Politeia in Greek and Roman Philosophy

This book explores how politeia (constitution) structures both political and extra-political relations throughout the entire range of Greek and Roman thought.

Verity Harte (Edited by), Melissa Lane (Edited by)

9781107020221, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 August 2013

416 pages, 2 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.72 kg

'… a superbly and flawlessly edited collection that includes a general introduction which discusses the ample connections between Schofield's work and the volume's papers.' Thornton C. Lockwood, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

This is the first exploration of how ideas of politeia (constitution) structure both political and extra-political relations throughout the entirety of Greek and Roman philosophy, ranging from Presocratic to classical, Hellenistic, and Neoplatonic thought. A highly distinguished international team of scholars investigate topics such as the Athenian, Spartan and Platonic visions of politeia, the reshaping of Greek and Latin vocabularies of politics, the practice of politics in Plato and Proclus, the politics of value in Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics, and the extension of constitutional order to discussions of animals, gods and the cosmos. The volume is dedicated to Professor Malcolm Schofield, one of the world's leading scholars of ancient philosophy.

Introduction Verity Harte and Melissa Lane
Part I. The Vocabulary of Politics: 1. The political art in Plato's Republic Alexander Long
2. Putting history in its place: Plato, Thucydides, and the Athenian politeia Cynthia Farrar
3. Platonizing the Spartan politeia in Plutarch's Lycurgus Melissa Lane
4. The body politic: Aëtius on Alcmaeon on isonomia and monarchia Jaap Mansfeld
5. Latin philosophy and Roman law Miriam Griffin
Part II. The Practice of Politics: 6. The Platonic manufacture of ideology, or how to assemble awkward truth and wholesome falsehood Robert Wardy
7. Plato's politics of ignorance Verity Harte
8. The political skill of Protagoras Nicholas Denyer
9. Proclus and politics Jonathan Barnes
Part III. The Politics of Value: 10. Relativism in Plato's Protagoras Catherine Rowett
11. Justice writ large and small in Republic IV Myles Burnyeat
12. An aesthetic reading of Aristotle's Ethics Richard Kraut
13. The Stoic sage in the original position Mary Margaret McCabe
Part IV. Politics Extended: Animals, Gods, Cosmology: 14. Aristotle on the natural sociability, skills and intelligence of animals Geoffrey Lloyd
15. Gods and men in Xenophanes James Warren
16. Socrates and his gods: from the Euthyphro to the Eudemian Ethics Christopher Rowe
17. The atheist underground David Sedley
Malcolm Schofield bibliography, 1970–2012.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500 [HPCA], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]