Aristotle and Menander on the ethics of understanding
This doctoral thesis explores a subject falling in the interface between ancient Greek philosophy and literature. Specifically, I am concerned with common ground between the New Comedy of Menander and aspects of Aristotleâs philosophy. The thesis does not argue that the resemblance identified between the two writers shows the direct influence of Aristotle on Menander but rather thay they share a common thought-world. The thesis is structured around a series of parallel readings of Menander and Aristotle; key relevant texts are Menanderâs ~Epitrepontes~, ~Samia~, ~Aspis~, ~Perikeiromene~ and ~Dyscolos~ and Aristotleâs ~Posterior Analytics~, ~Nicomachean and Eudemian Ethics~, ~De Anima~ and ~Poetics~. My claim is that Menanderâs construction of characters and plots and Aristotleâs philosophical analyses express analogous approaches on the subject of the relationship between knowledge and ethics. Central for my argument is the consideration that in Aristotleâs writings on ethics, logic, and psychology, we can identify a specific set of ideas about the interconnection between knowledge-formation and character or emotion, which shows, for instance, how ethical failings typically depend on a combination
Cinaglia, Valeria
Aristotle ; Menander ; Greek Philosophy ; Greek Drama ; New Comedy ; Aesthetics ; Comedy ; Philosophy
Aristotle and Menander on the ethics of understanding. This doctoral thesis explores a subject falling in the interface between ancient Greek philosophy and literature. Specifically, I am concerned with common ground between the New Comedy of Menander and aspects of Aristotleâs philosophy. The thesis does not argue that the resemblance identified between the two writers shows the direct influence of Aristotle on Menander but rather thay they share a common thought-world. The thesis is structured around a series of parallel readings of Menander and Aristotle; key relevant texts are Menanderâs ~Epitrepontes~, ~Samia~, ~Aspis~, ~Perikeiromene~ and ~Dyscolos~ and Aristotleâs ~Posterior Analytics~, ~Nicomachean and Eudemian Ethics~, ~De Anima~ and ~Poetics~. My claim is that Menanderâs construction of characters and plots and Aristotleâs philosophical analyses express analogous approaches on the subject of the relationship between knowledge and ethics. Central for my argument is the consideration that in Aristotleâs writings on ethics, logic, and psychology, we can identify a specific set of ideas about the interconnection between knowledge-formation and character or emotion, which shows, for instance, how ethical failings typically depend on a combination
aristotle ethic understand doctoral explores subject fall interface ancient_greek philosophy literature specifically concerned common_ground new comedy aspects aristotle philosophy argue resemblance identify writer show direct_influence aristotle rather share_common thought world structure_around series parallel reading aristotle key relevant text aristotle posterior ethics anima poetics claim construction character plot aristotle philosophical_analysis express analogous approach_subject relationship knowledge ethic central_argument consideration aristotle writing ethic logic psychology identify specific set ideas interconnection knowledge_formation character emotion show instance ethical failing typically depend combination