Category Archives: philosophy

Note on Xenophon, Education of Cyrus I.3.6-7

To this Astyages said, “If you are so resolved, my child, feast at least upon these meats, so that you may go home a vigorous youth.” As he was saying this, he had a great deal of meat brought to him, of both wild and tame animals. When he saw all this meat, Cyrus said, …

August 27, 2011 – 7:11 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (5)

Notes on “Statues” or “Sculpture” in Plato’s Republic

The Greek term for “sculpture” is andrias. It is related to aner, which is a “real man,” as opposed to a mere anthropos (human being; Socrates in Xenophon is never called aner). Andreia, also stemming from aner, is “courage,” but more literally “manliness.” A large part of the Republic concerns a proposed guardian class of …

August 7, 2011 – 7:55 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, plato | Comments (2)

Xenophon and Gratitude

The revealing keynote of the education in virtue is struck by Xenophon’s description of the law on education to justice and to gratitude (understood as a subdivision of justice). The boys learn justice, Xenophon explains, by indicting and convicting one another on many charges but especially on that charge “for which humans hate one another …

July 25, 2011 – 2:01 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (2)

Plato, “Hipparchus” 225a-c

Passages quoted below are from Steven Forde’s translation, found in The Roots of Political Philosophy: Ten Forgotten Socratic Dialogues, ed. Pangle. Ithaca: Cornell, 1987. The short dialogue at hand opens with something remarkable: Socrates asks questions directly, questions that even we – advanced as we think we are – may consider philosophic: Socrates: So what …

July 13, 2011 – 7:30 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, plato | Comments (1)

Leo Strauss, “Memorial Remarks for Jason Aronson”

Thanks to Tim Haglund (thag) for bringing this to my attention. Memorial Remarks for Jason Aronson (from Jewish Philosophy and the Crisis of Modernity, ed. Kenneth Hart Green) Leo Strauss We are struck by the awesome, unfathomable experience of death, of the death of one near and dear to us. We are grieved particularly because …

April 29, 2011 – 11:13 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy | Comments (3)

Briefly Noted: W.R. Newell, “Tyranny and the Science of Ruling in Xenophon’s Education of Cyrus”

Lots worth thinking about in this article. Newell starts with an obvious but important premise. Plato and Aristotle used as a starting point for their contemplation of politics “virtuous citizenship within a small, self-governing community;” Xenophon’s “Education of Cyrus takes as its explicit theme how one supremely talented and aggressive ruler can satisfy his craving …

February 12, 2011 – 2:04 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (1)

On Patriotism

For Pamela Jaska: happy birthday A relative from another country accused me years ago of only being patriotic because of 9/11. My Mother, who was in the room, gave the relative a death-stare while calmly stating that I’ve always been “like that.” Patriotism is a curious sort of love. It seems to be  grouped with …

February 11, 2011 – 5:16 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy | Comments (4)

Briefly Noted: Thomas L. Pangle, “Socratic Political Philosophy in Xenophon’s Symposium”

The commentary I recommend on Xenophon’s Symposium is Dustin Gish’s dissertation, “Xenophon’s Socratic Rhetoric: A Study of the Symposium.” Gish has his own translation of the work with notes in the appendices. Still, I realize access to that is problematic for many of you. It’s in the University of Dallas library and something I can …

February 3, 2011 – 2:16 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (3)

Briefly Noted: Christopher Nadon, “Leo Strauss’s Restatement on Why Xenophon”

The article discussed below can be found in Perspectives on Political Science, vol. 39 issue 2, Apr-Jun 2010. 77-81 Nadon’s Xenophon’s Prince, a study of The Education of Cyrus, is solid, useful scholarship and highly recommended. The article at hand is rather problematic. Nadon builds a case that Strauss took the time in an article …

January 28, 2011 – 6:38 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (0)

On Plato’s “Greater Hippias,” part 3

part I | II | III From the answers of a maiden, gold and a most honorable death the dialogue ventures into the topics of the fitting, the useful, and the pleasant. “The fitting,” though, was strictly speaking Hippias’ answer. He rooted it in a convention so strict, however, it could not help but be …

January 5, 2011 – 8:31 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, plato | Comments (0)