Greek egalitarianism and polis: on the concept of “wide-base oligarchy” by Victor Davis Hanson
This paper is an inquiry into the explanatory scope of the concept of “wide-base oligarchy” used by Victor Davis Hanson in order to account for the problem of equality in the Greek polis. This concept was developed together with the Hansonian thesis of Greek agrarian egalitarianism. However, it is h...
Guardado en:
| Autor principal: | |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
| Publicado: |
Facultad de Humanidades y Artes, UNR
2023
|
| Acceso en línea: | https://anuariodehistoria.unr.edu.ar/index.php/Anuario/article/view/387 |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | This paper is an inquiry into the explanatory scope of the concept of “wide-base oligarchy” used by Victor Davis Hanson in order to account for the problem of equality in the Greek polis. This concept was developed together with the Hansonian thesis of Greek agrarian egalitarianism. However, it is here proposed to demonstrate that the notion of “wide-base oligarchy” is shaped from a horizon in which the author’s antidemocratic prejudice converges with his anti-egalitarian pre-conception. These prejudices guide the process of selection and organization of historical information, but sometimes lead Hanson into making statements difficult to sustain with the available evidence. In conclusion, the concept of “wide-base oligarchy” is not very effective as an explanatory tool and does not contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of equality in the Greek polis. |
|---|