Plato on democracy / Thanassis Samaras.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Samaras, Thanassis, 1967-

Contributor:

Sabin W. Colton, Jr., Memorial Fund.

Series:

Major concepts in politics and political theory ; v. 23.

Major concepts in politics and political theory ; v. 23

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plato.

Political science.

Democracy.

Physical Description:

xii, 405 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : P. Lang, [2002]

Summary:

Is Plato one of the most authoritarian authors ever to have appeared on the face of the earth? This question has received almost every conceivable answer in the past, but inquiry into it has not been helped by easy generalizations and unwarranted anachronisms. This book addresses this question by charting both the development of Plato's political thought and the complex relationships between metaphysics, history, and politics in his work. Never losing sight of the social context in which Plato's thinking developed, Plato on Democracy is a thorough and comprehensive analysis of Plato's political philosophy.

Contents:

1. Socratic Ethics and Politics 11

2. Virtues of the Polis and Virtues of the Classes 24

3. The Sociological Basis of Plato's Rejection of Democracy 49

4. The Republic on Democracy 62

5. The Debate over Plato's Totalitarianiarism 77

6. The Metaphysical Justification of the Politics of the Republic 95

7. History in the Republic 121

8. The Ideal Statesman in a Non-Ideal Political Environment 137

9. The Myth of the Politicus 155

10. The Historical Perspective 171

11. The Timaeus and the Critias: the Disappearance of the Philosopher-Ruler 199

12. The Social Structure of Magnesia 219

13. The Distribution of Power 234

14. The Solonian Model 249

15. Forms in the Laws 271

16. The Nocturnal Council 285

17. Opinion, Persuasion and Freedom of Will in the Laws 305

18. The Ethical Theory of the Laws 331.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [355]-376) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Sabin W. Colton, Jr., Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

0820456810

OCLC:

47013247