I propose in this paper to examine the (rather fuzzy) genre of the philosophic letter – as opposed, on the one hand, to ordinary letters emanating from philosophers/theologians, and on the other, philosophic treatises couched in epistolary form (that is to say, with a personal dedication~) – in both the late Hellenic and Christan cultural tradition, to see if certain common features emerge, and if so, eho is learning from whom.
For this purpose I wish to adduce some representative letters of such figures as Iamblichus of Calchis, Libanius, and the Emperor Julian, on the Hellenic side, and St. Basil, St. Jerome. And ‘Dionysius the Areopagite’ on the Christian side.
The characteristics of a ‘philosophic’ letter should be: (a) brevity (as opposed to a treatise); and (b) while being addressed to a specific recipient (pupil, friend, or superior), being concerned not with personal details, but rather with general philosophical issues (whether ethical, political or metaphysical). The letter may be couched in the form of a response to a request, but personalities should be kept to a minimum. I see such letters as in a way ‘philosophical calling cards, but they may also serve as contributions to serious philosophical or doctrinal issues. Such letters in the Christian tradition go back to the Apostolic era, and may well be independent of outside influences, but in later times I feel that there was much cross-fertilisation, and not all in one direction. Before Iamblichus, there is in fact very little evidence for the philosophic letter in the Platonist tradition.
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