Bibliograph

The Greeks and the rational, the discovery of practical reason, Josiah Ober

Type

Label

The Greeks and the rational, the discovery of practical reason, Josiah Ober

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The Greeks and the rational

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1305915474

Responsibility statement

Josiah Ober

Series statement

Sather classical lectures, 76Joan Palevsky imprint in classical literature

Sub title

the discovery of practical reason

Summary

"In this book, Josiah Ober explores how ancient Greek sophists, historians, and philosophers developed sophisticated and systematic ideas about practical reason. At the same time, they recognized its limits-that not every decision can be reduced to mechanistic calculations of optimal outcomes. We see contemporary echoes of this tradition in the application of game theory to political science, economics, and business management. The Greeks and the Rational offers a striking revisionist history with widespread implications for the study of ancient Greek civilization, the history of thought, and human rationality itself"--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Introduction : discovering practical reason -- Gyges' choice : rationality and visibility -- Glaucon's dilemma : origins of social order -- Deioces' ultimatum : how to choose a ruler -- Solon's bargain : self-enforcing constitutional order -- Melos' prospect : limits of inter-state rationality -- Socrates' critique : problems for democratic rationality -- Cephalus' expertise : economic rationality -- Conclusions : utility and eudaimonia -- Appendix : probability, risk, and likelihood

Creator