For episode 1 see here.
Theory of the City-State
II. Political Thought Before Plato (5th century BC)
A. Political discussion was very widespread and popular
1. Already three-fold classification of forms of government existed:
monarchy, aristocracy, democracy.
2. Two centuries prior saw active party (class) struggle and rapid
constitutional change.
3. Awareness of economic nature of conflict between democrats (favoring
overseas commerce) vs landed aristocrats
B. Assumptions of pre-philosophy period affected later political thought
1. Basic ideas of harmony and proportion applied both to physical ethical
matters
2. Sophists and Socrates reflected movement from concern with physical
world to humanism. [Note: Bruno Snell's The Discovery of the Mind: The
Greek Origins of European Thought traced the emergence of reason and
philosophy from the Homeric epics through the pre-classic lyric poets
(Sappho) and the tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides).]
3. Protagoras: "Man is the measure of all things, of what is that is and of
what is not that is not."
4. Search for essential physical substance that underlies appearance
became search for "law of nature" -- permanence amid change, unity
amid the manifold
5. Issues became about defining 'the natural' and 'nature versus convention'
(God vs man)
6. Sophist Antiphon saw law (justice) as convention and contrary to
nature which was egoism
7. Contrary view saw justice and right inherent in human beings
C. Socrates moved suggestive ideas into explicit philosophy
1. Believed that virtue (arete) equaled knowledge
2. Pursued precise definition
3. His vision of rational science of politics picked up by Plato
Next week: Plato: The Republic
Theory of the City-State
II. Political Thought Before Plato (5th century BC)
A. Political discussion was very widespread and popular
1. Already three-fold classification of forms of government existed:
monarchy, aristocracy, democracy.
2. Two centuries prior saw active party (class) struggle and rapid
constitutional change.
3. Awareness of economic nature of conflict between democrats (favoring
overseas commerce) vs landed aristocrats
B. Assumptions of pre-philosophy period affected later political thought
1. Basic ideas of harmony and proportion applied both to physical ethical
matters
2. Sophists and Socrates reflected movement from concern with physical
world to humanism. [Note: Bruno Snell's The Discovery of the Mind: The
Greek Origins of European Thought traced the emergence of reason and
philosophy from the Homeric epics through the pre-classic lyric poets
(Sappho) and the tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides).]
3. Protagoras: "Man is the measure of all things, of what is that is and of
what is not that is not."
4. Search for essential physical substance that underlies appearance
became search for "law of nature" -- permanence amid change, unity
amid the manifold
5. Issues became about defining 'the natural' and 'nature versus convention'
(God vs man)
6. Sophist Antiphon saw law (justice) as convention and contrary to
nature which was egoism
7. Contrary view saw justice and right inherent in human beings
C. Socrates moved suggestive ideas into explicit philosophy
1. Believed that virtue (arete) equaled knowledge
2. Pursued precise definition
3. His vision of rational science of politics picked up by Plato
Next week: Plato: The Republic
2 comments:
So, Jerry, fess up now. What do you think of Antiphon's engaging position?
6. Sophist Antiphon saw law (justice) as convention and contrary to
nature which was egoism
I find justice one thing and law another, as we live in societies all too human. And nature in its rawest form is the effort to get over. This may from time to time conflict with law or justice or both.
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