Epistemic Life in the Polis Ancient Insights into Contemporary Issues

This book shows the interesting connections within political epistemology that can be established between ancient approaches and contemporary ones. It stems from the conviction that ancient thought can be brought into discussion with contemporary views. Although the book is not intended as an exegetical work, the authors offer detailed interpretations of ancient philosophers while taking into consideration recent specialized discussions in the scholarship with a focus mainly on the systematic aspects of those philosophers rather than on the historical ones. By exploiting insights of Ancient Greek philosophers, and providing an examination of certain intellectual attitudes and virtues that have both an ethical-political and epistemic dimension, the reader will better understand contemporary issues within political epistemology.

Chapter 1. General Introduction.- Chapter 2. Self-Knowledge and the Limits of the First-Person and the Third-Person Perspectives.- Chapter 3. The Ancient Sceptic Attitude and Disagreement.- Chapter 4. Socratic Ignorance, Intellectual Humility and Intellectual Autonomy.- Chapter 5.Authority and Plato’s Epistocracy.- Chapter 6. Democracy and Citizenry Competence.- Bibliography.- Index.