Phronimon Volume 5 Number 1 (2004)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/11457

Contents
Strijdom, J.	Images of love and politics: Plato's conscious manipulation of myths	1
Schoeman, M.	Nietzsche se beskouings oor die deugde van matigheid en generositeit	13
Domanski, A.	The operation of platonic justice in the South African constitution	31
Mabille, L.	Nietzsche and Arendt in Casterbridge: On the burden of history	37
Prinsloo, J. & Kingshott, B.	Ethics in policing	49
Terezis, C.	The Platonic pair "Limit - Infinitude" according to the neo-Platonist Damascius	71

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

The platonic pair “limit – infinitude” according to the neo-platonist Damascius
(South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities, 2004) Terezis, C.; South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities
Damascius maintains that according to the Platonic text the cause and principle of Intelligence is the Limit, whereas that of Pleasure is Infinitude. By using the logical principle of analogy, he points out that any relationship which exists between causes-principles also exists between their products. By arguing regarding the content of Limit and Infinitude Damascius introduces an ontological monism. Therefore his explanations are based on the favourite distinction of the Neoplatonic Philosophers between Unity and Dyad and, thereby, between Unity and Plurality. Furthermore, he develops a syllogism on the basis of analogies which exist among the causes in order to make a reliable presentation of the priorities. He pursues another syllogism dealing with the meaning of production which means that he excludes its mechanistic operation in a quest spread upon theories which support the absolute metaphysical foundation of the physical world. Damascius proposes a common methodology and one theory as everything which exists is created or is going to be created. In his view ontology includes teleology as an inherent element. Despite his attempt to interpret the metaphysical world rationally, he remains attached to the principles of negativismus.
Ethics in policing
(South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities, 2004) Prinsloo, Johan; South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities; Kingshott, Brian
A number of ethical issues and dilemmas are to be found in policing. Police officers do engage in unethical behaviour which often originates from the norms of the organisational culture. However, working in the world of policing provides officers with the ability to rationalise, excuse and justify unethical behaviour, while maintaining a moral self image. Culture, values and norms as unconscious and conscious feelings are terms which have different, though not unrelated meanings and manifest themselves in human behaviour. In this article the significance of tensions between the organisational culture and the dynamics of ethical dilemmas inherent to public policing are discussed.
Nietzsche and Arendt in Casterbridge: on the burden of history
(South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities, 2004) Mabille, Louise; South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities
The article raises the question whether postmodern attempts to re-write history does not, despite its best efforts, fall back into the homogeneity of metanarrative. By doing this, Nietzsche's critique of monumental and antiquarian history is addressed as well as Gadamer's dialogical model of history writing and the rise of the museum or archive as a modern phenomenon. In adddion, I ask whether metanarrative is avoidable at all and by referring to Walter Benjamin and Hannah Arendt's image of the pearl diver, make a plea for a critical engagement with the past.
The operation of platonic justice in the South African constitution
(South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities, 2004) Domanski, A.; South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities
Justice is one of the four Platonic or cardinal virtues. In his dialogues the Republic and the Laws, Plato presents a concept of justice far broader than the predominantly legalistic notions which we have received from Justinian's Roman law and from modern Western jurisprudence. This article examines Plato's notion of justice and shows that, far from being anachronistic, it plays a vital part in the South African Constitution. The operation of Platonic justice in a number of specific provisions of the Constitution is observed.
Nietzsche se beskouings oor die deugde van matigheid en generositeit
(South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities, 2004) South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities; Schoeman, Marinus J.
The concepts of temperance and magnanimity (generosity) play a central role in Nietzsche's ethic, which is basically an ethic of virtue. In his own unique way, and in accordance with his extra-moral view of life, Nietzsche recovers and re-appropriates these virtues. Considerable attention is paid to Nietzsche's "aristocratism", which is closely tied up with his reconceptualisation ("rehabilitation") of the virtues in terms of virtu (virtuosity and vitality), to which he also refers as his "moraline-free" conception of the virtues.
Images of love and politics: plato's conscious manipulation of myths
(South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities, 2004) Strijdom, Johan (Johannes Matthys); South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities
This paper offers a comparative analysis of the ways in which Plato used mythical language in order to convey his views on love and politics. For politics, the myth of the metals in the Republic and of Atlantis in the Timaeus/Critias will be analysed. For love, the function of myths in the Symposium and Phaedrus will be compared and contrasted. The emphasis will be on the self-conscious and subtle ways in which Plato manipulated imaginative constructs in order to serve his philosophical views.

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