About the book
Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy?is an inquiry into a fundamental political problem made visible through the tragic poetry of Sophocles.?In part I?Badger offers a detailed exegesis of three plays:?Ajax,?Antigone, and?Philoctetes. These plays share a common theme, illuminating a persistent feature of political life, namely the antagonism between the heroic commitment to the beautiful and the transcendent on the one?hand, and the community’s need for bodily safety and material security on the other. This conceptual structure not only helps us understand these plays but also establishes a distinctive vision of the tragic dimension of political life—a vision that can be applied fruitfully to examinations of political projects quite distant from the world of fifth-century Athens. Such an application is the aim of?part II,?in?which Badger coordinates the results of the inquiries of?part I?and applies them to a consideration of the competing claims of three strands of medieval and early modern political philosophy: ecclesiastical rule, scientific domination, and liberal government. Badger identifies the last of these—early modern liberalism—as a \"tragic politics\" that seeks to sustain and contain the tension between transcendent longing and material need.
Editions of Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy
- EBook
- ISBN 9781136244599
- PDF
- ISBN 9781136244605
Read an Excerpt
Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy?is an inquiry into a fundamental political problem made visible through the tragic poetry of Sophocles.?In part I?Badger offers a detailed exegesis of three plays:?Ajax,?Antigone, and?Philoctetes. These plays share a common theme, illuminating a persistent feature of political life, namely the antagonism between the heroic commitment to the beautiful and the transcendent on the one?hand, and the community’s need for bodily safety and material security on the other. This conceptual structure not only helps us understand these plays but also establishes a distinctive vision of the tragic dimension of political life—a vision that can be applied fruitfully to examinations of political projects quite distant from the world of fifth-century Athens. Such an application is the aim of?part II,?in?which Badger coordinates the results of the inquiries of?part I?and applies them to a consideration of the competing claims of three strands of medieval and early modern political philosophy: ecclesiastical rule, scientific domination, and liberal government. Badger identifies the last of these—early modern liberalism—as a \"tragic politics\" that seeks to sustain and contain the tension between transcendent longing and material need.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy about?
Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy?is an inquiry into a fundamental political problem made visible through the tragic poetry of Sophocles.?In part I?Badger offers a detailed exegesis of three plays:?Ajax,?Antigone, and?Philoctetes. These plays share a common theme, illuminating a persistent feature of political life, namely the antagonism between the heroic commitment to the beautiful and the transcendent on the one?hand, and the community’s need for bodily safety and material security on the other. This conceptual structure not only helps us understand these plays but also establishes a distinctive vision of the tragic dimension of political life—a vision that can be applied fruitfully to examinations of political projects quite distant from the world of fifth-century Athens. Such an application is the aim of?part II,?in?which Badger coordinates the results of the inquiries of?part I?and applies them to a consideration of the competing claims of three strands of medieval and early modern political philosophy: ecclesiastical rule, scientific domination, and liberal government. Badger identifies the last of these—early modern liberalism—as a \"tragic politics\" that seeks to sustain and contain the tension between transcendent longing and material need.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy?
Society and Social Sciences > Politics and government > Political science and theory
Where can I read a sample of Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781136244599
Is Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Routledge Innovations in Political Theory
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy?
Jonathan N. Badger
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Sophocles and the Politics of Tragedy is available as ebook(ISBN 9781136244599) and pdf(ISBN 9781136244605)