Philosophy at the Gymnasium - Hardcover

Kenyon, Erik

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1501776746 ISBN 13: 9781501776748

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 2024

Synopsis

Philosophy at the Gymnasium returns Greek moral philosophy to its original context―the gyms of Athens―to understand how training for the body sparked training for the mind. The result is an engaging inroad to Greek thought that wrestles with big questions about life, happiness, and education, while providing fresh perspectives on standing scholarly debates.

In Philosophy at the Gymnasium, Erik Kenyon reveals the egalitarian spirit of the ancient gym, in which clothes―and with them, social markers―are shed at the door, leaving individuals to compete based on their physical and intellectual merits alone. The work opens with Socratic dialogues set in gyms that call for reform in character education. It explores Plato's moral and political philosophy through the lens of mental and civic health. And it holds up Olympic victors as Aristotle's model for the life of happiness through training.

About this title

About the Author

Erik Kenyon received his PhD from Cornell University in classics. He is a philosopher, musician, and weightlifter, who teaches Latin and humanities at Friends Academy, Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He is the author of Augustine and the Dialogue and a coauthor of Ethics for the Very Young.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1501776746
• ISBN 13: 9781501776748
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 282