20 research outputs found
Review: G. Zoran, Bodies of Speech: Text and Textuality in Aristotle (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014)
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Review: A. L. Ford, Aristotle as Poet: The Song for Hermias and its Contexts (Oxford University Press, 2011)
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INTERPRETATIONS OF ARISTOTLE'S VIEWS ON POLITICS - (T.) Lockwood, (T.) Samaras (edd.) Aristotle's <i>Politics</i>. A Critical Guide. Pp. x + 259. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Cased, £64.99, US$99.99. ISBN: 978-1-107-05270-3.
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Can you trust Xerxes to be your friend? Friendship and autocracy in Herodotus
No full textThe paper draws on Aristotle’s remarks on philia in different political systems (EN 1161a10-1161b11) and aims to explore the complex dynamics of friendship in the context of autocracy and the unequal relationship between an authoritarian ruler and his subject. While the first part of the Pythius story seems to elevate Pythius to a position higher than the rest of the King’s subjects and to bring him closer to Xerxes by making him his xeinos, Herodotus’ language in the second part emphasizes the master-slave relationship between the two men (7.38-39) and thus marks them as categorically different. Pythius’ misguided belief that he is in a position to ask a favour from Xerxes, and the gruesome outcome of the story, question the very possibility of philia between an autocrat and his subjects. Hence, in a book resonating with the contrast between freedom and autocracy (cf. 7.104), Herodotus in the Pythius story is not merely offering another example of autocratic cruelty. Rather, he is making the stronger claim that only a free community ruled by law can protect from the capriciousness of powerful individuals and thus provide the framework of trust in which philia, the foundation of social life (cf. Pol. 1280b38-39), can be created
Aristotle on the Causes of Civil Strife: Subjective Dispositions, Proportional Justice and the ‘Occasions’ of stasis
No full textMuch of the scholarly debate on Aristotle’s analysis of stasis in Politics v 1-3 revolves around two interrelated questions: first, the relationship between the three general causes mentioned by Aristotle, especially their logical and temporal connection; second, the question of whether, and if so how, Aristotle’s doctrine of the four causes should be applied to the analysis of stasis in the Politics. This article addresses both questions. First, it argues that in pol. v 1-3 Aristotle sees the different conceptions of proportional equality and justice (“in accordance with worth”) as the fundamental cause of stasis and metabole. Stasis is represented by Aristotle as directed towards honour and profit, and finds its origins (archai) in particular occurrences and forms of behaviour, yet all of these are filtered by notions of proportional equality and its basis in worth (axia). Notions of “particular” justice as discussed in pol. v 1-3, however, are no longer standalone concepts (as in eth. Nicom. v 3), nor simple final (and formal) causes of particular constitutions (as in pol. iii 9), but have become causes of individual and collective action in pursuit of moral and political revolution. Second, we argue that Aristotle’s account of the emotions (Rhetoric ii 1-11) with its threefold classification of their causes or features (the disposition of those who experience the emotion; those towards whom the emotions are directed; the actions or events that trigger them) may provide a more promising explanatory model for the analysis of the causes of stasis than Aristotle’s doctrine of the four causes, which is not designed to apply to actions
What Does Aristotle's Moral Exemplar Feel Contempt For?
No full textOne of the most striking and controversial features of Aristotle’s moral exemplar, the megalopsychos, is his tendency to be contemptuous. Not surprisingly, modern scholarship has found this attribute of the megalopsychos particularly unappealing. This paper probes the question about the targets of the contempt of the Aristotelian megalopsychos and explores the forms that this contempt might take. I argue that the primary targets of the megalopsychos are people who claim superiority on the wrong grounds (their external prosperity and social status).The megalopsychos, who prioritises virtue over external goods as a criterion of individual worth (axia), rejects the self-image these people claim for themselves and refuses to grant them the appraisal respect they are accustomed to receiving, and think they deserve
A philosophical reception of Homer:Homeric courage in Aristotle’s discussion of ἀνδρεία
No full textThis paper explores how the Homeric conception of courage forms part of the reputable views, ta endoxa, that inform Aristotle’s discussion of courage in the Nicomachean Ethics. It shows how Aristotle responds to the Homeric idea of courage and how he appropriates Homer to elucidate his own conception of genuine andreia
Not to Fall Short of Those Before Me: Xerxes and the Pitfalls of Rising to Power
No full textThe account of Xerxes’ ascent to the Persian throne by the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE) highlights the opportunities and pitfalls presented to leaders in situations of transition of power. Confronted with diverse motives and expectations (established organizational practice, personal ambition, ethical norms, practical considerations), and in the face of conflicting recommendations by his advisers, King Xerxes decides whether to embark on a military expedition against Greece.
This case asks students to consider the dilemmas and challenges that new leaders face upon assuming power and the criteria that determine their decision-making. Students will consider what motivates new leaders; how institutional pressure influences their decisions; how new leaders respond to the “legacy” of their predecessors, and the role of the leaders’ advisers in the process
Thucydides' assessments of Pericles and Alcibiades as a lesson in leadership ethics
No full textThe present study examines Thucydides’ assessments of Pericles (2.65) and Alcibiades (6.15) drawing on advances from Leadership Studies. Moving away from conceptions of leadership as a quality of individuals, modern leadership theory views leadership as a relational process between leaders and followers. Thucydides’ assessments of Pericles and Alcibiades examine not only their effectiveness (i.e., their success or failure in conducting the war), but more importantly, the impact of their personal ethics on their relationship with followers. For Thucydides, both leaders displayed administrative competence, but their diverse adherence to ethical principles had a grave impact on their interaction with followers and consequently on their position as leaders. The comparative study of the two passages highlights how Thucydides’ understanding of leadership as a relational process anticipates an important strand of modern leadership theory according to which both effectiveness and ethics are inextricably intertwined in the concept of good leadership.Peer reviewe
