The Greeks and the Rational
The Discovery of Practical Reason
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 29. November 2022
Book
Hardback
488 pages
978-0-520-38016-5 (ISBN)
Description
Tracing practical reason from its origins to its modern and contemporary permutations
The Greek discovery of practical reason, as the skilled performance of strategic thinking in public and private affairs, was an intellectual breakthrough that remains both a feature of and a bug in our modern world. Countering arguments that rational choice-making is a contingent product of modernity, The Greeks and the Rational traces the long history of theorizing rationality back to ancient Greece.
In this book, Josiah Ober explores how ancient Greek sophists, historians, and philosophers developed sophisticated and systematic ideas about practical reason. At the same time, they recognized its limits-that not every decision can be reduced to mechanistic calculations of optimal outcomes. Ober finds contemporary echoes of this tradition in the application of game theory to political science, economics, and business management. The Greeks and the Rational offers a striking revisionist history with widespread implications for the study of ancient Greek civilization, the history of thought, and human rationality itself.
The Greek discovery of practical reason, as the skilled performance of strategic thinking in public and private affairs, was an intellectual breakthrough that remains both a feature of and a bug in our modern world. Countering arguments that rational choice-making is a contingent product of modernity, The Greeks and the Rational traces the long history of theorizing rationality back to ancient Greece.
In this book, Josiah Ober explores how ancient Greek sophists, historians, and philosophers developed sophisticated and systematic ideas about practical reason. At the same time, they recognized its limits-that not every decision can be reduced to mechanistic calculations of optimal outcomes. Ober finds contemporary echoes of this tradition in the application of game theory to political science, economics, and business management. The Greeks and the Rational offers a striking revisionist history with widespread implications for the study of ancient Greek civilization, the history of thought, and human rationality itself.
Reviews / Votes
"Ober's study should be praised for both its scope and its coherence. Indispensable for readers interested in how the Greeks conceived of practical reason and what Greek thought can offer modern cooperation efforts. Summing Up: Essential."* Choice Reviews * "The latest chapter in Ober's influential reorientation of the study of ancient Greek political practice and written texts, which he has refashioned as a laboratory for studying social order and democratic possibilities. . . . [T]here is much to learn from this stimulating intertwining of ancient Greek texts and modern theoretical approaches in its light." * The Times Literary Supplement * "Apart from hopefully becoming a landmark publication and a source of inspiration for many classics scholars, ancient historians, philosophers, and other humanities scholars, this book promises to be an intriguing read for any political or social scientist working on game theory and rationality in theory and performance."
* Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics * "The Greeks and the Rational is a Cyclopean work. It is massive and singularly focused." * THE CLASSICAL REVIEW *
More details
Series
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
26 illustrations, 5 tables
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
771 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-38016-5 (9780520380165)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2022
1st Edition
Naval Institute Press
€33.99
Available for download
Person
Josiah Ober is Mitsotakis Professor of Political Science and Classics at Stanford University and Senior Fellow (Courtesy) at the Hoover Institution. He is author or editor of eighteen books, including The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece and Demopolis: Democracy before Liberalism in Theory and Practice.
Content
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations and Classical References
Introduction: Discovering Practical Reason
1. Gyges' Choice: Rationality and Visibility
2. Glaucon's Dilemma: Origins of Social Order
3. Deioces' Ultimatum: How to Choose a Ruler
4. Solon's Bargain: Self-Enforcing Constitutional Order
5. Melos' Prospect: Limits of Interstate Rationality
6. Socrates' Critique: Problems for Democratic Rationality
7. Cephalus' Expertise: Economic Rationality
8. Conclusions: Utility and Eudaimonia
Epilogue
Appendix: Probability, Risk, and Likelihood
Works Cited
Index
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations and Classical References
Introduction: Discovering Practical Reason
1. Gyges' Choice: Rationality and Visibility
2. Glaucon's Dilemma: Origins of Social Order
3. Deioces' Ultimatum: How to Choose a Ruler
4. Solon's Bargain: Self-Enforcing Constitutional Order
5. Melos' Prospect: Limits of Interstate Rationality
6. Socrates' Critique: Problems for Democratic Rationality
7. Cephalus' Expertise: Economic Rationality
8. Conclusions: Utility and Eudaimonia
Epilogue
Appendix: Probability, Risk, and Likelihood
Works Cited
Index