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.
Language
English
Pages
322
Format
Hardcover
Release
August 01, 2004
ISBN 13
9780521838252
Spectacles of Truth in Classical Greek Philosophy: Theoria in Its Cultural Context
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.