Ομιλία του Professor Geoff Bakewell με θέμα: Στάσις, competition, and the ‘noble lie’: metic mettle in Plato’s Rep

Πέμπτη 26 Οκτωβρίου 2017, ώρα 12.00, Σπουδαστήριο Κλασικής Φιλολογίας (745) της Φιλοσοφικής Σχολής

ΠΡΟΣΚΛΗΣΗ

Την Πέμπτη 26 Οκτωβρίου 2017, ώρα 12.00,

στο Σπουδαστήριο Κλασικής Φιλολογίας (745) της Φιλοσοφικής Σχολής

θα πραγματοποιηθεί στο πλαίσιο των «Επιστημονικών Συναντήσεων»

του Τομέα Κλασικής Φιλολογίας η ομιλία

του Professor Geoff Bakewell (Elizabeth A. Whitehead Professor, American School of Classical Studies at Athens / Dept. of Greek and Roman Studies, Rhodes College, U.S.A.)

με θέμα:

Στάσις, competition, and the ‘noble lie’: metic mettle in Plato’s Republic

Συντονίστριες

Κατερίνα Καρβούνη kcarvounis@phil.uoa.gr 210-7277613

Σοφία Παπαϊωάννου spapaioan@phil.uoa.gr 210-7277380

Στάσις, competition, and the ‘noble lie’: metic mettle in Plato’s Republic

GEOFF BAKEWELL

Elizabeth A. Whitehead Professor, American School of Classical Studies at Athens Dept. of Greek and Roman Studies

ABSTRACT

The Republic’s imaginary city of Kallipolis is founded upon historical bedrock. This is apparent in its stance toward the agonistic impulse characterizing classical Greece. In an effort to reduce στάσις, Socrates separates Kallipolis’ inhabitants into three tiers, assigns them different tasks, and has them mind their own business. He likewise designs Kallipolis’ educational program to separate and subordinate people’s psychic elements. The city’s success thus hinges on its ability to manage competition on multiple levels. In this regard, the Republic draws on Hesiod’s depiction of Ἔρις. Socrates sees a negative and a positive side to competition; he wants to discard the former while keeping the latter. To this end, Kallipolis will identify, sort, and train its inhabitants according to their psychic amalgams. Socrates justifies his extensive regimen with a second feature adapted from the Works and Days, namely its metallic ‘myth of ages’. He intends the resulting ψεῦδος γενναῖον to publicly stifle competition, while tacitly affirming its necessary place in society. The Republic’s interest in managed competition helps explain the choice of venue and host for the evening. By setting the recounted conversation in the Piraeus home of the metic Polemarchus, Plato offers a concrete example of how Kallipolis might function.

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