Philosophy and Political Power in Antiquity

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Cinzia Arruzza, Dmitri Nikulin
BRILL, Nov 21, 2016 - Philosophy - 192 pages
Philosophy and Political Power in Antiquity is a collection of essays examining ancient philosophers' reflections on the connection between political power and philosophy. The ancient Greeks both invented political philosophy and were the first to conceptualize the implicit tension between political activity and the contemplative life as found in ideal political institutions and under conditions of repressive rule. These essays examine discussions of these issues within a wide variety of the major schools of antiquity from both interpretive and analytical perspectives. While providing novel approaches to ancient philosophical texts, this volume attests to the importance of political reflection, deliberation, and resistance for ancient thought, and to the enduring strength and relevance of these reflections for contemporary debates within political philosophy.
 

Contents

Introduction
1
The Influence of the Sophists on Greek Politics
9
Chapter 2 Philosophical Dogs and Tyrannical Wolves in Platos Republic
41
Chapter 3 Whats the Good of Knowing the Forms?
67
Chapter 4 Individual Competence and Collective Deliberation in Aristotles Politics
94
Chapter 5 Diogenes the Comic or How to Tell the Truth in the Face of a Tyrant
114
Chapter 6 Dio of Prusa and the Roman Stoics on How to Speak the Truth to Oneself and to Power
134
Pyrrhonism Ethics and Politics
148
Chapter 8 Platos Tyrant in Neoplatonic Philosophy
164
General Index
179
Ancient Sources
182
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