Abstract This article examines the development of Democritus’ political thought and the extent of its dependence on his ethical theory. Its starting point is the close interdependence between the natural, material order of the human soul and human happiness. The eudaimonistic character of Democritean ethics provides the normative foundation of his political reflection, insofar as the proper functioning of the polis, like that of human nature, secures collective well-being. Against this background, the article proposes a rational reconstruction of an ‘ideal polis’ in Democritus, while also examining whether his thought reveals any implicit preference for particular contemporary political forms. The central question is therefore whether an ideal political order can be identified in Democritus as corresponding to the natural order that underlies his ethics and political thought, and whether any conventional constitution more closely approximates this ideal. The article argues that, although Democritus does not propose a single ideal constitutional form, the fragments support a rational reconstruction of political order grounded in the ethical and natural structure of the soul, in which governance properly belongs to those who embody rational and ethical excellence, and in which concord ( homonoia ) functions as an ideal capable of being realized within different constitutional frameworks.
Abstract The article examines the role of fraternity in Rawls’ A Theory of Justice , arguing that it functions as a foundational element of a conception of solidarity within liberal democratic societies. Fraternity plays a key normative role, especially in connection with the Difference Principle, by presenting justice not only as distributive fairness but also as a relation of reciprocal concern among free and equal citizens. First, the article reconstructs a Rawlsian account of solidarity through an analysis of fraternity, civic friendship, and elements of moral psychology, showing how a shared sense of justice emerges from participation in cooperative social practices. The article later explores the Aristotelian roots of this view, focusing on the concepts of philia and homonoia within the polis. By comparing Rawls’ idea of fraternity with Aristotle’s civic friendship, the article argues that solidarity can be understood as a form of ‘friendly justice’ that strengthens democratic legitimacy.
Abstract Polybius’ anacyclosis theory has been commonly viewed as a pragmatic political schema intended to advance the author’s primary objective of explaining the rise of the Roman Republic. In light of important research into morality in the Histories, this article offers a reappraisal of the role and purpose of the anacyclosis theory. The anacyclosis set out in Book 6 establishes a universally applicable moral framework to serve as a set of criteria by which readers can judge the moral conduct of key characters in the narrative. Philip V of Macedon, Phiopoemen, and Scipio Aemilianus connect thematic and structural features of the anacyclosis theory with Polybius’ overarching narrative and didactic intentions. These examples show that the anacyclosis is deeply connected with Polybius’ overarching moral themes and, furthermore, that the anacyclosis was employed for this purpose beyond the confines of Book 6.
Abstract Medieval thinkers in the Islamicate world are widely understood to have been deeply influenced by Platonic ideas and philosophy. Nevertheless, modern scholarship holds that no complete Arabic translation of any of Plato’s writings, including the Republic and the Laws , can currently be documented as having been available to them. It is often argued that the knowledge of thinkers such as Alfarabi, Avicenna, and Averroes was derived not from direct access to Platonic texts but rather through secondary and intermediary sources, such as summaries, paraphrases, commentaries, and doxographies. This article re-examines the evidence invoked in support of this view, with particular attention to bibliographical reports and medieval authorial testimony concerning the Republic and the Laws , and to the philological and transmission premises used to discount them, suggesting that the extent and modalities of medieval access to Platonic writings warrant further reconsideration, since the prevailing denial of such access rests on inferences that the surviving evidence does not decisively support.
