The philosopher in early modern Europe : the nature of a contested identity ; [papers ... for an international workshop "The Persona of the Philosopher in Early Modern Europe", held in Brisbane, Australia on 7-8 July 2004

This book selects central texts illustrating the literary reception of Hesiod's Works and Days in antiquity and considers how these moments were crucial in fashioning the idea of 'didactic literature'. A central chapter considers the development of ancient ideas about didactic poetry, relying not so much on explicit critical theory as on how Hesiod was read and used from the earliest period of reception onwards. Other chapters consider Hesiodic reception in the archaic poetry of Alcaeus and Simonides, in the classical prose of Plato, Xenophon and Isocrates, in the Aesopic tradition, and in the imperial prose of Dio Chrysostom and Lucian; there is also a groundbreaking study of Plutarch's extensive commentary on the Works and Days and an account of ancient ideas of Hesiod's linguistic style. This is a major and innovative contribution to the study of Hesiod's remarkable poem and to the Greek literary engagement with the past. In this groundbreaking collection of essays the history of philosophy appears in a fresh light, not as reason's progressive discovery of its universal conditions, but as a series of unreconciled disputes over the proper way to conduct oneself as a philosopher. By shifting focus from the philosopher as proxy for the universal subject of reason to the philosopher as a special persona arising from rival forms of self-cultivation, philosophy is approached in terms of the social office and intellectual deportment of the philosopher, as a personage with a definite moral physiognomy and institutional setting. In so doing, this collection of essays by leading figures in the fields of both philosophy and the history of ideas provides access to key early modern disputes over what it meant to be a philosopher, and to the institutional and larger political and religious contexts in which such disputes took place. Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Contributors; Acknowledgements; Introduction; CHAPTER 1 The persona of the natural philosopher; CHAPTER 2 The university philosopher in early modern Germany; CHAPTER 3 The persona of the philosopher and the rhetorics of office in early modern England; CHAPTER 4 From Sir Thomas More to Robert Burton: the laughing philosopher in the early modern period; CHAPTER 5 Hobbes, the universities, and the history of philosophy; CHAPTER 6 The judicial persona in historical context: the case of Matthew Hale.;This collection of essays by leading figures in philosophy and the history of ideas provides access to key early modern disputes over what it meant to be a philosopher and to the institutional and political and religious contexts in which such disputes took place. This book selects central moments in the literary reception of the Works and Days in antiquity, studies these moments in sophisticated depth, and pays particular attention to Hesiod's importance as the founding father of 'didactic literature'. It will appeal to all those with a serious interest in ancient literature. Edited By Conal Condren, Stephen Gaukroger And Ian Hunter. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.