Poetry and Philosophy Archives

Books

Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero

– "Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero," Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago: 1955. Reprinted in St. John's Review in two parts: Spring 1985: 31-58; Part II, Summer 1985: 85-114. Also published by St. Augustine's Press (2005) in cloth and paperback.

Seth Benardete’s study of the Iliad, which initiated his scholarly career, bears the hallmarks of the unique turn of mind that characterized all his later work. In a brief Note… More

Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato

– "Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato," Phronesis 8, no. 2 (1963): 173-78. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Plato often has Socrates and his other characters quote Homer. Their quotations for the most part exactly agree with our vulgate, but sometimes they differ. The most recent… More

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

The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus

– "The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus," Rheinisches Museum fur Philologie 107, No. 2, (1964): 126-139. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Most recent scholarship on Aeschylus’ Prometheus has been devoted to the question of Zeus and the plan of the whole trilogy. And in a way that is understandable.… More

Hesiod’s Works and Days: A First Reading

– "Hesiod's Works and Days: A First Reading," Agon 1 (1967): 150-174. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Hesiod’s Works and Days is divided into nine sections. 1) 1-10 Proemium; 2)11-41 Two kinds of Eris; 3) 42-201 Two accounts of man’s misery; 4) 202-8 Justice and… More

On Plato’s Timaeus and Timaeus’ Science Fiction

– "On Plato's Timaeus and Timaeus' Science Fiction," Interpretation 2, No. 1 (Summer 1971): 21-63. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Socrates counts out loud. He makes himself out to be somewhat ridiculous. He does not say, “There are three of you; there should be four.” Nor does he say,… 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

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

Physics and Tragedy: On Plato’s Cratylus

– "Physics and Tragedy: On Plato's Cratylus," Ancient Philosophy 1, no, 2 (1981): 140-172. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: The Cratylus seems to be a caricature of a Platonic dialogue. It gives us Socrates as seen in the distorting mirror of an alien inspiration. It begans as a farce and ends as 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

The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato’s Gorgias and Phaedrus

– The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato's Gorgias and Phaedrus, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.

From the publisher: The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, one of the most groundbreaking works of twentieth-century Platonic studies, is now back in print for a new generation of… More

The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato’s Philebus

– The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato's Philebus. Translation and commentary. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.

From the publisher: In The Tragedy and Comedy of Life, Seth Benardete focuses on the idea of the good in what is widely regarded as one of Plato’s most challenging and complex… More

On Plato’s Sophist

– "On Plato's Sophist," Review of Metaphysics 46, No. 4 (June 1993): 747-780. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Once the stranger takes over the discussion at the beginning of the Sophist, and agrees to discuss the sophist, the statesman, and the philosopher, it is hard to remember that… More

The Poet-Merchant and the Stranger from the Sea

– "The Poet-Merchant and the Stranger from the Sea." The Greeks and the Sea, 59-65, ed. Speros Vryonis. New York: Aristede Caratzas Publishers, 1993. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: The sea has both a surface and a depth. It thus lends itself to be the paradigm for the human soul, which, as the Chorus of Sophocles’ Antigone says, when stirred brings to… More

On Plato’s Symposium

– "On Plato's Symposium," Munich: Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung, 1994. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: “Some platonic dialogues are bound closely to the life and times of Socrates, and some are set at a particular time of day. The Phaedo and Symposium satisfy both criteria;… 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 Seth Benardete, The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy

– Abraham Anderson, Review of Seth Benardete's The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy Vol. 17 (1997): 443-447.

Students of moral and political philosophy sometimes seem divided between those who seek truth through arguments without regarding their influence on human beings, and those who think that… 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

The First Crisis in First Philosophy

– "The First Crisis in First Philosophy," Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal 18, No. 1 (1995: 237-248, 1999. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Virtually everyone knows that Aristotle sometimes lies. His account of the pre-Socratics in the first book of the Metaphysics leaves out of account everything that does not suit… 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

On Heraclitus

– "On Heraclitus." Review of Metaphysics 53, No. 3 (March 2000): 613-33.

Excerpt: Lucretius, after he has expounded that nothing comes out of nothing and nothing goes into nothing, and there are only bodies and void, turns to three pre-Socratics: Heraclitus,… More

Derrida and Plato

– "Derrida and Plato." Lecture delivered at NYU, in a series "Derrida and his Non-Contemporaries," October 19, 2000. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: The French for nothing rien comes from the Latin for thing rem; Derrida suggests that in thought the reverse is true. This is one of the very large claims Derrida makes, but the… 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

Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete

– Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete. Edited by Ronna Burger. With Robert Burman, Ronna Burger, and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002.

From the publisher: By turns wickedly funny and profoundly illuminating, Encounters and Reflections presents a captivating and unconventional portrait of the life and works of Seth… 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

The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul by Ronna Burger

– Ronna Burger, "The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul: Seth Benardete on Platonic Psychology," Interpretation, Vol. 32, no. 1 (2004): 57-76.

In the poem, “Ode to Aphrodite,” Sappho gives expression to her “raging heart,” suffering from the experience of unrequited love. Summoned by the poet, Aphrodite… 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

Review of: Achilles and Hector – The Homeric Hero

– Steven Berg, Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero, Review of Metaphysics, Vol 60:2 (Dec. 2006), 387-389

Excerpt: “At the age of twenty-five, Seth Benardete presented his PhD dissertation on Homer’s Iliad to his committee at the University of Chicago. That dissertation has now been… 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.

Aeschylus’ Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus

– "Aechylus's Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: According to one interpretation of the Oresteia, the ground of Athenian democracy is the divine condonation of matricide; but a stricter interpretation would be that the Olympian… More

On Reading Pindar Platonically

– "On Reading Pindar Platonically." Manuscript undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: At the beginning of the Phaedrus, Socrates, in order to hear about Lysias’ speech, has to accompany Phaedrus on his constitutional; and, in response to Phaedrus’… More

Aeneid

– "Aeneid." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Horace C.I.xv

– "Horace C.I.xv." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: Four poems of Horace’s first book seem to be so placed as to represent a proportion. The fifth and sixth seem to be in the same relation to one another as the fourteenth and… More

Essays

Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero

Seth Benardete’s study of the Iliad, which initiated his scholarly career, bears the hallmarks of the unique turn of mind that characterized all his later work. In a brief Note… More

Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato

– "Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato," Phronesis 8, no. 2 (1963): 173-78. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Plato often has Socrates and his other characters quote Homer. Their quotations for the most part exactly agree with our vulgate, but sometimes they differ. The most recent… More

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

The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus

– "The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus," Rheinisches Museum fur Philologie 107, No. 2, (1964): 126-139. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Most recent scholarship on Aeschylus’ Prometheus has been devoted to the question of Zeus and the plan of the whole trilogy. And in a way that is understandable.… More

Hesiod’s Works and Days: A First Reading

– "Hesiod's Works and Days: A First Reading," Agon 1 (1967): 150-174. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Hesiod’s Works and Days is divided into nine sections. 1) 1-10 Proemium; 2)11-41 Two kinds of Eris; 3) 42-201 Two accounts of man’s misery; 4) 202-8 Justice and… More

On Plato’s Timaeus and Timaeus’ Science Fiction

– "On Plato's Timaeus and Timaeus' Science Fiction," Interpretation 2, No. 1 (Summer 1971): 21-63. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Socrates counts out loud. He makes himself out to be somewhat ridiculous. He does not say, “There are three of you; there should be four.” Nor does he say,… More

A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone

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

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

Physics and Tragedy: On Plato’s Cratylus

– "Physics and Tragedy: On Plato's Cratylus," Ancient Philosophy 1, no, 2 (1981): 140-172. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: The Cratylus seems to be a caricature of a Platonic dialogue. It gives us Socrates as seen in the distorting mirror of an alien inspiration. It begans as a farce and ends as 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

The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato’s Gorgias and Phaedrus

– The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato's Gorgias and Phaedrus, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.

From the publisher: The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, one of the most groundbreaking works of twentieth-century Platonic studies, is now back in print for a new generation of… More

The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato’s Philebus

– The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato's Philebus. Translation and commentary. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.

From the publisher: In The Tragedy and Comedy of Life, Seth Benardete focuses on the idea of the good in what is widely regarded as one of Plato’s most challenging and complex… More

On Plato’s Sophist

– "On Plato's Sophist," Review of Metaphysics 46, No. 4 (June 1993): 747-780. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Once the stranger takes over the discussion at the beginning of the Sophist, and agrees to discuss the sophist, the statesman, and the philosopher, it is hard to remember that… More

The Poet-Merchant and the Stranger from the Sea

Excerpt: The sea has both a surface and a depth. It thus lends itself to be the paradigm for the human soul, which, as the Chorus of Sophocles’ Antigone says, when stirred brings to… More

On Plato’s Symposium

– "On Plato's Symposium," Munich: Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung, 1994. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: “Some platonic dialogues are bound closely to the life and times of Socrates, and some are set at a particular time of day. The Phaedo and Symposium satisfy both criteria;… 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 Seth Benardete, The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy

– Abraham Anderson, Review of Seth Benardete's The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy Vol. 17 (1997): 443-447.

Students of moral and political philosophy sometimes seem divided between those who seek truth through arguments without regarding their influence on human beings, and those who think that… 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

The First Crisis in First Philosophy

– "The First Crisis in First Philosophy," Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal 18, No. 1 (1995: 237-248, 1999. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Virtually everyone knows that Aristotle sometimes lies. His account of the pre-Socratics in the first book of the Metaphysics leaves out of account everything that does not suit… 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

On Heraclitus

– "On Heraclitus." Review of Metaphysics 53, No. 3 (March 2000): 613-33.

Excerpt: Lucretius, after he has expounded that nothing comes out of nothing and nothing goes into nothing, and there are only bodies and void, turns to three pre-Socratics: Heraclitus,… More

Derrida and Plato

– "Derrida and Plato." Lecture delivered at NYU, in a series "Derrida and his Non-Contemporaries," October 19, 2000. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: The French for nothing rien comes from the Latin for thing rem; Derrida suggests that in thought the reverse is true. This is one of the very large claims Derrida makes, but the… 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

Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete

– Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete. Edited by Ronna Burger. With Robert Burman, Ronna Burger, and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002.

From the publisher: By turns wickedly funny and profoundly illuminating, Encounters and Reflections presents a captivating and unconventional portrait of the life and works of Seth… 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

The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul by Ronna Burger

– Ronna Burger, "The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul: Seth Benardete on Platonic Psychology," Interpretation, Vol. 32, no. 1 (2004): 57-76.

In the poem, “Ode to Aphrodite,” Sappho gives expression to her “raging heart,” suffering from the experience of unrequited love. Summoned by the poet, Aphrodite… 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

Review of: Achilles and Hector – The Homeric Hero

– Steven Berg, Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero, Review of Metaphysics, Vol 60:2 (Dec. 2006), 387-389

Excerpt: “At the age of twenty-five, Seth Benardete presented his PhD dissertation on Homer’s Iliad to his committee at the University of Chicago. That dissertation has now been… 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.

Aeschylus’ Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus

– "Aechylus's Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: According to one interpretation of the Oresteia, the ground of Athenian democracy is the divine condonation of matricide; but a stricter interpretation would be that the Olympian… More

On Reading Pindar Platonically

– "On Reading Pindar Platonically." Manuscript undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: At the beginning of the Phaedrus, Socrates, in order to hear about Lysias’ speech, has to accompany Phaedrus on his constitutional; and, in response to Phaedrus’… More

Aeneid

– "Aeneid." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Horace C.I.xv

– "Horace C.I.xv." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: Four poems of Horace’s first book seem to be so placed as to represent a proportion. The fifth and sixth seem to be in the same relation to one another as the fourteenth and… More

Commentary

Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero

Seth Benardete’s study of the Iliad, which initiated his scholarly career, bears the hallmarks of the unique turn of mind that characterized all his later work. In a brief Note… More

Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato

– "Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato," Phronesis 8, no. 2 (1963): 173-78. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Plato often has Socrates and his other characters quote Homer. Their quotations for the most part exactly agree with our vulgate, but sometimes they differ. The most recent… More

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

The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus

– "The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus," Rheinisches Museum fur Philologie 107, No. 2, (1964): 126-139. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Most recent scholarship on Aeschylus’ Prometheus has been devoted to the question of Zeus and the plan of the whole trilogy. And in a way that is understandable.… More

Hesiod’s Works and Days: A First Reading

– "Hesiod's Works and Days: A First Reading," Agon 1 (1967): 150-174. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Hesiod’s Works and Days is divided into nine sections. 1) 1-10 Proemium; 2)11-41 Two kinds of Eris; 3) 42-201 Two accounts of man’s misery; 4) 202-8 Justice and… More

On Plato’s Timaeus and Timaeus’ Science Fiction

– "On Plato's Timaeus and Timaeus' Science Fiction," Interpretation 2, No. 1 (Summer 1971): 21-63. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Socrates counts out loud. He makes himself out to be somewhat ridiculous. He does not say, “There are three of you; there should be four.” Nor does he say,… More

A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone

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

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

Physics and Tragedy: On Plato’s Cratylus

– "Physics and Tragedy: On Plato's Cratylus," Ancient Philosophy 1, no, 2 (1981): 140-172. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: The Cratylus seems to be a caricature of a Platonic dialogue. It gives us Socrates as seen in the distorting mirror of an alien inspiration. It begans as a farce and ends as 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

The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato’s Gorgias and Phaedrus

– The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato's Gorgias and Phaedrus, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.

From the publisher: The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, one of the most groundbreaking works of twentieth-century Platonic studies, is now back in print for a new generation of… More

The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato’s Philebus

– The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato's Philebus. Translation and commentary. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.

From the publisher: In The Tragedy and Comedy of Life, Seth Benardete focuses on the idea of the good in what is widely regarded as one of Plato’s most challenging and complex… More

On Plato’s Sophist

– "On Plato's Sophist," Review of Metaphysics 46, No. 4 (June 1993): 747-780. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Once the stranger takes over the discussion at the beginning of the Sophist, and agrees to discuss the sophist, the statesman, and the philosopher, it is hard to remember that… More

The Poet-Merchant and the Stranger from the Sea

Excerpt: The sea has both a surface and a depth. It thus lends itself to be the paradigm for the human soul, which, as the Chorus of Sophocles’ Antigone says, when stirred brings to… More

On Plato’s Symposium

– "On Plato's Symposium," Munich: Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung, 1994. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: “Some platonic dialogues are bound closely to the life and times of Socrates, and some are set at a particular time of day. The Phaedo and Symposium satisfy both criteria;… 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 Seth Benardete, The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy

– Abraham Anderson, Review of Seth Benardete's The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy Vol. 17 (1997): 443-447.

Students of moral and political philosophy sometimes seem divided between those who seek truth through arguments without regarding their influence on human beings, and those who think that… 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

The First Crisis in First Philosophy

– "The First Crisis in First Philosophy," Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal 18, No. 1 (1995: 237-248, 1999. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Virtually everyone knows that Aristotle sometimes lies. His account of the pre-Socratics in the first book of the Metaphysics leaves out of account everything that does not suit… 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

On Heraclitus

– "On Heraclitus." Review of Metaphysics 53, No. 3 (March 2000): 613-33.

Excerpt: Lucretius, after he has expounded that nothing comes out of nothing and nothing goes into nothing, and there are only bodies and void, turns to three pre-Socratics: Heraclitus,… More

Derrida and Plato

– "Derrida and Plato." Lecture delivered at NYU, in a series "Derrida and his Non-Contemporaries," October 19, 2000. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: The French for nothing rien comes from the Latin for thing rem; Derrida suggests that in thought the reverse is true. This is one of the very large claims Derrida makes, but the… 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

Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete

– Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete. Edited by Ronna Burger. With Robert Burman, Ronna Burger, and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002.

From the publisher: By turns wickedly funny and profoundly illuminating, Encounters and Reflections presents a captivating and unconventional portrait of the life and works of Seth… 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

The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul by Ronna Burger

– Ronna Burger, "The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul: Seth Benardete on Platonic Psychology," Interpretation, Vol. 32, no. 1 (2004): 57-76.

In the poem, “Ode to Aphrodite,” Sappho gives expression to her “raging heart,” suffering from the experience of unrequited love. Summoned by the poet, Aphrodite… 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

Review of: Achilles and Hector – The Homeric Hero

– Steven Berg, Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero, Review of Metaphysics, Vol 60:2 (Dec. 2006), 387-389

Excerpt: “At the age of twenty-five, Seth Benardete presented his PhD dissertation on Homer’s Iliad to his committee at the University of Chicago. That dissertation has now been… 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.

Aeschylus’ Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus

– "Aechylus's Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: According to one interpretation of the Oresteia, the ground of Athenian democracy is the divine condonation of matricide; but a stricter interpretation would be that the Olympian… More

On Reading Pindar Platonically

– "On Reading Pindar Platonically." Manuscript undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: At the beginning of the Phaedrus, Socrates, in order to hear about Lysias’ speech, has to accompany Phaedrus on his constitutional; and, in response to Phaedrus’… More

Aeneid

– "Aeneid." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Horace C.I.xv

– "Horace C.I.xv." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: Four poems of Horace’s first book seem to be so placed as to represent a proportion. The fifth and sixth seem to be in the same relation to one another as the fourteenth and… More

Multimedia

Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero

Seth Benardete’s study of the Iliad, which initiated his scholarly career, bears the hallmarks of the unique turn of mind that characterized all his later work. In a brief Note… More

Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato

– "Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato," Phronesis 8, no. 2 (1963): 173-78. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Plato often has Socrates and his other characters quote Homer. Their quotations for the most part exactly agree with our vulgate, but sometimes they differ. The most recent… More

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

The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus

– "The Crimes and Arts of Prometheus," Rheinisches Museum fur Philologie 107, No. 2, (1964): 126-139. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Most recent scholarship on Aeschylus’ Prometheus has been devoted to the question of Zeus and the plan of the whole trilogy. And in a way that is understandable.… More

Hesiod’s Works and Days: A First Reading

– "Hesiod's Works and Days: A First Reading," Agon 1 (1967): 150-174. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Hesiod’s Works and Days is divided into nine sections. 1) 1-10 Proemium; 2)11-41 Two kinds of Eris; 3) 42-201 Two accounts of man’s misery; 4) 202-8 Justice and… More

On Plato’s Timaeus and Timaeus’ Science Fiction

– "On Plato's Timaeus and Timaeus' Science Fiction," Interpretation 2, No. 1 (Summer 1971): 21-63. Reprinted in The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: “Socrates counts out loud. He makes himself out to be somewhat ridiculous. He does not say, “There are three of you; there should be four.” Nor does he say,… More

A Reading of Sophocles’ Antigone

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

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

Physics and Tragedy: On Plato’s Cratylus

– "Physics and Tragedy: On Plato's Cratylus," Ancient Philosophy 1, no, 2 (1981): 140-172. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: The Cratylus seems to be a caricature of a Platonic dialogue. It gives us Socrates as seen in the distorting mirror of an alien inspiration. It begans as a farce and ends as 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

The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato’s Gorgias and Phaedrus

– The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy: Plato's Gorgias and Phaedrus, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.

From the publisher: The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, one of the most groundbreaking works of twentieth-century Platonic studies, is now back in print for a new generation of… More

The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato’s Philebus

– The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato's Philebus. Translation and commentary. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.

From the publisher: In The Tragedy and Comedy of Life, Seth Benardete focuses on the idea of the good in what is widely regarded as one of Plato’s most challenging and complex… More

On Plato’s Sophist

– "On Plato's Sophist," Review of Metaphysics 46, No. 4 (June 1993): 747-780. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Once the stranger takes over the discussion at the beginning of the Sophist, and agrees to discuss the sophist, the statesman, and the philosopher, it is hard to remember that… More

The Poet-Merchant and the Stranger from the Sea

Excerpt: The sea has both a surface and a depth. It thus lends itself to be the paradigm for the human soul, which, as the Chorus of Sophocles’ Antigone says, when stirred brings to… More

On Plato’s Symposium

– "On Plato's Symposium," Munich: Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung, 1994. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: “Some platonic dialogues are bound closely to the life and times of Socrates, and some are set at a particular time of day. The Phaedo and Symposium satisfy both criteria;… 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 Seth Benardete, The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy

– Abraham Anderson, Review of Seth Benardete's The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy Vol. 17 (1997): 443-447.

Students of moral and political philosophy sometimes seem divided between those who seek truth through arguments without regarding their influence on human beings, and those who think that… 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

The First Crisis in First Philosophy

– "The First Crisis in First Philosophy," Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal 18, No. 1 (1995: 237-248, 1999. Reprinted in The Argument of the Action, 2000.

Excerpt: Virtually everyone knows that Aristotle sometimes lies. His account of the pre-Socratics in the first book of the Metaphysics leaves out of account everything that does not suit… 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

On Heraclitus

– "On Heraclitus." Review of Metaphysics 53, No. 3 (March 2000): 613-33.

Excerpt: Lucretius, after he has expounded that nothing comes out of nothing and nothing goes into nothing, and there are only bodies and void, turns to three pre-Socratics: Heraclitus,… More

Derrida and Plato

– "Derrida and Plato." Lecture delivered at NYU, in a series "Derrida and his Non-Contemporaries," October 19, 2000. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: The French for nothing rien comes from the Latin for thing rem; Derrida suggests that in thought the reverse is true. This is one of the very large claims Derrida makes, but the… 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

Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete

– Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete. Edited by Ronna Burger. With Robert Burman, Ronna Burger, and Michael Davis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002.

From the publisher: By turns wickedly funny and profoundly illuminating, Encounters and Reflections presents a captivating and unconventional portrait of the life and works of Seth… 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

The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul by Ronna Burger

– Ronna Burger, "The Thumotic and the Erotic Soul: Seth Benardete on Platonic Psychology," Interpretation, Vol. 32, no. 1 (2004): 57-76.

In the poem, “Ode to Aphrodite,” Sappho gives expression to her “raging heart,” suffering from the experience of unrequited love. Summoned by the poet, Aphrodite… 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

Review of: Achilles and Hector – The Homeric Hero

– Steven Berg, Achilles and Hector: The Homeric Hero, Review of Metaphysics, Vol 60:2 (Dec. 2006), 387-389

Excerpt: “At the age of twenty-five, Seth Benardete presented his PhD dissertation on Homer’s Iliad to his committee at the University of Chicago. That dissertation has now been… 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.

Aeschylus’ Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus

– "Aechylus's Agamemnon: The Education of the Chorus." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: According to one interpretation of the Oresteia, the ground of Athenian democracy is the divine condonation of matricide; but a stricter interpretation would be that the Olympian… More

On Reading Pindar Platonically

– "On Reading Pindar Platonically." Manuscript undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: At the beginning of the Phaedrus, Socrates, in order to hear about Lysias’ speech, has to accompany Phaedrus on his constitutional; and, in response to Phaedrus’… More

Aeneid

– "Aeneid." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Horace C.I.xv

– "Horace C.I.xv." Manuscript, undated. In The Archaeology of the Soul, 2012.

Excerpt: Four poems of Horace’s first book seem to be so placed as to represent a proportion. The fifth and sixth seem to be in the same relation to one another as the fourteenth and… More

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