On the Borders of Ancient Greek History: Karatani and Isonomy

Şilan Kesler

Makale detayları

On the Borders of Ancient Greek History: Karatani and Isonomy

Yazarlar:

Şilan Kesler

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Felsefe

Dergi:

Felsefe Arkivi Issue 58, pp.61-88

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297381

pISSN:

0378-2816

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 In his studies on world history, Kojin Karatani suggests that in the 6th -5th centuries BC, Ionia had isonomy no rule, a model of a nomadic society based on freedom of movement that he argues to currently be an obsolete form of government, while Athens had been governed by democracy at that same period. By placing this radical comparison within a certain framework in his own theory of modes of exchange, Karatani asserts Socrates to have been the last representative of isonomy, while his student Plato had acquired the idea of the philosopher-king from the Pythagoreans and defended this idea through Socrates in the dialogue of his Republic. In order to justify this claim, Karatani tries to read the philosophical relationship between Socrates and Plato by bringing Socrates closer to Ionian philosophy and Plato closer to Pythagoras, thus separating these two philosophers. This article will show isonomy, which could be used synonymously with democracy in various Ancient Greek sources such as Herodotus, to in fact be a polysemous conception and to constitute one of the guiding principles of democracy in Ancient Greek political history. According to Thucydides, one also encounters isonomy in oligarchic political regimes. In this case, however, oligarchies also appear to be isonomic to the extent that they resemble a model of democracy. This article will suggest the conclusion that isonomy, which Karatani uses in the sense of a form of government, had only occurred in Ioniait to be speculative, will examine Karatanis justification for extending his project to Ionia, and will analyze the strategies he employs for this will. The paper argues that Karatanis reading of Plato does not focus directly on the dialogue from the Republic but to instead focus on the dramatic transformations of the period. This paper will also argued that the way to understand how Plato, who discussed an isonomic political regime in Laws and Epistles, understood isonomy and democracy would be to look at the dialogue in the Republic, where he expresses the idea of the philosopher-king. Platos objection of democracy cannot be understood through his opposition to isonomy, nor did Plato make a sharp distinction between democracy and isonomy, as Karatani claims. In conclusion, this paper claims isonomy to be no separate form of government but rather a principle related to democracy.

 In his studies on world history, Kojin Karatani suggests that in the 6th -5th centuries BC, Ionia had isonomy no rule, a model of a nomadic society based on freedom of movement that he argues to currently be an obsolete form of government, while Athens had been governed by democracy at that same period. By placing this radical comparison within a certain framework in his own theory of modes of exchange, Karatani asserts Socrates to have been the last representative of isonomy, while his student Plato had acquired the idea of the philosopher-king from the Pythagoreans and defended this idea through Socrates in the dialogue of his Republic. In order to justify this claim, Karatani tries to read the philosophical relationship between Socrates and Plato by bringing Socrates closer to Ionian philosophy and Plato closer to Pythagoras, thus separating these two philosophers. This article will show isonomy, which could be used synonymously with democracy in various Ancient Greek sources such as Herodotus, to in fact be a polysemous conception and to constitute one of the guiding principles of democracy in Ancient Greek political history. According to Thucydides, one also encounters isonomy in oligarchic political regimes. In this case, however, oligarchies also appear to be isonomic to the extent that they resemble a model of democracy. This article will suggest the conclusion that isonomy, which Karatani uses in the sense of a form of government, had only occurred in Ioniait to be speculative, will examine Karatanis justification for extending his project to Ionia, and will analyze the strategies he employs for this will. The paper argues that Karatanis reading of Plato does not focus directly on the dialogue from the Republic but to instead focus on the dramatic transformations of the period. This paper will also argued that the way to understand how Plato, who discussed an isonomic political regime in Laws and Epistles, understood isonomy and democracy would be to look at the dialogue in the Republic, where he expresses the idea of the philosopher-king. Platos objection of democracy cannot be understood through his opposition to isonomy, nor did Plato make a sharp distinction between democracy and isonomy, as Karatani claims. In conclusion, this paper claims isonomy to be no separate form of government but rather a principle related to democracy.

 In his studies on world history, Kojin Karatani suggests that in the 6th -5th centuries BC, Ionia had isonomy no rule, a model of a nomadic society based on freedom of movement that he argues to currently be an obsolete form of government, while Athens had been governed by democracy at that same period. By placing this radical comparison within a certain framework in his own theory of modes of exchange, Karatani asserts Socrates to have been the last representative of isonomy, while his student Plato had acquired the idea of the philosopher-king from the Pythagoreans and defended this idea through Socrates in the dialogue of his Republic. In order to justify this claim, Karatani tries to read the philosophical relationship between Socrates and Plato by bringing Socrates closer to Ionian philosophy and Plato closer to Pythagoras, thus separating these two philosophers. This article will show isonomy, which could be used synonymously with democracy in various Ancient Greek sources such as Herodotus, to in fact be a polysemous conception and to constitute one of the guiding principles of democracy in Ancient Greek political history. According to Thucydides, one also encounters isonomy in oligarchic political regimes. In this case, however, oligarchies also appear to be isonomic to the extent that they resemble a model of democracy. This article will suggest the conclusion that isonomy, which Karatani uses in the sense of a form of government, had only occurred in Ioniait to be speculative, will examine Karatanis justification for extending his project to Ionia, and will analyze the strategies he employs for this will. The paper argues that Karatanis reading of Plato does not focus directly on the dialogue from the Republic but to instead focus on the dramatic transformations of the period. This paper will also argued that the way to understand how Plato, who discussed an isonomic political regime in Laws and Epistles, understood isonomy and democracy would be to look at the dialogue in the Republic, where he expresses the idea of the philosopher-king. Platos objection of democracy cannot be understood through his opposition to isonomy, nor did Plato make a sharp distinction between democracy and isonomy, as Karatani claims. In conclusion, this paper claims isonomy to be no separate form of government but rather a principle related to democracy.

 Kojin Karatani dünya tarihi üzerine yaptığı çalışmalarda, İyonyada, M.Ö. 6. ve 5. yüzyıllarda, bugün izi silinmiş bir yönetim biçimi olduğunu öne sürdüğü, hareket serbestliğine dayalı göçebe bir toplum modelini ortaya koyan izonominin hükmetmenin olmaması söz konusu olduğunu, aynı tarihlerde, Atinanın ise demokrasiyle yönetildiğini iddia eder. Karatani yaptığı bu radikal karşılaştırmayı, kendi mübadele tarzları teorisinde de belli bir çerçeveye yerleştirerek, Sokratesin izonominin son temsilcisi olduğunu; öğrencisi Platonun ise Pythagorasçılardan filozof-kral fikrini edinmiş, Devlet diyaloğunda Sokrates üzerinden bu fikri savunmuş olduğunu ileri sürer. Karatani bu iddiasını gerekçelendirmek üzere; Sokrates ve Platon arasındaki felsefi ilişkide, izonomiyi temsil ettiğini ileri sürdüğü Sokratesi İyonya felsefesine; Platonu ise Pythagorasa yaklaştırarak, dolayısıyla bu iki filozofu birbirinden ayırarak okumayı dener. Bu makalede, çeşitli Antik Yunan kaynaklarında; örneğin Herodotosta, demokrasiyle eş anlamlı kullanılabilen izonominin, esasen çok-anlamlı bir kavram olduğu ve Antik Yunan politik tarihinde demokrasiye yön veren ilkelerden birini teşkil ettiği gösterilecektir. Thukydidesin bize aktardığına göre, oligarşik politik rejimlerde de izonomiye rastlarız. Fakat bu durumda da demokrasi modeline yakın olduğu ölçüde, oligarşilerin izonomik olduğu görülmektedir. Bu makalede, Karataninin bir yönetim biçimi anlamıyla kullandığı izonominin, yalnızca İyonyada gerçekleştiği sonucuna varmanın spekülatif olduğu ortaya konacak, Karataninin projesini İyonyaya uygulama gerekçesi irdelenerek, bunun için izlediği stratejiler analiz edilecektir. Karataninin Platon okumasında, Devlet diyaloğuna doğrudan odaklanmayan, bunun yerine dönemin dramatik dönüşümlerini merkeze alan bir okuma yaptığı ileri sürülecek; Yasalarda ve Mektuplarda izonomik bir politik rejim üzerine tartışma yürüten Platonun izonomiyi ve demokrasiyi nasıl anladığını görmenin yolunun, filozof-kral fikrinin dile getirildiği Devlet diyaloğuna bakmaktan geçtiği gösterilecektir. Platonun demokrasiden hoşnutsuzluğunun izonomiyle karşıtlığı üzerinden anlaşılamayacağı, Platonun, Karataninin iddia ettiği gibi demokrasi ve izonomi arasında keskin bir ayrım yapmadığı ortaya konacaktır. Sonuç olarak izonominin ayrı bir yönetim biçimi değil, demokrasiyle ilişkili bir ilke olduğu savunulacaktır.

Makale detayları

On the Borders of Ancient Greek History: Karatani and Isonomy

Yazarlar:

Şilan Kesler

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Felsefe

Dergi:

Felsefe Arkivi Issue 58, pp.61-88

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297381

pISSN:

0378-2816

İsonomy

democracy

exchange

Athens

Ioniaizonomi

demokrasi

eunomia

mübadele

Atina

İyonya

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Şilan Kesler

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: Felsefe

Dergi: Felsefe Arkivi Issue 58, pp.61-88

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 6/2023

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001297381

pISSN: 0378-2816

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Şilan Kesler

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Felsefe

Dergi:

Felsefe Arkivi Issue 58, pp.61-88

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297381

pISSN:

0378-2816