THE TRANNY OF REASON IN THE WORLD OF THE POLIS

In: American political science review, Band 82, Heft 4, S. 1261-1275

Abstract

THE MODERN LANGUAGE OF TYRANNY HAS DISTORTED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREEK TERM "TYRANNOS." IN ANCIENT GREEK THE TERM WAS ACCORDED TO THE NEW AND ANCIENT FAMILIES. TYRANNY THUS SUGGESTED A FREEDOM FROM THE PAST. REASON, AS THE GREEKS UNDERSTOOD IT, ALSO ENTAILED A BREAKING AWAY FROM THE PHYSICAL WORLD. REASON AND TYRANNY THUS WORK TOGETHER AS EXPRESSIONS OF FREEDOM, BUT IT IS A FREEDOM THAT IN ITS TRANSCENDENCE OF BOUNDARIES LEADS TO TRAGEDY. AN EXAMINATION OF SOPHOCLES "OEDIPUS" DRAWS OUT BOTH THE GLORY AND THE FAILURE OF THE INDIVIDUAL ATTEMPT OF THE POLITICAL ACTOR TO RISE ABOVE THE HISTORICAL PARTICULAR AND THE MERE BODY TO BUILD A WORLD WHERE REASON ALONE IS POWER.