Plato’s Reverent City

Plato’s Reverent City

Author: Robert A. Ballingall

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-07-15

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 3031313038

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This book offers an original interpretation of Plato’s Laws and a new account of its enduring importance. Ballingall argues that the republican regime conceived in the Laws is built on "reverence," an archaic virtue governing emotions of self-assessment—particularly awe and shame. Ballingall demonstrates how learning to feel these emotions in the right way, at the right time, and for the right things is the necessary basis for the rule of law conceived in the dialogue. The Laws remains surprisingly neglected in the scholarly literature, although this is changing. The cynical populisms haunting liberal democracies are focusing new attention on the “characterological” basis of constitutional government and Plato’s Laws remains an indispensable resource on this question, especially when we attend to the theme of reverence at its core.


Book Synopsis Plato’s Reverent City by : Robert A. Ballingall

Download or read book Plato’s Reverent City written by Robert A. Ballingall and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-07-15 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an original interpretation of Plato’s Laws and a new account of its enduring importance. Ballingall argues that the republican regime conceived in the Laws is built on "reverence," an archaic virtue governing emotions of self-assessment—particularly awe and shame. Ballingall demonstrates how learning to feel these emotions in the right way, at the right time, and for the right things is the necessary basis for the rule of law conceived in the dialogue. The Laws remains surprisingly neglected in the scholarly literature, although this is changing. The cynical populisms haunting liberal democracies are focusing new attention on the “characterological” basis of constitutional government and Plato’s Laws remains an indispensable resource on this question, especially when we attend to the theme of reverence at its core.


Plato's Reverent City

Plato's Reverent City

Author: Robert A. Ballingall

Publisher:

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9783031313042

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"The Reverent City is among the best studies of Plato's Laws. Ballingall argues convincingly that reverence or awe plays a far greater role in classical political thought than is ordinarily understood." -Mark Lutz, Director, Society for Greek Political Thought and Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA "A subtle and penetrating interpreter of Plato, Ballingall shows that Plato's Laws has important lessons to teach our irreverent age. This is a book for serious students of Plato, but also for those concerned about the drift of our politics away from all things respectful and reverent." -Devin Stauffer, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin, USA "Ballingall's astute study of Plato's Laws addresses the puzzles and covers all the aspects of reverence while offering a thoughtful tribute to this unlikely friend of reason." -Harvey C. Mansfield, Kenan Professor of Government, Harvard University, USA This book offers an original interpretation of Plato's Laws and a new account of its enduring importance. Ballingall argues that the republican regime conceived in the Laws is built on "reverence," an archaic virtue governing emotions of self-assessment-particularly awe and shame. Ballingall demonstrates how learning to feel these emotions in the right way, at the right time, and for the right things is the necessary basis for the rule of law conceived in the dialogue. The Laws remains surprisingly neglected in the scholarly literature, although this is changing. The cynical populisms haunting liberal democracies are focusing new attention on the "characterological" basis of constitutional government and Plato's Laws remains an indispensable resource on this question, especially when we attend to the theme of reverence at its core. Robert Ballingall is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine, USA. Previously, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University and Allan Bloom Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow for Research in Classical Political Thought at the University of Toronto, where he also earned his PhD.


Book Synopsis Plato's Reverent City by : Robert A. Ballingall

Download or read book Plato's Reverent City written by Robert A. Ballingall and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Reverent City is among the best studies of Plato's Laws. Ballingall argues convincingly that reverence or awe plays a far greater role in classical political thought than is ordinarily understood." -Mark Lutz, Director, Society for Greek Political Thought and Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA "A subtle and penetrating interpreter of Plato, Ballingall shows that Plato's Laws has important lessons to teach our irreverent age. This is a book for serious students of Plato, but also for those concerned about the drift of our politics away from all things respectful and reverent." -Devin Stauffer, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin, USA "Ballingall's astute study of Plato's Laws addresses the puzzles and covers all the aspects of reverence while offering a thoughtful tribute to this unlikely friend of reason." -Harvey C. Mansfield, Kenan Professor of Government, Harvard University, USA This book offers an original interpretation of Plato's Laws and a new account of its enduring importance. Ballingall argues that the republican regime conceived in the Laws is built on "reverence," an archaic virtue governing emotions of self-assessment-particularly awe and shame. Ballingall demonstrates how learning to feel these emotions in the right way, at the right time, and for the right things is the necessary basis for the rule of law conceived in the dialogue. The Laws remains surprisingly neglected in the scholarly literature, although this is changing. The cynical populisms haunting liberal democracies are focusing new attention on the "characterological" basis of constitutional government and Plato's Laws remains an indispensable resource on this question, especially when we attend to the theme of reverence at its core. Robert Ballingall is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine, USA. Previously, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University and Allan Bloom Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow for Research in Classical Political Thought at the University of Toronto, where he also earned his PhD.


The Reverent City

The Reverent City

Author: Robert Alexander Ballingall

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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As a virtue, reverence seems to have disappeared. People who speak highly of it are suspected of an obtuse fanaticism or of adherence to some eccentric New Age cult. If reverence lives on in mainstream culture, it does so either as a term of abuse or-more typically-through its antonym, whose merits are loudly broadcast. But what if reverence is a quality without which civilized life becomes impossible? Do societies like ours neglect reverence at their peril? Plato, at any rate, suggests they do. This study elucidates Plato's reasons for thinking so. These appear in the seldom studied Laws, the most important treatment of reverence in the tradition of Western political philosophy. Building on exciting developments in classical studies and political theory, The Reverent City sheds new light on this long-neglected dialogue, and on its significance for our irreverent times. On my interpretation, Plato looks to reverence as the root of ethical learning in all-too-human citizens. Political life depends on such learning, but the Laws shows how powerful currents in human nature incline most of us away from it. To acquire and practice the virtues that are its fruit thus demands refusing the inclinations that are its bane, and it is reverence-the capacity to show due respect for what exceeds and circumscribes the human-that supplies the needed impetus on Plato's account. I bring out the enduring relevance of this argument by highlighting the prescience of its warnings. He shows how the Laws anticipates with remarkable foresight the cynicism, apathy, and nativism to which democratic publics are increasingly prone in modern societies. By recovering a novel diagnosis for these trends in the neglect of a forgotten virtue, The Reverent City affords a richer understanding of our worrying politics, and blazes a promising path for future research.


Book Synopsis The Reverent City by : Robert Alexander Ballingall

Download or read book The Reverent City written by Robert Alexander Ballingall and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a virtue, reverence seems to have disappeared. People who speak highly of it are suspected of an obtuse fanaticism or of adherence to some eccentric New Age cult. If reverence lives on in mainstream culture, it does so either as a term of abuse or-more typically-through its antonym, whose merits are loudly broadcast. But what if reverence is a quality without which civilized life becomes impossible? Do societies like ours neglect reverence at their peril? Plato, at any rate, suggests they do. This study elucidates Plato's reasons for thinking so. These appear in the seldom studied Laws, the most important treatment of reverence in the tradition of Western political philosophy. Building on exciting developments in classical studies and political theory, The Reverent City sheds new light on this long-neglected dialogue, and on its significance for our irreverent times. On my interpretation, Plato looks to reverence as the root of ethical learning in all-too-human citizens. Political life depends on such learning, but the Laws shows how powerful currents in human nature incline most of us away from it. To acquire and practice the virtues that are its fruit thus demands refusing the inclinations that are its bane, and it is reverence-the capacity to show due respect for what exceeds and circumscribes the human-that supplies the needed impetus on Plato's account. I bring out the enduring relevance of this argument by highlighting the prescience of its warnings. He shows how the Laws anticipates with remarkable foresight the cynicism, apathy, and nativism to which democratic publics are increasingly prone in modern societies. By recovering a novel diagnosis for these trends in the neglect of a forgotten virtue, The Reverent City affords a richer understanding of our worrying politics, and blazes a promising path for future research.


Laws

Laws

Author: Plato

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2022-05-28

Total Pages: 573

ISBN-13:

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The Laws is Plato's last, longest, and perhaps, most famous work. It presents a conversation on political philosophy between three elderly men: an unnamed Athenian, a Spartan named Megillus, and a Cretan named Clinias. They worked to create a constitution for Magnesia, a new Cretan colony that would make all of its citizens happy and virtuous. In this work, Plato combines political philosophy with applied legislation, going into great detail concerning what laws and procedures should be in the state. For example, they consider whether drunkenness should be allowed in the city, how citizens should hunt, and how to punish suicide. The principles of this book have entered the legislation of many modern countries and provoke a great interest of philosophers even in the 21st century.


Book Synopsis Laws by : Plato

Download or read book Laws written by Plato and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-05-28 with total page 573 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Laws is Plato's last, longest, and perhaps, most famous work. It presents a conversation on political philosophy between three elderly men: an unnamed Athenian, a Spartan named Megillus, and a Cretan named Clinias. They worked to create a constitution for Magnesia, a new Cretan colony that would make all of its citizens happy and virtuous. In this work, Plato combines political philosophy with applied legislation, going into great detail concerning what laws and procedures should be in the state. For example, they consider whether drunkenness should be allowed in the city, how citizens should hunt, and how to punish suicide. The principles of this book have entered the legislation of many modern countries and provoke a great interest of philosophers even in the 21st century.


Plato's Threefold City and Soul

Plato's Threefold City and Soul

Author: Joshua I. Weinstein

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2018-11-01

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 1316761991

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Plato's 'Republic' constructs an ideal city composed of three parts, parallel to the soul's reason, appetites, and fighting spirit. But confusion and controversy have long surrounded this three-way division and especially the prominent role it assigns to angry and competitive spirit. In Plato's Three-fold City and Soul, Joshua I. Weinstein argues that, for Plato, determination and fortitude are not just expressions of our passionate or emotional natures, but also play an essential role in the rational agency of persons and polities. In the Republic's account, human life requires spirited courage as much as reasoned thought and nutritious food. The discussion ranges over Plato's explication of the logical and metaphysical foundations of justice and injustice, the failures of incomplete and dysfunctional cities, and the productive synergy of our tendencies and capacities that becomes fully evident only in the justice of a self-sufficient political community.


Book Synopsis Plato's Threefold City and Soul by : Joshua I. Weinstein

Download or read book Plato's Threefold City and Soul written by Joshua I. Weinstein and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-11-01 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plato's 'Republic' constructs an ideal city composed of three parts, parallel to the soul's reason, appetites, and fighting spirit. But confusion and controversy have long surrounded this three-way division and especially the prominent role it assigns to angry and competitive spirit. In Plato's Three-fold City and Soul, Joshua I. Weinstein argues that, for Plato, determination and fortitude are not just expressions of our passionate or emotional natures, but also play an essential role in the rational agency of persons and polities. In the Republic's account, human life requires spirited courage as much as reasoned thought and nutritious food. The discussion ranges over Plato's explication of the logical and metaphysical foundations of justice and injustice, the failures of incomplete and dysfunctional cities, and the productive synergy of our tendencies and capacities that becomes fully evident only in the justice of a self-sufficient political community.


Philosophy as Drama

Philosophy as Drama

Author: Hallvard Fossheim

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-08-22

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1350082503

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Plato's philosophical dialogues can be seen as his creation of a new genre. Plato borrows from, as well as rejects, earlier and contemporary authors, and he is constantly in conversation with established genres, such as tragedy, comedy, lyric poetry, and rhetoric in a variety of ways. This intertextuality reinforces the relevance of material from other types of literary works, as well as a general knowledge of classical culture in Plato's time, and the political and moral environment that Plato addressed, when reading his dramatic dialogues. The authors of Philosophy as Drama show that any interpretation of these works must include the literary and narrative dimensions of each text, as much as serious the attention given to the progression of the argument in each piece. Each dialogue is read on its own merit, and critical comparisons of several dialogues explore the differences and likenesses between them on a dramatic as well as on a logical level. This collection of essays moves debates in Plato scholarship forward when it comes to understanding both particular aspects of Plato's dialogues and the approach itself. Containing 11 chapters of close readings of individual dialogues, with 2 chapters discussing specific themes running through them, such as music and sensuousness, pleasure, perception, and images, this book displays the range and diversity within Plato's corpus.


Book Synopsis Philosophy as Drama by : Hallvard Fossheim

Download or read book Philosophy as Drama written by Hallvard Fossheim and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-08-22 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plato's philosophical dialogues can be seen as his creation of a new genre. Plato borrows from, as well as rejects, earlier and contemporary authors, and he is constantly in conversation with established genres, such as tragedy, comedy, lyric poetry, and rhetoric in a variety of ways. This intertextuality reinforces the relevance of material from other types of literary works, as well as a general knowledge of classical culture in Plato's time, and the political and moral environment that Plato addressed, when reading his dramatic dialogues. The authors of Philosophy as Drama show that any interpretation of these works must include the literary and narrative dimensions of each text, as much as serious the attention given to the progression of the argument in each piece. Each dialogue is read on its own merit, and critical comparisons of several dialogues explore the differences and likenesses between them on a dramatic as well as on a logical level. This collection of essays moves debates in Plato scholarship forward when it comes to understanding both particular aspects of Plato's dialogues and the approach itself. Containing 11 chapters of close readings of individual dialogues, with 2 chapters discussing specific themes running through them, such as music and sensuousness, pleasure, perception, and images, this book displays the range and diversity within Plato's corpus.


Plato's Mythoi

Plato's Mythoi

Author: Donald H. Roy

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-10-15

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 1498571581

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The interpenetration of Plato’s mythos and logos reveals an analogical, serious playfulness of the human soul from the depths of aporia (bewilderment) to the heights of the beyond (epikeina). We humans are caught in-between (metaxy) with all the dynamis (potentialities and resourcefulness) to rise and to fall.


Book Synopsis Plato's Mythoi by : Donald H. Roy

Download or read book Plato's Mythoi written by Donald H. Roy and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interpenetration of Plato’s mythos and logos reveals an analogical, serious playfulness of the human soul from the depths of aporia (bewilderment) to the heights of the beyond (epikeina). We humans are caught in-between (metaxy) with all the dynamis (potentialities and resourcefulness) to rise and to fall.


Recovering Reputation

Recovering Reputation

Author: Andreas Avgousti

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2022-06-03

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0197624081

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Andreas Avgousti considers the modern problem of reputation by turning to the dialogues of Plato, to show that reputation is not only an issue for political elites, but that it is a quality that helps the wider citizenry to cohere, bringing together citizens and non-citizens. Avgousti argues that reputation is worth thinking about because it is a power that circulates among the many, linked to and sustained by myths and rumors, and it is a power that the many exercise through the social mechanisms of praise and blame.


Book Synopsis Recovering Reputation by : Andreas Avgousti

Download or read book Recovering Reputation written by Andreas Avgousti and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022-06-03 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Andreas Avgousti considers the modern problem of reputation by turning to the dialogues of Plato, to show that reputation is not only an issue for political elites, but that it is a quality that helps the wider citizenry to cohere, bringing together citizens and non-citizens. Avgousti argues that reputation is worth thinking about because it is a power that circulates among the many, linked to and sustained by myths and rumors, and it is a power that the many exercise through the social mechanisms of praise and blame.


Plato's 'Republic': An Introduction

Plato's 'Republic': An Introduction

Author: Sean McAleer

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Published: 2020-11-09

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1800640560

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It is an excellent book – highly intelligent, interesting and original. Expressing high philosophy in a readable form without trivialising it is a very difficult task and McAleer manages the task admirably. Plato is, yet again, intensely topical in the chaotic and confused world in which we are now living. Philip Allott, Professor Emeritus of International Public Law at Cambridge University This book is a lucid and accessible companion to Plato’s Republic, throwing light upon the text’s arguments and main themes, placing them in the wider context of the text’s structure. In its illumination of the philosophical ideas underpinning the work, it provides readers with an understanding and appreciation of the complexity and literary artistry of Plato’s Republic. McAleer not only unpacks the key overarching questions of the text – What is justice? And Is a just life happier than an unjust life? – but also highlights some fascinating, overlooked passages which contribute to our understanding of Plato’s philosophical thought. Plato’s 'Republic': An Introduction offers a rigorous and thought-provoking analysis of the text, helping readers navigate one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory. With its approachable tone and clear presentation, it constitutes a welcome contribution to the field, and will be an indispensable resource for philosophy students and teachers, as well as general readers new to, or returning to, the text.


Book Synopsis Plato's 'Republic': An Introduction by : Sean McAleer

Download or read book Plato's 'Republic': An Introduction written by Sean McAleer and published by Open Book Publishers. This book was released on 2020-11-09 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is an excellent book – highly intelligent, interesting and original. Expressing high philosophy in a readable form without trivialising it is a very difficult task and McAleer manages the task admirably. Plato is, yet again, intensely topical in the chaotic and confused world in which we are now living. Philip Allott, Professor Emeritus of International Public Law at Cambridge University This book is a lucid and accessible companion to Plato’s Republic, throwing light upon the text’s arguments and main themes, placing them in the wider context of the text’s structure. In its illumination of the philosophical ideas underpinning the work, it provides readers with an understanding and appreciation of the complexity and literary artistry of Plato’s Republic. McAleer not only unpacks the key overarching questions of the text – What is justice? And Is a just life happier than an unjust life? – but also highlights some fascinating, overlooked passages which contribute to our understanding of Plato’s philosophical thought. Plato’s 'Republic': An Introduction offers a rigorous and thought-provoking analysis of the text, helping readers navigate one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory. With its approachable tone and clear presentation, it constitutes a welcome contribution to the field, and will be an indispensable resource for philosophy students and teachers, as well as general readers new to, or returning to, the text.


Plato’s Protagoras

Plato’s Protagoras

Author: Olof Pettersson

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-11-30

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 3319455850

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This book presents a thorough study and an up to date anthology of Plato’s Protagoras. International authors' papers contribute to the task of understanding how Plato introduced and negotiated a new type of intellectual practice – called philosophy – and the strategies that this involved. They explore Plato’s dialogue, looking at questions of how philosophy and sophistry relate, both on a methodological and on a thematic level. While many of the contributing authors argue for a sharp distinction between sophistry and philosophy, this is contested by others. Readers may consider the distinctions between philosophy and traditional forms of poetry and sophistry through these papers. Questions for readers' attention include: To what extent is Socrates’ preferred mode of discourse, and his short questions and answers, superior to Protagoras’ method of sophistic teaching? And why does Plato make Socrates and Protagoras reverse positions as it comes to virtue and its teachability? This book will appeal to graduates and researchers with an interest in the origins of philosophy, classical philosophy and historical philosophy.


Book Synopsis Plato’s Protagoras by : Olof Pettersson

Download or read book Plato’s Protagoras written by Olof Pettersson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a thorough study and an up to date anthology of Plato’s Protagoras. International authors' papers contribute to the task of understanding how Plato introduced and negotiated a new type of intellectual practice – called philosophy – and the strategies that this involved. They explore Plato’s dialogue, looking at questions of how philosophy and sophistry relate, both on a methodological and on a thematic level. While many of the contributing authors argue for a sharp distinction between sophistry and philosophy, this is contested by others. Readers may consider the distinctions between philosophy and traditional forms of poetry and sophistry through these papers. Questions for readers' attention include: To what extent is Socrates’ preferred mode of discourse, and his short questions and answers, superior to Protagoras’ method of sophistic teaching? And why does Plato make Socrates and Protagoras reverse positions as it comes to virtue and its teachability? This book will appeal to graduates and researchers with an interest in the origins of philosophy, classical philosophy and historical philosophy.