Browsing by Subject "Republic"
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Item Between theory & practice in Plato’s “the Republic” & “Laws”(2019-05) Dragon, Drake Sterling; Pangle, Thomas L.One of the most comical implications of Socrates’ (in)famous suggestion that "philosopher-kings" be made to rule the city alone is how far the illustrated model of the "philosopher kings" in the “the Republic” diverges from and falls short of being a genuine or complete philosophers on the model of Socrates himself. Why would Socrates propose the “Third Wave” if it is untenable, even in theory, and what does this suggest about the possibilities for radical political revolution in a democratic system? The activity of philosophy, as practiced by Socrates, is extremely problematic from the city’s perspective, and must be radically transformed if it is to be coetaneous with political life. In “Laws”, Plato presents use with a political philosopher who appears to actually succeed in this endeavour. The Athenian Stranger, as a character-type representative of the genuine philosopher, is noticeably different from Socrates. He is able to present himself, not merely as a theoretician or conceptual idealist, but a man with keen insight into the practical world of political institutions and legal practice. What changes would “philosophy” or the “philosopher” have to undergo in order to be made civic-minded or, atleast, legally permissible? Would these be antithetical to the core of Socratic political philosophy, properly understood? This essay seeks to shed light on the prior questions through an analysis of key differences in the character and rhetorical approach or “action” of Socrates and the Athenian Stranger in either dialogue.Item Harmony of city and soul : Plato and the classical virtue of moderation(2014-12) Rabinowitz, Laura; Pangle, Lorraine Smith; Stauffer, Devin, 1970-; Pangle, Thomas; Jacobsohn, Gary; Krause, SharonThis study examines and defends moderation as a moral, political, and philosophic virtue. I argue that modern political theory, despite its success in curbing certain excesses, is unable to account fully for our contemporary struggles with immoderation because it fails to treat moderation as a holistic virtue. To address this theoretical deficit, and to recover the unity of a virtue that has become fragmented and neglected in our age, I turn to the treatment of moderation found in Plato’s Charmides and Republic—the two dialogues in which Socrates asks and answers the question: what is moderation? I argue that Plato’s Charmides is not an early dialogue to be left behind as we move on to the Republic. Rather, it is through the interplay between the two dialogues that a full picture of moderation as a harmony of the city and soul emerges. Lessons learned from the Charmides must be remembered in order to temper the utopian ambitions inspired by Plato’s Republic. Moderating our own hopes for a world in which reason reigns, we see the need for cultivating both self and civic restraint in the absence of a perfectly harmonious whole. Nevertheless, moderation in the form of a genuine harmony orchestrated by reason remains a model of excellence, best embodied by Socrates himself. Understanding moderation in this light, we can see most clearly the sources in human nature of what Plato’s Socrates calls the “many limbs” of immoderation, from hedonism to tyranny. More important, in understanding Socratic moderation we recover a compelling vision of the virtue.Item A history of the Cossack assembly and its Arthurian connection(2012-05) Paikoff, Richard Jacob; Bychkova Jordan, Bella; Garza, Thomas J.The main intent of this thesis is to review the history and roots of the Cossack assembly, and to analyze its connection to western civilization. In terms of the roots of the Cossack assembly, this thesis will explore the Scytho-Sarmatian, the early Slavic, the Novgorodian, as well as the Turkic-Mongol influences that led to its creation. While the Zaporozhian Cossack assembly will be discussed, the primary focus of the history of the Cossack assembly section will deal with the Don Cossacks’ assembly, since the practices and traditions inherent in this structure are representative of most Cossack groups. In addition to reviewing the Sarmatian Hypothesis, this thesis will also examine the connections and parallels between the Arthurian legends, the ancient Iranian governing practices, and the Cossack assembly. It is thus hoped that this multileveled analysis will generate a comprehensive portrait of the Cossack assembly and, through its ancient Iranian predecessor’s connection to the Arthurian Round Table, prompt a reconsideration of analytical approaches to both the foundations of Cossack and western democracy.Item Paving the past: Late Republican recollections in the Forum Romanum(2009-05) Bartels, Aaron David; Davies, Penelope J. E.; Clarke, John R.; Riggsby, Andrew M.The Forum was the center of Roman life. It witnessed a barrage of building, destruction and reuse from the seventh century BCE onwards. By around 80 BCE, patrons chose to renovate the Senate House and Comitium with a fresh paving of tufa blocks. Masons leveled many ruined altars and memorials beneath the flooring. Yet paving also provided a means of saving some of Rome’s past. They isolated the Lapis Niger with black blocks, to keep the city’s sinking history in their present. Paving therefore became a technology of memory for recording past events and people. Yet how effective was the Lapis Niger as a memorial? Many modern scholars have romanced the site’s cultural continuity. However, in fifty years and after two Lapis Nigers, the Comitium had borne a disparity of monuments and functions. Rome’s historians could not agree on what lay beneath. Verrius Flaccus reports that the Lapis Niger ‘according to others’ might mark the site of Romulus’s apotheosis, his burial, the burial of his foster father Faustulus, or even his soldier, Hostius Hostilius (50.177). Nevertheless, modern archaeologists have found no tombs. Instead of trying to comprehend these legends, most scholars use them selectively to isolate a dictator, deity or date. We must instead understand why so many views of the Lapis Niger emerged in antiquity. Otherwise, like ancient antiquarians, we will re- identify sites without end. Recreating how these material and mental landscapes interacted and spawned new pasts tells us more about the Lapis Niger than any new attribution.