The Civic Conversations of Thucydides and Plato: Classical Political Philosophy and the Limits of DemocracyThis book argues that classical political philosophy, represented in the works of Thucydides and Plato, is an important resource for both contemporary democratic political theory and democratic citizens. By placing the Platonic dialogues and Thucydides' History in conversation with four significant forms of modern democratic theory—the rational choice perspective, deliberative democratic theory, the interpretation of democratic culture, and postmodernism—Gerald M. Mara contends that these classical authors are not enemies of democracy. Rather than arguing for the creation of a more encompassing theoretical framework guided by classical concerns, Mara offers readings that emphasize the need to focus critically on the purposes of politics, and therefore of democracy, as controversial yet unavoidable questions for political theory. |
Contents
| 1 | |
2 The Borders of Rational Choice | 31 |
3 Deliberating Democracy | 87 |
4 Cultures Justice | 143 |
5 Proximate Others | 197 |
Extending the Limits of Democracy | 227 |
Notes | 261 |
References | 301 |
Index | 315 |
Other editions - View all
The Civic Conversations of Thucydides and Plato: Classical Political ... Gerald M. Mara No preview available - 2009 |
The Civic Conversations of Thucydides and Plato: Classical Political ... Gerald M. Mara No preview available - 2008 |
The Civic Conversations of Thucydides and Plato: Classical Political ... Gerald M. Mara No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
Adeimantus Agathon's Alcibiades Aristophanes assessment Athenian Athens Athens's attempts barbarians Brasidas Callicles challenges character characterized Charmides citizens civic claims Cleon complexity conceptions concern condition Consequently constructed context conversation Corcyra Corcyrean Critias critical critical rationality critique deliberative democratic theory democracy democratic culture democratic political dialogue Diodotus Diodotus's discourse discourse ethics ethical Euphemus focus functions funeral speech Glaucon Gorgias Habermas Hermocrates human identity individual influence institutions interactions interests interpretation judgment justice liberal liberal democratic logos Melian dialogue Melians Melos moral Mycalessus Mytilene narrative nature normative obsessions offers Orwin outcomes Periclean Pericles perspective philosophy political culture political theory political trust possibilities practices pragmatic Princeton priorities problematic Protagoras questions rational choice theory Rawls regime reinforces Republic requires respect response rhetoric Saxonhouse seems simply social society Socrates soul Spartan strategic Strauss subject cities substantive suggests theory’s Thucydides and Plato tion treatment University Press virtue vision voice Warren
Popular passages
Page 280 - ... contractual situation. Moreover, if in choosing principles we required unanimity even when there is full information, only a few rather obvious cases could be decided. A conception of justice based on unanimity in these circumstances would indeed be weak and trivial. But once knowledge is excluded, the requirement of unanimity is not out of place and the fact that it can be satisfied is of great importance. It enables us to say of the preferred conception of justice that it represents a genuine...
Page 13 - There are two variants: in the first it is the sole principle of a teleological theory directing society to arrange institutions and to define the duties and obligations of individuals so as to maximize the achievement of human excellence in art, science, and culture.
Page 250 - Without being forgiven, released from the consequences of what we have done, our capacity to act would, as it were, be confined to one single deed from which we could never recover; we would remain the victims of its consequences forever, not unlike the sorcerer's apprentice who lacked the magic formula to break the spell.
Page 20 - Marcellinus saith he was obscure, on purpose that the common people might not understand him ; and not unlikely, for a wise man should so write (though in words understood by all men), that wise men only should be able to commend him.
Page 259 - For by the nature of their institution, they are designed to live as long as mankind, or as the laws of Nature or as justice itself, which gives them life. Therefore when they come to be dissolved, not by external violence, but intestine disorder, the fault is not in men, as they are the "matter;" but as they are the "makers,
Page 228 - The whole galaxy of political philosophers from Plato to Hegel, and certainly all adherents of natural right, assumed that the fundamental political problem is susceptible of a final solution. This assumption ultimately rested on the Socratic answer to the question of how man ought to live.