The citizenship of the philosopher

Abstract

In this paper I will attempt to answer the question: To which polis can the philosopher rightly claim citizenship? In order to answer this question, I must clarify some specific issues, such as: 1) From an archeological standpoint, what are the necessary and sufficient conditions for the constitution of the polis in which the philosopher can dwell, live and act? 2) Which models of politeiai (states) in Greek antiquity are most conducive to the growth and development of the philosophical life? 3) Can the philosopher exist and live as a citizen in any particular historical society, and what are the minimum requirements and principles which must condition such a city-state?