Ancient Greek History and Contemporary Social Science - (Edinburgh Leventis Studies) (Hardcover)

About the Book

There is a long history of successful engagement between social science and classical studies. This new collection of essays surveys the current state of the new field of 'social science Greek history' and demonstrates the potential of this interdisciplinary field.

Book Synopsis

There is a long history of successful engagement between social science and classical studies. Social science has been a source of new and productive approaches to understanding ancient Greece, while classical Greek history and culture has been a touchstone for social theorists since the 19th century. This new collection of essays surveys the current state of the new field of 'social science Greek history' and demonstrates the potential of this interdisciplinary field.
Substantial bodies of work that have contributed in fundamental ways to our understanding of classical Greece and its cultural legacy were produced in 20th century, by employing methods from anthropology, sociology, and psychology. More recently, the use of quantitative methods and formal theory, drawn from contemporary political science, economics, and sociology, has led to a new understanding of ancient Greek economic and political development. Meanwhile, normative considerations, drawn from contemporary political philosophy, have led to a richer understanding of Greek political thought and Greek institutional innovations - notably including democracy and the rule of law.

From the Back Cover

Note: this will be printed as PPC (not jacketed, like previous volumes). Please move the text so that it's sitting 21mm from the spine. 'This volume is a manifesto for the implementation of the methods of social science in the field of ancient Greek history. After a methodological introduction by Josiah Ober that sets the debate, the nineteen chapters, followed by a conclusion by John Davies, beautifully illustrate the fruitfulness of the approach.' Alain Bresson, The University of Chicago Social science has been a source of fresh and productive approaches to understanding ancient Greece, while classical Greek history and culture has been a touchstone for social theorists since the nineteenth century. This innovative collection of essays surveys the current state of 'social science Greek history' and demonstrates the potential of this interdisciplinary field. Substantial bodies of work that have contributed in fundamental ways to our understanding of classical Greece and its cultural legacy were produced in twentieth century, by employing methods from anthropology, sociology and psychology. More recently, the use of quantitative methods and formal theory, drawn from contemporary political science, economics and sociology, has led to a new understanding of ancient Greek economic and political development. Meanwhile, normative considerations, drawn from contemporary political philosophy, have led to a richer understanding of Greek political thought and Greek institutional innovations - notably including democracy and the rule of law. This volume analyses and innovatively develops these different intersections between Greek history and the social sciences. Mirko Canevaro is Reader in Greek History at the University of Edinburgh. Andrew Erskine is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. Benjamin Gray is Lecturer in Ancient History at Birkbeck, University of London. Josiah Ober is Constantine Mitsotakis Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University. Cover image: Crane appearing from behind marble Parthenon column, Athens, Attica, Greece (c) Nick Dale / Design Pics / Getty Images Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-2177-5 Barcode

Review Quotes

This volume is a manifesto for the implementation of the methods of social science in the field of ancient Greek History. After a methodological introduction by Josiah Ober that sets the debate, the nineteen chapters, followed by a conclusion by John Davies, beautifully illustrate the fruitfulness of the approach.--Alain Bresson, The University of Chicago

About the Author

Mirko Canevaro is Professor of Greek History, at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of The Documents in the Attic Orators (OUP, 2013). He is co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Law (OUP, 2016) and The Hellenistic and Early-Imperial Reception of Athenian Democracy and Political Thought (OUP, 2016). He is one of the series editors for our New Approaches to Ancient Greek Institutional History series and a co-editor of an edited collection in our Leventis Studies series.

Andrew Erskine is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh.

Benjamin Gray is lecturer in Ancient History, Birkbeck, University of London and also, until August 2018, Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, Institut für Geschichtswissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität Berlin.

Josiah Ober is Constantine Mitsotakis Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University. He is the author of The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece (Princeton, 2015), Democracy and Knowledge: Innovation and Learning in Classical Athens (Princeton, 2008), Athenian Legacies: Essays on the Politics of Going on Together (Princeton, 2005), Political Dissent in Democratic Athens (Princeton, 1998), The Athenian Revolution (Princeton, 1996), Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens (Princeton, 1989), Fortress Attica (Brill, 1985). He is co-author of Origins of Democracy in Ancient Greece (University of California Press, 2007).