In Plato's Dream of Sophistry, Richard Marback shows that Plato's vision was remarkably accurate. Against histories of rhetoric that described Plato's influence mainly in terms of his overarching dominance, Marback argues that Plato's lasting influence results not from the force of the dialogues themselves but from continued investments in arguing about the dialogues.
Arrested in the Soviet Union in 1975 for composing and distributing "subversive" pamphlets-compiled of quotes from official Soviet sources-Alexander V. Avakov was sentenced to hard labor in a KGB camp. After serving his sentence, he emigrated to the United States with his family in 1981. Avakov soon found himself subject to the shadowy invasion of FBI surveillance, for no apparent reason; was it for the letters he wrote to friends back home? In his book, Avakov examines the evolution of electronic surveillance as well as the extent of modern "total surveillance," with a consideration of the impact of electronic surveillance on citizen rights, and the philosophical basis for the connection between rights and privacy. "Without privacy, there is no autonomy of person; without autonomy of person, there is no freedom." Yet the United States government employs several legal mechanisms which hinge on innovative uses of electronic surveillance to evade the safeguards that are the pride of America. Such techniques include the use of friendly countries' intelligence services and the Echelon program to avoid the ticklish problem of obtaining warrants. With the "war on terror" and new legislation such as the USA Patriot Act, the US government has been expanding the use of searches without warrants (such as wiretaps and other forms of surveillance) to gather information that technically is supposed to be barred from presentation in criminal court as evidence. The resultant weakening of the exclusionary rule and due process in general violate the Constitution and make a mockery of the freedoms America advertises to the rest of the world. America, he shows, declares high-minded legal ideals but hasconsistently cheated in their implementation. There is logic, tradition, and a stable "modus operandi" in the way the US security apparatus violates the Constitution. The history of political spying in the US, as well as warnings by US legal authorities, point to the dangers of electronic surveillance to human rights. The author outlines various ways in which surveillance of citizens is increasing, then examines the bases of our expectations of liberty, from Plato to the US Constitution. In the tradition of the Russian intelligentsia, he brings a broad knowledge of literature, philosophy, history and legal studies to his analysis. Avakov concludes with a discussion of practical solutions to counter these dangers as suggested in a number of publications.
Plato's Parmenides presents the modern reader with a puzzle. Noted for being the most difficult of Platonic dialogues, it is also one of the most influential. This new edition of the work includes the Greek text on facing pages, with an English translation by Arnold Hermann in collaboration with Sylvana Chrysakopoulou. The Introduction provides an overview and commentary aimed at scholars and first time readers alike.
The problem of tyranny preoccupied Plato, and its discussion both begins and ends his famous Republic. Though philosophers have mined the Republic for millennia, Cinzia Arruzza is the first to devote a full book to the study of tyranny and of the tyrant's soul in Plato's Republic. In A Wolf in the City, Arruzza argues that Plato's critique of tyranny intervenes in an ancient debate concerning the sources of the crisis of Athenian democracy and the relation between political leaders and demos in the last decades of the fifth century BCE. Arruzza shows that Plato's critique of tyranny should not be taken as veiled criticism of the Syracusan tyrannical regime, but rather of Athenian democracy. In parsing Plato's discussion of the soul of the tyrant, Arruzza will also offer new and innovative insights into his moral psychology, addressing much-debated problems such as the nature of eros and of the spirited part of the soul, the unity or disunity of the soul, and the relation between the non-rational parts of the soul and reason.
This title is a clear and thorough account of Plato's philosophy, his major works, and his ideas, and acts as a useful guide to the important and complex thought of this prominent philosopher.
This comprehensive foundation for the study of realism will introduce students in disciplines as varied as philosophy, international relations, and strategic studies to the majestic breadth of the realist tradition that unifies them all. The Realist Tradition in International Relations: The Foundations of Western Order introduces the principal theorists who have shaped and defined the realist tradition. This once-dominant theory of international politics has reemerged to provide a shared foundation for understanding political theory, international relations theory, and strategic studies. The work is comprised of four volumes, each focusing upon a distinct period and the pivotal contributors writing in that era. Volume 1, State of Hope, looks at the classical era when chaos reigned supreme. Volume 2, State of Fear, goes through the early-modern period and the emergence of the modern state. Volume 3, State of Awe, explores the age of total war with its unprecedented dangers. Volume 4, State of Siege, examines the present era of insurgency and asymmetrical conflict. A truly monumental work, this sweeping study will surely foster a new appreciation of the rich tapestry of realist thought and its continuing relevance to the study of world politics.
