Greek tragedy & political philosophy; Sophocles

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 11
GREEK TRAGEDY AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY......Page 13
Introduction......Page 15
Crime and Punishment?......Page 23
From Enlightenment to Theocracy......Page 28
Nobility and Self-Interest......Page 39
The Inhumane Piety of Oedipus and the Humane Rationalism of Sophocles......Page 48
All's Well that Ends Well?......Page 62
The Virtue of Blindness and the Rejection of Reason......Page 64
Oedipus's Recourse to Reason to Defend His Hopes......Page 69
Oedipus's Argument That He Deserves Divine Favor......Page 72
The Pleasures of Anger and the Rejection of Reason......Page 83
The Enlightened Statesmanship of Theseus......Page 87
Conclusion......Page 96
Right Over Might?......Page 99
The Pious Heroism of Antigone......Page 104
Justice and Self-Interest: The Challenge of Ismene......Page 119
Justice and the Family: The Challenge of Creon......Page 127
The Weakness of Familial Piety: The Fall of Antigone......Page 140
The Power of Familial Piety: The Fall of Creon......Page 148
Conclusion......Page 162
Conclusion Nietzsche, Plato, and Aristotle on Philosophy and Tragedy......Page 165
Nietzsche: The Courageous Truthfulness of the Tragic Human Being......Page 167
Socrates: The Softness of the Tragic Heroes......Page 170
Aristotle: The Philosophic Education through Tragedy......Page 182
Bibliography......Page 193
Index......Page 201