Spectacles of Truth in Classical Greek Philosophy: Theoria in its Cultural Context

by Andrea Wilson Nightingale

From being viewed as an activity performed in practical and political contexts, wisdom in fourth-century BC Athens came to be conceived in terms of theoria, or the wise man as a "spectator" of truth. This book examines how philosophers of the period articulated the new conception of knowledge and how cultural conditions influenced this development. It provides an interdisciplinary study of the attempts to conceptualize "theoretical" activity during a foundational period in the history of Western philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy

322 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Andrea Wilson Nightingale is an American scholar working in the field of Classics. She is a Professor of Classics at Stanford University. She works on Ancient philosophy and literature, focusing on the intersection of philosophy and literature. She has also taught and written on ecological issues from a literary and philosophical point of view.

Reviews

[Robert Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most stimulating books I've read in over a year. It scratched many intellectual itches, though, in other ways, it made me itch for even more. Nightingale writes lucidly throughout this monograph about the cultural context of Platonic and Aristotelian theoria. It addressed many additional philosophical issues that I was seeking answers to in my personal life (How does contact with the Transcendent play out in the real world? What role does wonder play in spiritual life? How does contemplation link the lower and transcendent realms?)

I did feel, however, that the chapter on Aristotle was all over the place. It felt like the structure was lacking in that chapter compared to others where the subheadings were arranged in a meaningful order. However, this may also be due to my preference for Plato and finding Aristotle's writings boring. The benefits and enjoyment of this book more than compensate for the lack of structure in the final chapter.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that roots the philosophical act of "theorizing" as a borrowed term, a metaphor used by the earliest philosophers in ancient Greece to establish theorizing as the domain of philosophy. To theorize meant to go on a civic/religious pilgrimage to see rituals, religious ceremonies, or the like in other cities and cultures in Greece. This person would come back to the polis and report to the citizens what he saw. This was meant to not only possibly critique the culture and practices of another city, but the home city too. It could dangerously introduce foreign cultural practices into a city. The author analyzes how this term gets picked up and used with mastery of both the philosophical tradition and ancient Greek language, rooting usage and conversation within the cultures of the time. It's a great book. The last chapter is a little weird - about neo-ecological theories based on Platonic theorizing - but it is interesting and is rooted in the book's arc. I suggest this to anyone interested in the history of ideas, and the history of Greek philosophy and culture.