Plato and the Platonism of Anne Conway

Anne Conway’s Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy exemplifies the multi-layered character of Renaissance Platonism. The overall metaphysical framework of Conway’s system, and its underlying principles, are broadly within the Platonic tradition. In this paper I argue that Conway’s philosophy is indebted not just to Platonism in general but also to Plato’s dialogues. In particular, her metaphysical conception of goodness or virtue as godlikeness, resonates deeply with Plato’s discussion of goodness in the later dialogues. By highlighting further parallels in the later dialogues, most notably in the Philebus, I seek to show that there are details of her discussion of goodness which suggest direct engagement with Plato’s philosophy. It may therefore be considered deeply embedded in the Platonist tradition.