Michael Davis revisits questions of interpretation in Greek tragedy emerging in the thought of the late Seth Benardete. While this is not the book Benardete would have written, it wrestles with problems that bear his indelible mark. In the extant tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, only one story is treated by all three--the tale of Electra. Davis endeavors to develop Benardete's understanding of the story's deeper meaning, as well as the connections that might be drawn between the three authors. He follows a thread that brings Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides closer together according to a powerful and shared theme--namely, that the female is the deeper (even if less easily accessible and articulated) of the pair of fundamental principles constituting human beings.

Davis accomplishes much more than an exegetical bridge as he connects us with ancient memory and wisdom. "When we cannot resist the temptation to recoil morally from their terminology, we risk the tragedy of losing their profound thoughts about our humanity--their philosophical anthropology." Davis has remarkably made of a niche study a stunning source material for more universal questions. This is a book that is as timely as it is ageless.

About the Author
Michael Davis is Professor Emeritus at Sarah Lawrence College and author of many books, including most recently The Music of Reason, and, with St. Augustine's Press, The Poetry of Philosophy, Wonderlust and (with Seth Benardete) a translation of Aristotle's On Poetics. He is also co-editor of Benardete's The Archaeology of the Soul (also with St. Augustine's Press).

Reviews

"Michael Davis argues [...] the three versions of the story of Electra, presented by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, show that the problem of justice cannot be so easily solved. [...] Yet if we were not so divided, we would be empty souls with no character or depth."
- Catherine H. Zuckert, Nancy Dreux Professor of Political Science, Emerita, University of Notre Dame

"Michael Davis thinks unthinkable thoughts about murder and logos through the 'deeper hidden ground' of the female and the hazy clarity of its male assertion."
- Gwenda-lin Grewal, The New School for Social Research

"This brilliant book addresses the crazy extremism of our time by shaming our understanding of justice while moderating our passion for it."
- Jacob Howland, Author of Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic

"Davis achieves what he writes is the business of poetry: to unsettle us. But he also, as does poetry, enlightens and pleases."
- Arlene W. Saxonhouse, Author of The Fear of Diversity: The Birth of Political Science in Ancient Greek Thought

"Michael Davis's ground-breaking new study issues an eloquent invitation to open-minded inquiry. [...] In today's volatile times, as digitally-enhanced discord and vengeance-fueled politics imperil freedom of thought and expression, Davis's exploration of ancient wisdom challenges dogmatic certainties."
- Emily Katz Anhalt author of Embattled: How Ancient Greek Myths Empower Us to Resist Tyranny

"Davis calls our attention to crucial details hiding in plain sight, which unmask meanings embedded in dramatic structures. [...] Sex roles, the subversion of sex roles, the necessity of sexual difference, as well as the outrageous injustice of sexual difference, are all thematized and foregrounded in these monumental works of tragic poetry. [...] Davis shows us the nested structure of stories within stories in Greek tragedy, which illuminates an unspeakable feature of the human as such."
- Jonathan N. Badger, St. John's College

"Michael Davis's latest book, Electras, further solidifies his reputation as one of our best guides to the intricacies of the human soul. [...] The soul, so understood, makes human life inherently dramatic. We are always at once both individual actors and spectating reasoners, oscillating between the two. As Davis's study shows, in their respective dramatizations of the story of Electra, the three great Greek tragic poets--Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides-make this dividedness thematic. [...] Davis's Electras invites us to share in the satisfactions of the self-aware spectator, taking in and reflecting upon not merely a play but our own souls and the whole we inhabit."
- Paul Stern, Department of Politics and International Relations, Ursinus College

"Davis shows both the importance of the female to politics, tragedy, and philosophy, and the way we have lost sight of it as a metaphysical as opposed to an ideological concern . . . attempting to restore a philosophical understanding that has been lost to us . . . ."

-Titus Techera, "Law and Liberty"



Book Information
ISBN 9781587312083
Author Michael Davis
Format Paperback
Page Count 172
Imprint St Augustine's Press
Publisher St Augustine's Press
Weight(grams) 254g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 13mm