The Greeks and the Irrational
Douban
Dodds
overview
In this philosophy classic, which was first published in 1951, E. R. Dodds takes on the traditional view of Greek culture as a triumph of rationalism. Using the analytical tools of modern anthropology and psychology, Dodds asks, "Why should we attribute to the ancient Greeks an immunity from 'primitive' modes of thought which we do not find in any society open to our direct observation?" Praised by reviewers as "an event in modern Greek scholarship" and "a book which it would be difficult to over-praise," The Greeks and the Irrational was Volume 25 of the Sather Classical Lectures series.
contents
I Agamemnon's Apology
II From Shame-Culture to Guilt-Culture
III The Blessings of Madness
IV Dream-Pattern and Culture-Pattern
V The Greek Shamans and the Origin of Puritanism
VI Rationalism and Reaction in the Classical Age
VII Plato, the Irrational Soul, and the Inherited Conglomerate
VIII The Fear of Freedom
Appendix I Maenadism
Appendix II Theurgy
Index
