Luckless : The Idea of Luck in Ancient Greek Thought

Daniel Schillinger

ISBN 10: 0197690246 / ISBN 13: 9780197690246

Published by Oxford University Press Apr 2026, 2026

About this Item

Neuware - What is luck What is the significance of luck for our ethical and political lives Could it be the case that luck is an intoxicating illusion, which threatens to obscure the true explanations of human action, excuse wrongdoing or cowardice, provoke powerful emotions, and cloud judgment Schillinger's original interpretation of the idea of luck in ancient Greek thought challenges both scholars of ancient Greek texts and theorists of luck in the present. While many contemporaries approach luck as something 'out there' in the world that explains why some human beings flourish while others suffer or perish, Schillinger argues that luck is a psychological phenomenon: what we have in mind when we speak of 'luck' are the intellectual and emotional reactions of human beings as they run up against the limits of their knowledge and power. Schillinger returns to the Greeks because they fully examined this phenomenon, revealing the roots of the idea of luck in the psyche, its (often confused) role in ethical judgments of praise and blame, and its salience as a rhetorical trope used by statesmen and demagogues. His analysis summons unfamiliar perspectives on these issues in ancient Greek thought-perspectives that are acutely skeptical and attuned to both the realities of politics and the complexities of the human soul.

Seller Inventory # 9780197690246

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Luckless : The Idea of Luck in Ancient Greek Thought
• Publisher: Oxford University Press Apr 2026
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0197690246
• ISBN 13: 9780197690246
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 236W x 166H x 17D millimeters 236 millimeters width by 166 millimeters height by 17 millimeters depth
• Weight: 381 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Many contemporary thinkers appeal to the idea of luck to explain why some people flourish and others suffer or perish. Schillinger, on the other hand, argues that this vision of luck's power is illusory at best and dangerous at worst. His book returns to ancient Greek thought to make a provocative and lively argument about luck that can help us understand ethical and political life in the present. Luckless reflects Schillinger's experience with and loving attention to thinkers such as Aristotle, Euripides, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Sophocles.

About the Author

Daniel Schillinger is a Lecturer in Political Science at Yale University, where he teaches in the Directed Studies Program and offers seminars on Greek political thought. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Yale Center for Civic Thought and a recipient of the Lux et Veritas teaching prize.