthropological Ontology Based on Hermias Alexandrinus on Plato’s Phaedrus”, Philosophies 2024, 9, 77. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies9030077. In Steiris, G. and Vasilakis, D. (eds), Ancient and Medieval Theories of Soul, pp. 1-20.
Mouzala, Melina G. (2024): “Introduction”. In: Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (2024), Cognition in Ancient Greek Philosophy and its Reception: Interdisciplinary Approaches, Academia Philosophical Studies 86, Baden-Baden: Academia, pp. 9-32.
“Amathia, Elenchus and the Divided Soul in Plato’s Sophist (226b-230e)”, In: Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (2024), Cognition in Ancient Greek Philosophy and its Reception: Interdisciplinary Approaches, Academia Philosophical Studies 86, Baden-Baden: Academia, pp. 107-145.
Mouzala, Melina G.: “Introduction”. In: Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (forthcoming in 2025), Nature and Human Nature in Ancient Greek Philosophy and its Reception, Series: Publications of the Netherlands Institute at Athens, Sidestone Press.
“Nature and Soul as Principles of Motion and Change: Simplicius, Alexander of Aphrodisias, and Philoponus on Aristotle’s Physics II. 1-3”. In: Mouzala, Melina G. (ed.) (forthcoming in 2025), Nature and Human Nature in Ancient Greek Philosophy and its Reception, Series: Publications of the Netherlands Institute at Athens, Sidestone Press.
“O Αριστοτέλης, ο Πρόκλος και ο Ευστράτιος Νικαίας για την πλατωνική ἀνυπόθετον ἀρχήν: Οντολογικές και γνωσιολογικές προσεγγίσεις της πλατωνικής Ιδέας του Αγαθού”, Diadromē, International Journal of interdisciplinary theological, philosophical and anthropological dialogue, 2025, Issue 2. [“Aristotle, Proclus and Eustratius of Nicaea on the Platonic Unhypothetical Principle: Ontological and Epistemological Approaches to the Platonic Form of the Good”].

Works in preparation or under review

Βοοks in preparation

Πλάτωνος Κρατύλος ή περί ορθότητος ονομάτων :Γλώσσα και Πραγματικότητα (Plato’s Cratylus or On the Correctness of names : Language and Reality ) in Greek.
Επιστήμη και Αυτογνωσία στον Χαρμίδη του Πλάτωνος (Scientific knowledge and Self-knowledge in Plato’s Charmides) in Greek.
Η Πυθαγόρεια σύλληψη των αριθμών ως αρχών και στοιχείων στον Αριστοτέλη και τους αρχαίους υπομνηματιστές του (The Pythagorean conception of numbers as Principles and Elements in Aristotle and his Ancient Commentators) in Greek.

Articles under review

“Simplicius on nature as ἀρχή and αἰτία in Aristotle’s Physics II.1-3” (Aristotle across Boundaries, Verbania, June 2023, Aristotle across Boundaries, Verbania, June 2024, XXV World Congress of Philosophy Rome 2024, Aristotle among the Neoplatonists ISNS 2025).
“Protagoras’ man-measure principle and its Parmenidean and Heraclitean philosophical premises”, “IV International Conference of Greek Philosophy”, Iberian Society of Greek Philosophy.
“Ioannes Philoponus and Theodore Metochites on the Soul as Cause and Principle in Aristotle’ s De anima II. 4” (22th annual conference of the ISNS, Athens, June 18-21, 2025).
“Protagoras’ Gnoseology and Ontology in Relation to Heraclitus” (Plato’s Theaetetus, 151e-152e)” (XIV Symposium Platonicum of the IPS, Madrid 2025).

Research interests

The main areas of Melina Mouzala’s research interests and research aims include: Plato and Aristotle (Ontology-Metaphysics-Theology, Epistemology, Philosophy of Nature, Logic), the Sophistic Movement (Ontology, Epistemology, Theology, Philosophy of Language), the Socratic Schools, the pre-Socratics (Theology, Ontology, Philosophy of Language), the Ancient Commentators on Plato and Aristotle, especially the Peripatetics, the Neopythagoreans, the Middle Platonists, the late Neoplatonists, and some of the most important Byzantine Commentators on Plato and Aristotle.

Philosophy and Theology
Philosophy and Religion
Philosophy and Neuroscience
Philosophy of Mathematics
Philosophy of Nature in Antiquity and Modern Physics

Language skills: Greek, Ancient Greek, English, French, German

Courses

Program of Undergraduate Studies

Plato’s Theory of Ideas (middle and late dialogues)
Plato’s Socratic Dialogues
Aristotle’s Epistemology and Metaphysics
Aristotle’s Physics
The philosophy of the Pythagoreans in the Aristotelian and Platonic Tradition
Ancient and Byzantine Commentators on Plato and Aristotle
Peripatetics: Alexander of Aphrodisias, Themistius
Neoplatonists: Simplicius, Philoponus, Proclus, Syrianus, Ammonius, Asclepius, Olympiodorus, Damascius
Byzantines: Michael Ephesius, Eustratius, Heliodorus, Sophonias, Theodore Metochites, Pletho (Georgius Gemistus)