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A Comparative Study of the Origins of Ethical Thought: Hellenism and Hebraism »

Authors: Seizo Sekine, Judy Wakabayashi
ISBN-13: 9780742532403, ISBN-10: 0742532402
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Date Published: March 2005
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Seizo Sekine

Book Synopsis

"A Comparative Study of the Origins of Ethical Thought: Hellenism and Hebraism is the first text to analyze Greek and Hebrew ethical thought based on a comprehensive and ideological interpretation of the two systems - on their own and in relation to one another." Writing from a Japanese frame of reference, the author incorporates important insights of Eastern thinkers that are often overlooked in the West. Well-conceived and logically presented, A Comparative Study of the Origins of Ethical Thought covers the practical philosophy of the ancient Greeks from the pre-Socratics through Aristotle, the religious ethics of the ancient Hebrews from the Ten Commandments to the Wisdom literature, and the consequences of Greek and Hebrew ethics from philosophical ideas of love and righteousness to religious notions of retribution and atonement.

	Introduction : "wonder"	1
Pt. I	The practical philosophy of the ancient Greeks
1	The pre-Socratics (1) : the Ionians	9
2	The pre-Socratics (2) : the Italian Thracians	21
3	Socrates and Plato (1) : Socrates, the Sophists, and Plato	33
4	Socrates and Plato (2) : focusing on Plato	51
5	Aristotle (1) : happiness and ethical excellence	79
6	Aristotle (2) : the doctrine of the mean and the doctrine of virtue	89
7	Aristotle (3) : intellectual excellence and contemplation	103
Pt. II	The religious ethics of the ancient Hebrews
8	The Ten Commandments (1) : focusing on the sixth to ninth commandments	121
9	The Ten Commandments (2) : focusing on the first commandment	137
10	Legal codes : the book of the covenant, the Deuteronomic code, and the holiness code	155
11	The wisdom literature (1) : Proverbs	171
12	The wisdom literature (2) : the book of Job	197
Pt. III	The consequences of Hellenic and Hebrew ethics
13	Retribution ethics in Hebrew religion : focusing on the Qohelet	211
14	Hebrew religious ethics and atonement ideology : focusing on the prophets	225
15	A reflection on the Greek philosophy of love and righteousness, based on Aristotle	245
	Conclusion : revisiting "wonder"	259