2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Genealogy of "Prudence"- on the genesis of the free subject of deliberation-
| Project/Area Number |
16520006
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Philosophy/Ethics
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Chiba University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
KAMO Hideomi Chiba University, Faculty of Education, Professor, 教育学部, 教授 (20114267)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2005
|
| Keywords | prudence / phronesis / freedom / arithmetics of pleasure and pain / Protagoras / the Greek Tragedy / preservation of the self / techne |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
The main theme of this research is making clear the genealogy of the transformation of the concept "prudence/phronesis" under the tittle of project ‘Genealogy of "Prudence"- on the genesis of the free subject of deliberation-'
The modern word "prudence" is coming directly, and "prevoyance" and "Klugheit" are just german or french translation from latin "prudentia". "prudentia" again is the translation of greek word "phronesis" and thus these words have kept alive and had strong influence over the way of living of the western citizens and the philosophical/political thought and sciences.
But the meaning of "prudence", "prevoyance" and "Klugheit" used by Rouseaux, Smith, Kant, Mill and Sidgewick and so on, have got their conceptual kernel as ‘hedonistic calculation' from just the utilitarian tradition like the "phronesis" of Plato's "Protagoras" and Epicurus' "letter to Menoeceus". They have not retained any trace of the meaning of the non-utilitarian concept "phronesis" of Aristotles.
Happ
… More
iness (eudaimonia) as the highest good or the final aim (telos) of the utilitarian "prudence" is the maximum of pleasures as the psychological states of mind. But that of "phronesis" (Aristotelian) is "activity itself of the soul in accordance with virtue". So the subject of "prudence" is impersonal whithout any concrete identities, but that of "phronesis" is necessarily personal with the integrity of character and could share an affinity with the characters of the greek tragedies like Oedipus, Antigone and Medea. In this meaning, the concrete and essential function of "phronesis" is caring about the identity of a person whereas that of "prudence" is careing about just only maximizing the quantity of pleaure and pain of a impersonal subject.
From such a point view, I could complete the paper "Between Prudence and Phronesis" and got some sure prospect for proceeding along with this reseaching. And I am now planning to publish a book under the same tittle of the paper next year (March 2007). Less
|
