Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy

323 Pages·2009·1.46 MB·English

by  Inwood, Brad.

OXFORD STUDIES IN ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
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OXFORD STUDIES
IN ANCIENT
PHILOSOPHY
EDITOR: BRAD INWOOD
VOLUME XXXV
winter 2008
(cid:2)
(cid:2)
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Oxfordstudiesinancientphilosophy.—
Vol.xxxv(2008).—Oxford:ClarendonPress;
NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1983–
v.;22cm.Annual.
1.Philosophy,Ancient—Periodicals.
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ADVISORY BOARD
ProfessorJuliaAnnas,UniversityofArizona
ProfessorJonathanBarnes
ProfessorA.A.Long,UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley
ProfessorMarthaNussbaum,UniversityofChicago
ProfessorDavidSedley,UniversityofCambridge
Professor Richard Sorabji, King’s College, University of London,
andWolfsonCollege,Oxford
ProfessorGiselaStriker,HarvardUniversity
ProfessorChristopherTaylor,CorpusChristiCollege,Oxford
Contributions and books for review should be sent to the Edi-
tor, Professor Brad Inwood, Department of Classics, University
of Toronto, 125 Queen’s Park, Toronto m5s 2c7, Canada (e-mail
brad.inwoodÄutoronto.ca).
Contributors are asked to observe the ‘Notes for Contributors to
Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy’,printed at the end ofthis
volume.
Up-to-date contact details, the latest version of Notes to Con-
tributors,andpublicationschedulescanbecheckedontheOxford
StudiesinAncientPhilosophywebsite:
www.oup.co.uk/philosophy/series/osap
EDITORIAL
ThisvolumeofOxfordStudiesinAncientPhilosophymarksatran-
sition to new editorship. It is a distinct honour, though an inti-
midatingone,tosucceedDavidSedleyinthiscapacity.Underhis
leadership(from1999to2008)theserieshasaddedasecondvolume
peryear andcarried onthe traditions ofhigh qualityand innova-
tive philosophical scholarship established by its founding editor,
JuliaAnnas,andhersuccessor,ChristopherTaylor.Myaimwillbe
to continuethose traditions,to encouragethe publicationof chal-
lenging new workacross the full range of ancient Graeco-Roman
philosophy,andtomaintainthehighstandinganddistinctivechar-
acterwhichtheserieshasestablishedunderitsfirstthreeeditors.
I want to thank DavidSedley, not onlyforhis supportand en-
couragementoverdecadesoffriendship,but alsoforhisgenerous
assistanceintheprocessofeditorialtransition.Roughlyhalfofthe
materialinthisvolumeistheoutcomeofhiseditoriallabours,not
my own. The articles in Volume XXXV range in time from He-
siod to Plotinusand coverthemes in ethics, physics, metaphysics,
and logic broadly construed. There is a pleasing but unintended
balanceinthephilosophersandperiodscovered.Ihopethatthere
willbesomethingforeveryonetoenjoy,tolearnfrom,andtodis-
agree with. I want to close by expressing my gratitude to John
Was‹forhisexceptionalhelpfulnessandcontinuedexcellenceinthe
processesof copy-editingand production and to the departments
of Classics and Philosophyat the University of Toronto fortheir
practicalassistance.
CONTENTS
Hesiod,Prodicus,andtheSocratics onWorkandPleasure 1
DAVID WOLFSDORF
Heraclitus’Critique ofPythagoras’Enquiryin
Fragment129 19
CARLA.HUFFMAN
DoesSocratesClaim toKnowthat He KnowsNothing? 49
GAIL FINE
Plato onthePossibility ofHedonicMistakes 89
MATTHEW EVANS
TheSelf, theSoul, andtheIndividualinthe City of
the Laws 125
MARIAMICHELA SASSI
‘As if we were investigating snubness’:Aristotle on the
ProspectsforaSingle Science ofNature 149
JAMESG. LENNOX
Aristotle’s NotionofPriorityin NatureandSubstance 187
MICHAILM. PERAMATZIS
ExcavatingDissoi Logoi 4 249
D.T. J. BAILEY
PlotinusonAstrology 265
PETER ADAMSON
Power, Activity, and Being: A Discussion of Aristotle:
MetaphysicsΘ,trans. andcomm.Stephen Makin 293
CHARLOTTEWITT
IndexLocorum 301
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HESIOD, PRODICUS,
AND THE SOCRATICS ON
WORK AND PLEASURE
DAVID WOLFSDORF
1.SocratesandHesiod’sWorksandDays287–319
since poetry,especiallytheepicpoetryofHomerandHesiod,was
central to Greek culture in the late archaic and classical periods,
thoseindividualsengagedintheformationandearlydevelopment
of philosophy,in manyways a reactionandalternative to conven-
tional culture and forms of expression, inevitably engaged with
theirillustriouspredecessors.Plato’scriticismofpoetryintheRe-
public is the most obviousexample. But in general, philosophers’
engagements range from criticism of the poets as established au-
thorities to employmentof them, in variousways, as constructive
modelsorascorroboratorsoftheirideas.Inallcases,interpretation
ofthepoetryitselfwasrequired,andthistoorangedfromthecon-
ventionaltotheidiosyncratic.Theaimofthispaperistoshedlight
onthewaysthatonepassageinHesiod’sWorksandDaysparticu-
larly servedProdicusand inturnthe Socratics inthe formulation
oftheirethicalthought.
TheencomiumonworkinHesiod’sWorksandDays287–319was
muchdiscussedinSocraticcircles.Socrateshimselfseemstohave
been one important impetus to this discussion. Evidence comes
fromXenophon’sresponsetoaccusationsmadeagainstSocrates:
hisaccuser said thathe selectedfrom themost renowned poetsthe most
base verses and used them as evidence in teaching his associates to be
malefactorsandtyrants.Forexample,Hesiod’sline‘Noworkisadisgrace,
ãDavidWolfsdorf2008
IamgratefultoGraceLedbetter,ThomasBlackson,DavidSansone,andananony-
mousrefereefortheircommentsonearlierdrafts.ThanksalsotoDavidSedleyfor
arangeofhelpfulphilological,philosophical,andexpositorysuggestions.