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Athens in Paris

Ancient Greece and the Political in Post-War French Thought

Miriam Leonard author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:6th Oct '05

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Athens in Paris cover

Athens in Paris explores the ways in which the writings of the ancient Greeks played a decisive part in shaping the intellectual projects of structuralism and post-structuralism - arguably the most significant currents of thought of the post-war era. Miriam Leonard argues that thinkers in post-war France turned to the example of Athenian democracy in their debates over the role of political subjectivity and ethical choice in the life of the modern citizen. The authors she investigates, who include Lacan, Derrida, Foucault, and Vernant, have had an incalculable influence on the direction of classical studies over the last thirty years, but classicists have yet to give due attention to the crucial role of the ancient world in the development of their philosophy.

Leonard manages in this tour de force section of the book to keep several balls juggled at once, but returns elegantly and faithfully to her main point... dense and thought-provoking * Richard H. Armstrong, Journal of Hellenic Studies *
Leonard proffers an astute analysis of both aporia and heritage * Cahman Kerr Prince, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
a young scholar's impressively ardent account of more measured Parisian bagarres, between scholars and philosophes ... and of their competitive re-visions of ancient Greek myths and texts. * Frederic Raphael, Books of the Year, TLS *
Leonard's book, inaugurating a new series from Oxford, Classical Presences, is a tour-de-force: intelligent, challenging and deeply reflected. * R.L. Gordon, Times Literary Supplement *
Leonard concisely and successfully presents the reception of Greek texts as being at the core of the political debates in post-war French thought. * Hector Kollias, French Studies, Vol. LXI, No. 2 *

ISBN: 9780199277254

Dimensions: 224mm x 144mm x 22mm

Weight: 488g

288 pages