Books
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
– "Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." in Ancients and Moderns, 1-15, New York, Basic Books, 1964. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The crippled Oedipus, we must imagine, appears before the Thebans leaning on a staff, a staff that indicates as much his present authority as the use he once made of it to… More
Herodotean Inquiries
– Herodotean Inquiries. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1969. New edition with "Second Thoughts." South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1999.From the publisher: Herodotus’ Inquiries should be regarded as our best and most complete document for pre-Socratic philosophy. Without being a work of philosophy, its plan and… More
A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone
– "A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone, In Three Parts: Interpretation 4, No. 3 (Spring 1975): 148-196; 5, no. 1 (Summer 1975): 1-55; 5, no. 2 (Winter 1975): 148-184. Reprinted as Sacred Transgressions: A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone. 1999.Excerpt: “Antigone meets Ismene outside the gates of the royal palace. She usurps for the planning of her crime the place Creon had designated for his own meeting with the elders. As… More
Leo Strauss’s The City and Man
– "Leo Strauss's The City and Man," Political Science Reviewer 8 (1978): 1-20. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.Excerpt: Leo Strauss’s The City and Man seems at first to be a straightforward continuation of all his previous work: the articulation of the theological-political problem. Event he… More
On Greek Tragedy
– "On Greek Tragedy," in The Great Ideas Today, 102-143. Chicago: Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1980. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: Of all literary forms, tragedy and comedy alone seem to make a natural pair. They are natural in that they designate something not merely in letters but in life, and they are a… More
Review of Socrates’ Second Sailing: on Plato’s Republic
– Arlene Saxonhouse, Review of Socrates' Second Sailing: on Plato's Republic, Political Theory, Vol. 18, no. 4 (Nov. 1990): 690-705.As with much of Benardete’s other work, this is not an easy book to read. To say that it is dense, boldly paradoxical, replete with hellenized English, and abjures the standard… More
Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic by Will Morrisey
– Will Morrisey, "Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic," Interpretation Vol. 23, no. 1, Fall 1995: 89-100.Professor Benardete has been around long enough to have established a reputation. His writings are reputed to be hard to understand. This reputation has led to certain worries. “He is… More
Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– Martin Sitte, Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of The Odyssey, The Review of Metaphsysics, Vol. 51, no. 4 (1998): 911-913.Benardete’s book investigates the possibility that the Socratic turn in philosophy, that which enabled philosophy to inquire into the human and the political, had been anticipated by… More
Plato’s Laws: The Discovery of Being
– Plato's Laws: The Discovery of Being. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: The Laws was Plato’s last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to the Republic, which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any… More
The Argument of the Action: Essays on Greek Poetry and Philosophy
– The Argument of the Action: Essays in Greek Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: This volume brings together Seth Benardete’s studies of Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad, and Greek tragedy, of eleven Platonic dialogues, and… More
The Furies of Aeschylus
– "The Furies of Aeschylus," ms. 1982. In The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The Greek word for “right” is dike. Dike can mean “punishment,” but it never means “acquittal.” Dikastike – the science of right… More
Review of The Argument of the Action
– Steven Berg, Review of The Argument of the Action, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol 55, no. 1 (2001): 119-21.The Argument of the Action is a collection of essays by Seth Benardete on Greek poetry and philosophy selected and introduced by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. We must be grateful to the… More
Shelf Life; A Classicist’s Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation
– Edward Rothstein, "Shelf Life: A Classicist's Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation" (Review of The Argument of the Action) The New York Times, Arts, February 16, 2002.Confessions of ignorance are not usually in a critic’s best interest. But in this case, perhaps, an exception can be made. Ignorance, after all, is now common when confronting Greek… More
Aristotle’s “On Poetics”
– Aristotle - On Poetics. A translation by Seth Benardete and Michael Davis. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2002.The original, Aristotle’s short study of storytelling, written in the fourth century B.C., is the world’s first critical book about the laws of literature. Although the work is… More
In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001)
– Ronna Burger, “In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001),” Review of Metaphysics, Vol. 56:4 (June 2003) 939-941.Excerpt: Seth Benardete was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up with his older brother Jose. His father, Mair Jose, born in Istanbul, was a professor of Sephardic studies and Spanish at… More
At Homer’s Diner by Mark Blitz
– Mark Blitz, "At Homer's Diner" (Review of Encounters and Reflections) The Weekly Standard, Vol. 28, no. 29, April 7, 2003.There’s a joke that goes: “‘Do you know where we’re supposed to go?’ I said, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Well let’s go together.’ That’s… More
Review of Encounters and Reflections
– Vincent Renzi, Review of Encounters and Reflections, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Nov. 31, 2003.As editor Ronna Burger notes in her preface (p. x), the present volume is “a project that falls outside the usual categories” of scholarship. While listing him as author, it is… More
Seth Benardete’s Second Sailing by Michael Davis
– Michael Davis, "Seth Benardete's Second Sailing: On the Spirit of Ideas" The Political Science Reviewer, vol. 34 (2005): 7-21.In twelve books, six translations, and over fifty scholarly articles Seth Benardete wrote with unsurpassed breadth and depth on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles,… More
The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997.From the publisher: In this exciting interpretation of the Odyssey, the late renowned scholar Seth Benardete suggests that Homer may have been the first to philosophize in a Platonic sense.… More
The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy
– The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis, South Bend: St. Augustine's Press 2012.From the publisher: The Archaeology of the Soul is a testimony to the extraordinary scope of Seth Benardete’s thought. Some essays concern particular authors or texts; others range more… More
Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Steven Berg, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought, Vol. 30, no. 2 (2013): 340-343.Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Svetozar Minkov, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Review of Politics, Vol. 75, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 682-685.Socrates’ Second Sailing: On Plato’s Republic
– Socrates' Second Sailing: On Plato's Republic, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989.Essays
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
– "Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." in Ancients and Moderns, 1-15, New York, Basic Books, 1964. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The crippled Oedipus, we must imagine, appears before the Thebans leaning on a staff, a staff that indicates as much his present authority as the use he once made of it to… More
Herodotean Inquiries
– Herodotean Inquiries. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1969. New edition with "Second Thoughts." South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1999.From the publisher: Herodotus’ Inquiries should be regarded as our best and most complete document for pre-Socratic philosophy. Without being a work of philosophy, its plan and… More
A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone
– "A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone, In Three Parts: Interpretation 4, No. 3 (Spring 1975): 148-196; 5, no. 1 (Summer 1975): 1-55; 5, no. 2 (Winter 1975): 148-184. Reprinted as Sacred Transgressions: A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone. 1999.Excerpt: “Antigone meets Ismene outside the gates of the royal palace. She usurps for the planning of her crime the place Creon had designated for his own meeting with the elders. As… More
Leo Strauss’s The City and Man
– "Leo Strauss's The City and Man," Political Science Reviewer 8 (1978): 1-20. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.Excerpt: Leo Strauss’s The City and Man seems at first to be a straightforward continuation of all his previous work: the articulation of the theological-political problem. Event he… More
On Greek Tragedy
– "On Greek Tragedy," in The Great Ideas Today, 102-143. Chicago: Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1980. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: Of all literary forms, tragedy and comedy alone seem to make a natural pair. They are natural in that they designate something not merely in letters but in life, and they are a… More
Review of Socrates’ Second Sailing: on Plato’s Republic
– Arlene Saxonhouse, Review of Socrates' Second Sailing: on Plato's Republic, Political Theory, Vol. 18, no. 4 (Nov. 1990): 690-705.As with much of Benardete’s other work, this is not an easy book to read. To say that it is dense, boldly paradoxical, replete with hellenized English, and abjures the standard… More
Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic by Will Morrisey
– Will Morrisey, "Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic," Interpretation Vol. 23, no. 1, Fall 1995: 89-100.Professor Benardete has been around long enough to have established a reputation. His writings are reputed to be hard to understand. This reputation has led to certain worries. “He is… More
Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– Martin Sitte, Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of The Odyssey, The Review of Metaphsysics, Vol. 51, no. 4 (1998): 911-913.Benardete’s book investigates the possibility that the Socratic turn in philosophy, that which enabled philosophy to inquire into the human and the political, had been anticipated by… More
Plato’s Laws: The Discovery of Being
– Plato's Laws: The Discovery of Being. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: The Laws was Plato’s last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to the Republic, which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any… More
The Argument of the Action: Essays on Greek Poetry and Philosophy
– The Argument of the Action: Essays in Greek Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: This volume brings together Seth Benardete’s studies of Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad, and Greek tragedy, of eleven Platonic dialogues, and… More
The Furies of Aeschylus
– "The Furies of Aeschylus," ms. 1982. In The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The Greek word for “right” is dike. Dike can mean “punishment,” but it never means “acquittal.” Dikastike – the science of right… More
Review of The Argument of the Action
– Steven Berg, Review of The Argument of the Action, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol 55, no. 1 (2001): 119-21.The Argument of the Action is a collection of essays by Seth Benardete on Greek poetry and philosophy selected and introduced by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. We must be grateful to the… More
Shelf Life; A Classicist’s Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation
– Edward Rothstein, "Shelf Life: A Classicist's Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation" (Review of The Argument of the Action) The New York Times, Arts, February 16, 2002.Confessions of ignorance are not usually in a critic’s best interest. But in this case, perhaps, an exception can be made. Ignorance, after all, is now common when confronting Greek… More
Aristotle’s “On Poetics”
– Aristotle - On Poetics. A translation by Seth Benardete and Michael Davis. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2002.The original, Aristotle’s short study of storytelling, written in the fourth century B.C., is the world’s first critical book about the laws of literature. Although the work is… More
In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001)
– Ronna Burger, “In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001),” Review of Metaphysics, Vol. 56:4 (June 2003) 939-941.Excerpt: Seth Benardete was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up with his older brother Jose. His father, Mair Jose, born in Istanbul, was a professor of Sephardic studies and Spanish at… More
At Homer’s Diner by Mark Blitz
– Mark Blitz, "At Homer's Diner" (Review of Encounters and Reflections) The Weekly Standard, Vol. 28, no. 29, April 7, 2003.There’s a joke that goes: “‘Do you know where we’re supposed to go?’ I said, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Well let’s go together.’ That’s… More
Review of Encounters and Reflections
– Vincent Renzi, Review of Encounters and Reflections, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Nov. 31, 2003.As editor Ronna Burger notes in her preface (p. x), the present volume is “a project that falls outside the usual categories” of scholarship. While listing him as author, it is… More
Seth Benardete’s Second Sailing by Michael Davis
– Michael Davis, "Seth Benardete's Second Sailing: On the Spirit of Ideas" The Political Science Reviewer, vol. 34 (2005): 7-21.In twelve books, six translations, and over fifty scholarly articles Seth Benardete wrote with unsurpassed breadth and depth on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles,… More
The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997.From the publisher: In this exciting interpretation of the Odyssey, the late renowned scholar Seth Benardete suggests that Homer may have been the first to philosophize in a Platonic sense.… More
The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy
– The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis, South Bend: St. Augustine's Press 2012.From the publisher: The Archaeology of the Soul is a testimony to the extraordinary scope of Seth Benardete’s thought. Some essays concern particular authors or texts; others range more… More
Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Steven Berg, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought, Vol. 30, no. 2 (2013): 340-343.Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Svetozar Minkov, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Review of Politics, Vol. 75, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 682-685.Socrates’ Second Sailing: On Plato’s Republic
– Socrates' Second Sailing: On Plato's Republic, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989.Commentary
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
– "Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." in Ancients and Moderns, 1-15, New York, Basic Books, 1964. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The crippled Oedipus, we must imagine, appears before the Thebans leaning on a staff, a staff that indicates as much his present authority as the use he once made of it to… More
Herodotean Inquiries
– Herodotean Inquiries. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1969. New edition with "Second Thoughts." South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1999.From the publisher: Herodotus’ Inquiries should be regarded as our best and most complete document for pre-Socratic philosophy. Without being a work of philosophy, its plan and… More
A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone
– "A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone, In Three Parts: Interpretation 4, No. 3 (Spring 1975): 148-196; 5, no. 1 (Summer 1975): 1-55; 5, no. 2 (Winter 1975): 148-184. Reprinted as Sacred Transgressions: A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone. 1999.Excerpt: “Antigone meets Ismene outside the gates of the royal palace. She usurps for the planning of her crime the place Creon had designated for his own meeting with the elders. As… More
Leo Strauss’s The City and Man
– "Leo Strauss's The City and Man," Political Science Reviewer 8 (1978): 1-20. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.Excerpt: Leo Strauss’s The City and Man seems at first to be a straightforward continuation of all his previous work: the articulation of the theological-political problem. Event he… More
On Greek Tragedy
– "On Greek Tragedy," in The Great Ideas Today, 102-143. Chicago: Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1980. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: Of all literary forms, tragedy and comedy alone seem to make a natural pair. They are natural in that they designate something not merely in letters but in life, and they are a… More
Review of Socrates’ Second Sailing: on Plato’s Republic
– Arlene Saxonhouse, Review of Socrates' Second Sailing: on Plato's Republic, Political Theory, Vol. 18, no. 4 (Nov. 1990): 690-705.As with much of Benardete’s other work, this is not an easy book to read. To say that it is dense, boldly paradoxical, replete with hellenized English, and abjures the standard… More
Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic by Will Morrisey
– Will Morrisey, "Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic," Interpretation Vol. 23, no. 1, Fall 1995: 89-100.Professor Benardete has been around long enough to have established a reputation. His writings are reputed to be hard to understand. This reputation has led to certain worries. “He is… More
Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– Martin Sitte, Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of The Odyssey, The Review of Metaphsysics, Vol. 51, no. 4 (1998): 911-913.Benardete’s book investigates the possibility that the Socratic turn in philosophy, that which enabled philosophy to inquire into the human and the political, had been anticipated by… More
Plato’s Laws: The Discovery of Being
– Plato's Laws: The Discovery of Being. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: The Laws was Plato’s last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to the Republic, which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any… More
The Argument of the Action: Essays on Greek Poetry and Philosophy
– The Argument of the Action: Essays in Greek Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: This volume brings together Seth Benardete’s studies of Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad, and Greek tragedy, of eleven Platonic dialogues, and… More
The Furies of Aeschylus
– "The Furies of Aeschylus," ms. 1982. In The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The Greek word for “right” is dike. Dike can mean “punishment,” but it never means “acquittal.” Dikastike – the science of right… More
Review of The Argument of the Action
– Steven Berg, Review of The Argument of the Action, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol 55, no. 1 (2001): 119-21.The Argument of the Action is a collection of essays by Seth Benardete on Greek poetry and philosophy selected and introduced by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. We must be grateful to the… More
Shelf Life; A Classicist’s Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation
– Edward Rothstein, "Shelf Life: A Classicist's Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation" (Review of The Argument of the Action) The New York Times, Arts, February 16, 2002.Confessions of ignorance are not usually in a critic’s best interest. But in this case, perhaps, an exception can be made. Ignorance, after all, is now common when confronting Greek… More
Aristotle’s “On Poetics”
– Aristotle - On Poetics. A translation by Seth Benardete and Michael Davis. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2002.The original, Aristotle’s short study of storytelling, written in the fourth century B.C., is the world’s first critical book about the laws of literature. Although the work is… More
In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001)
– Ronna Burger, “In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001),” Review of Metaphysics, Vol. 56:4 (June 2003) 939-941.Excerpt: Seth Benardete was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up with his older brother Jose. His father, Mair Jose, born in Istanbul, was a professor of Sephardic studies and Spanish at… More
At Homer’s Diner by Mark Blitz
– Mark Blitz, "At Homer's Diner" (Review of Encounters and Reflections) The Weekly Standard, Vol. 28, no. 29, April 7, 2003.There’s a joke that goes: “‘Do you know where we’re supposed to go?’ I said, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Well let’s go together.’ That’s… More
Review of Encounters and Reflections
– Vincent Renzi, Review of Encounters and Reflections, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Nov. 31, 2003.As editor Ronna Burger notes in her preface (p. x), the present volume is “a project that falls outside the usual categories” of scholarship. While listing him as author, it is… More
Seth Benardete’s Second Sailing by Michael Davis
– Michael Davis, "Seth Benardete's Second Sailing: On the Spirit of Ideas" The Political Science Reviewer, vol. 34 (2005): 7-21.In twelve books, six translations, and over fifty scholarly articles Seth Benardete wrote with unsurpassed breadth and depth on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles,… More
The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997.From the publisher: In this exciting interpretation of the Odyssey, the late renowned scholar Seth Benardete suggests that Homer may have been the first to philosophize in a Platonic sense.… More
The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy
– The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis, South Bend: St. Augustine's Press 2012.From the publisher: The Archaeology of the Soul is a testimony to the extraordinary scope of Seth Benardete’s thought. Some essays concern particular authors or texts; others range more… More
Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Steven Berg, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought, Vol. 30, no. 2 (2013): 340-343.Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Svetozar Minkov, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Review of Politics, Vol. 75, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 682-685.Socrates’ Second Sailing: On Plato’s Republic
– Socrates' Second Sailing: On Plato's Republic, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989.Multimedia
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
– "Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." in Ancients and Moderns, 1-15, New York, Basic Books, 1964. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The crippled Oedipus, we must imagine, appears before the Thebans leaning on a staff, a staff that indicates as much his present authority as the use he once made of it to… More
Herodotean Inquiries
– Herodotean Inquiries. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1969. New edition with "Second Thoughts." South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1999.From the publisher: Herodotus’ Inquiries should be regarded as our best and most complete document for pre-Socratic philosophy. Without being a work of philosophy, its plan and… More
A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone
– "A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone, In Three Parts: Interpretation 4, No. 3 (Spring 1975): 148-196; 5, no. 1 (Summer 1975): 1-55; 5, no. 2 (Winter 1975): 148-184. Reprinted as Sacred Transgressions: A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone. 1999.Excerpt: “Antigone meets Ismene outside the gates of the royal palace. She usurps for the planning of her crime the place Creon had designated for his own meeting with the elders. As… More
Leo Strauss’s The City and Man
– "Leo Strauss's The City and Man," Political Science Reviewer 8 (1978): 1-20. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.Excerpt: Leo Strauss’s The City and Man seems at first to be a straightforward continuation of all his previous work: the articulation of the theological-political problem. Event he… More
On Greek Tragedy
– "On Greek Tragedy," in The Great Ideas Today, 102-143. Chicago: Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1980. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: Of all literary forms, tragedy and comedy alone seem to make a natural pair. They are natural in that they designate something not merely in letters but in life, and they are a… More
Review of Socrates’ Second Sailing: on Plato’s Republic
– Arlene Saxonhouse, Review of Socrates' Second Sailing: on Plato's Republic, Political Theory, Vol. 18, no. 4 (Nov. 1990): 690-705.As with much of Benardete’s other work, this is not an easy book to read. To say that it is dense, boldly paradoxical, replete with hellenized English, and abjures the standard… More
Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic by Will Morrisey
– Will Morrisey, "Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic," Interpretation Vol. 23, no. 1, Fall 1995: 89-100.Professor Benardete has been around long enough to have established a reputation. His writings are reputed to be hard to understand. This reputation has led to certain worries. “He is… More
Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– Martin Sitte, Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of The Odyssey, The Review of Metaphsysics, Vol. 51, no. 4 (1998): 911-913.Benardete’s book investigates the possibility that the Socratic turn in philosophy, that which enabled philosophy to inquire into the human and the political, had been anticipated by… More
Plato’s Laws: The Discovery of Being
– Plato's Laws: The Discovery of Being. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: The Laws was Plato’s last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to the Republic, which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any… More
The Argument of the Action: Essays on Greek Poetry and Philosophy
– The Argument of the Action: Essays in Greek Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: This volume brings together Seth Benardete’s studies of Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad, and Greek tragedy, of eleven Platonic dialogues, and… More
The Furies of Aeschylus
– "The Furies of Aeschylus," ms. 1982. In The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The Greek word for “right” is dike. Dike can mean “punishment,” but it never means “acquittal.” Dikastike – the science of right… More
Review of The Argument of the Action
– Steven Berg, Review of The Argument of the Action, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol 55, no. 1 (2001): 119-21.The Argument of the Action is a collection of essays by Seth Benardete on Greek poetry and philosophy selected and introduced by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. We must be grateful to the… More
Shelf Life; A Classicist’s Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation
– Edward Rothstein, "Shelf Life: A Classicist's Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation" (Review of The Argument of the Action) The New York Times, Arts, February 16, 2002.Confessions of ignorance are not usually in a critic’s best interest. But in this case, perhaps, an exception can be made. Ignorance, after all, is now common when confronting Greek… More
Aristotle’s “On Poetics”
– Aristotle - On Poetics. A translation by Seth Benardete and Michael Davis. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2002.The original, Aristotle’s short study of storytelling, written in the fourth century B.C., is the world’s first critical book about the laws of literature. Although the work is… More
In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001)
– Ronna Burger, “In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001),” Review of Metaphysics, Vol. 56:4 (June 2003) 939-941.Excerpt: Seth Benardete was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up with his older brother Jose. His father, Mair Jose, born in Istanbul, was a professor of Sephardic studies and Spanish at… More
At Homer’s Diner by Mark Blitz
– Mark Blitz, "At Homer's Diner" (Review of Encounters and Reflections) The Weekly Standard, Vol. 28, no. 29, April 7, 2003.There’s a joke that goes: “‘Do you know where we’re supposed to go?’ I said, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Well let’s go together.’ That’s… More
Review of Encounters and Reflections
– Vincent Renzi, Review of Encounters and Reflections, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Nov. 31, 2003.As editor Ronna Burger notes in her preface (p. x), the present volume is “a project that falls outside the usual categories” of scholarship. While listing him as author, it is… More
Seth Benardete’s Second Sailing by Michael Davis
– Michael Davis, "Seth Benardete's Second Sailing: On the Spirit of Ideas" The Political Science Reviewer, vol. 34 (2005): 7-21.In twelve books, six translations, and over fifty scholarly articles Seth Benardete wrote with unsurpassed breadth and depth on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles,… More
The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997.From the publisher: In this exciting interpretation of the Odyssey, the late renowned scholar Seth Benardete suggests that Homer may have been the first to philosophize in a Platonic sense.… More
The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy
– The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis, South Bend: St. Augustine's Press 2012.From the publisher: The Archaeology of the Soul is a testimony to the extraordinary scope of Seth Benardete’s thought. Some essays concern particular authors or texts; others range more… More
Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Steven Berg, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought, Vol. 30, no. 2 (2013): 340-343.Review of The Archaeology of the Soul
– Svetozar Minkov, Review of The Archaeology of the Soul, Review of Politics, Vol. 75, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 682-685.Socrates’ Second Sailing: On Plato’s Republic
– Socrates' Second Sailing: On Plato's Republic, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989.Teaching
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
– "Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." in Ancients and Moderns, 1-15, New York, Basic Books, 1964. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The crippled Oedipus, we must imagine, appears before the Thebans leaning on a staff, a staff that indicates as much his present authority as the use he once made of it to… More
Herodotean Inquiries
– Herodotean Inquiries. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1969. New edition with "Second Thoughts." South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1999.From the publisher: Herodotus’ Inquiries should be regarded as our best and most complete document for pre-Socratic philosophy. Without being a work of philosophy, its plan and… More
A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone
– "A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone, In Three Parts: Interpretation 4, No. 3 (Spring 1975): 148-196; 5, no. 1 (Summer 1975): 1-55; 5, no. 2 (Winter 1975): 148-184. Reprinted as Sacred Transgressions: A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone. 1999.Excerpt: “Antigone meets Ismene outside the gates of the royal palace. She usurps for the planning of her crime the place Creon had designated for his own meeting with the elders. As… More
Leo Strauss’s The City and Man
– "Leo Strauss's The City and Man," Political Science Reviewer 8 (1978): 1-20. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.Excerpt: Leo Strauss’s The City and Man seems at first to be a straightforward continuation of all his previous work: the articulation of the theological-political problem. Event he… More
On Greek Tragedy
– "On Greek Tragedy," in The Great Ideas Today, 102-143. Chicago: Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1980. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: Of all literary forms, tragedy and comedy alone seem to make a natural pair. They are natural in that they designate something not merely in letters but in life, and they are a… More
Review of Socrates’ Second Sailing: on Plato’s Republic
– Arlene Saxonhouse, Review of Socrates' Second Sailing: on Plato's Republic, Political Theory, Vol. 18, no. 4 (Nov. 1990): 690-705.As with much of Benardete’s other work, this is not an easy book to read. To say that it is dense, boldly paradoxical, replete with hellenized English, and abjures the standard… More
Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic by Will Morrisey
– Will Morrisey, "Thirty-nine Reasons for Reading Benardete on the Republic," Interpretation Vol. 23, no. 1, Fall 1995: 89-100.Professor Benardete has been around long enough to have established a reputation. His writings are reputed to be hard to understand. This reputation has led to certain worries. “He is… More
Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– Martin Sitte, Review of The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of The Odyssey, The Review of Metaphsysics, Vol. 51, no. 4 (1998): 911-913.Benardete’s book investigates the possibility that the Socratic turn in philosophy, that which enabled philosophy to inquire into the human and the political, had been anticipated by… More
Plato’s Laws: The Discovery of Being
– Plato's Laws: The Discovery of Being. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: The Laws was Plato’s last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to the Republic, which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any… More
The Argument of the Action: Essays on Greek Poetry and Philosophy
– The Argument of the Action: Essays in Greek Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.From the publisher: This volume brings together Seth Benardete’s studies of Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad, and Greek tragedy, of eleven Platonic dialogues, and… More
The Furies of Aeschylus
– "The Furies of Aeschylus," ms. 1982. In The Argument of the Action, 2000.Excerpt: “The Greek word for “right” is dike. Dike can mean “punishment,” but it never means “acquittal.” Dikastike – the science of right… More
Review of The Argument of the Action
– Steven Berg, Review of The Argument of the Action, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol 55, no. 1 (2001): 119-21.The Argument of the Action is a collection of essays by Seth Benardete on Greek poetry and philosophy selected and introduced by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis. We must be grateful to the… More
Shelf Life; A Classicist’s Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation
– Edward Rothstein, "Shelf Life: A Classicist's Starting Point: Putting Aside Interpretation" (Review of The Argument of the Action) The New York Times, Arts, February 16, 2002.Confessions of ignorance are not usually in a critic’s best interest. But in this case, perhaps, an exception can be made. Ignorance, after all, is now common when confronting Greek… More
Aristotle’s “On Poetics”
– Aristotle - On Poetics. A translation by Seth Benardete and Michael Davis. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2002.The original, Aristotle’s short study of storytelling, written in the fourth century B.C., is the world’s first critical book about the laws of literature. Although the work is… More
In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001)
– Ronna Burger, “In Memoriam: Seth Benardete (1930-2001),” Review of Metaphysics, Vol. 56:4 (June 2003) 939-941.Excerpt: Seth Benardete was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up with his older brother Jose. His father, Mair Jose, born in Istanbul, was a professor of Sephardic studies and Spanish at… More
At Homer’s Diner by Mark Blitz
– Mark Blitz, "At Homer's Diner" (Review of Encounters and Reflections) The Weekly Standard, Vol. 28, no. 29, April 7, 2003.There’s a joke that goes: “‘Do you know where we’re supposed to go?’ I said, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Well let’s go together.’ That’s… More
Review of Encounters and Reflections
– Vincent Renzi, Review of Encounters and Reflections, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Nov. 31, 2003.As editor Ronna Burger notes in her preface (p. x), the present volume is “a project that falls outside the usual categories” of scholarship. While listing him as author, it is… More
Seth Benardete’s Second Sailing by Michael Davis
– Michael Davis, "Seth Benardete's Second Sailing: On the Spirit of Ideas" The Political Science Reviewer, vol. 34 (2005): 7-21.In twelve books, six translations, and over fifty scholarly articles Seth Benardete wrote with unsurpassed breadth and depth on Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Sophocles,… More
The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey
– The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1997.From the publisher: In this exciting interpretation of the Odyssey, the late renowned scholar Seth Benardete suggests that Homer may have been the first to philosophize in a Platonic sense.… More
The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy
– The Archaeology of the Soul: Platonic Readings of Ancient Poetry and Philosophy by Seth Benardete, edited by Ronna Burger and Michael Davis, South Bend: St. Augustine's Press 2012.From the publisher: The Archaeology of the Soul is a testimony to the extraordinary scope of Seth Benardete’s thought. Some essays concern particular authors or texts; others range more… More