Tony Crook
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264003
- eISBN:
- 9780191734151
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264003.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Anthropology, Global
What is the nature of knowledge? Anthropology imagines it possible to divide or separate social and analytical relations, whereby knowledge travels between persons as a thing. And yet, Bolivip ...
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What is the nature of knowledge? Anthropology imagines it possible to divide or separate social and analytical relations, whereby knowledge travels between persons as a thing. And yet, Bolivip imagines knowledge as the bodily resources or parts of a person that can be extended or combined with others. This methodological exchange is modelled on a moment from Bolivip – an exchange of skin whereby knowledge is returned in respect of prior nurture and care given, and two people become encompassed by one skin. The Min area of Papua New Guinea has proven to be one of the most enigmatic cultures in anthropological experience. But rather than accept this resistance to analysis as a problem of Melanesian secrecy, this book suggests that archaic notions of anthropological knowledge have been the problem all along. Taking up the ‘Min problem’ head on, it suggests a solution to the impasse. The argument works through alternating chapters: an imagistic ethnography of Bolivip describes how arboreal and horticultural metaphors motivate the growth of persons and plants by circulating bodily resources through others. Knowledge here comes from those who contribute to conception, and is withheld until a person is capable of bearing it. These images are used to provide new readings of classic Melanesianist texts – Mead, Bateson, and Fortune – substituting theoretical ideas for intimate relations; Weiner and Strathern's own experiments with anthropology modelled on Melanesia; and Barth's reading of secrecy amongst the Min.Less
What is the nature of knowledge? Anthropology imagines it possible to divide or separate social and analytical relations, whereby knowledge travels between persons as a thing. And yet, Bolivip imagines knowledge as the bodily resources or parts of a person that can be extended or combined with others. This methodological exchange is modelled on a moment from Bolivip – an exchange of skin whereby knowledge is returned in respect of prior nurture and care given, and two people become encompassed by one skin. The Min area of Papua New Guinea has proven to be one of the most enigmatic cultures in anthropological experience. But rather than accept this resistance to analysis as a problem of Melanesian secrecy, this book suggests that archaic notions of anthropological knowledge have been the problem all along. Taking up the ‘Min problem’ head on, it suggests a solution to the impasse. The argument works through alternating chapters: an imagistic ethnography of Bolivip describes how arboreal and horticultural metaphors motivate the growth of persons and plants by circulating bodily resources through others. Knowledge here comes from those who contribute to conception, and is withheld until a person is capable of bearing it. These images are used to provide new readings of classic Melanesianist texts – Mead, Bateson, and Fortune – substituting theoretical ideas for intimate relations; Weiner and Strathern's own experiments with anthropology modelled on Melanesia; and Barth's reading of secrecy amongst the Min.
Christopher Hood
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198297659
- eISBN:
- 9780191599484
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198297653.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
In the four chapters of Part II, public management ideas that loosely correspond to each of the four polar world views identified by cultural theory are discussed; here the cultural‐theory framework ...
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In the four chapters of Part II, public management ideas that loosely correspond to each of the four polar world views identified by cultural theory are discussed; here the cultural‐theory framework is mixed with a historical perspective to survey recurring approaches to public management that can be loosely characterized as hierarchist (Ch.. 4), individualist (Ch. 5), egalitarian (Ch. 6), and fatalist (this chapter). Starts by asking whether there can be a fatalist approach to public management—cultural theorists have identified fatalism as a viable way of life, but it does not figure prominently in conventional accounts on the provision of public services; Banfield has stated that in fatalist societies (such as Montegrano) public management will be (only) narrowly bureaucratic and statist because only paid officials will be concerned with public affairs, and the citizenry at large will be cynical about the motives of public officials; in spite of this widespread belief, however, there are likely to be few effective checks on public officials in a fatalist society, and Banfield sees fatalism as a social pathology bound to produce social backwardness and stagnation. Cultural theory is ambiguous on whether fatalism can be a viable basis of organization in the sense that a Montegrano‐type society could survive and reproduce itself over time, nor is it clear from the work of cultural theorists exactly what fatalists’ focus on karma amounts to. The last possibility—that fatalism might link to how‐to‐do‐it ideas about organizational design, as distinct from a view of the world as ineluctably ruled by the fickle goddess of fortune—has had little attention: from conventional cultural‐theory accounts, it would seem the most appropriate role, for fatalist social science in public management would be like that of the chorus in classical Greek theatre—and the second section of the chapter examines such a perspective on public management, looking particularly at one influential strain of ‘new institutionalist’ literature, which portrays the functioning of organizations as a highly unpredictable process, involving eclectic decision‐making unavoidably dependent on chance connections. It then moves on to build on the recipe for contrived randomness, and argues that a fatalist perspective can at least in some sense be taken beyond commentary and criticism into a positive prescription for conducting management and designing organizations to operate on the basis of chance.Less
In the four chapters of Part II, public management ideas that loosely correspond to each of the four polar world views identified by cultural theory are discussed; here the cultural‐theory framework is mixed with a historical perspective to survey recurring approaches to public management that can be loosely characterized as hierarchist (Ch.. 4), individualist (Ch. 5), egalitarian (Ch. 6), and fatalist (this chapter). Starts by asking whether there can be a fatalist approach to public management—cultural theorists have identified fatalism as a viable way of life, but it does not figure prominently in conventional accounts on the provision of public services; Banfield has stated that in fatalist societies (such as Montegrano) public management will be (only) narrowly bureaucratic and statist because only paid officials will be concerned with public affairs, and the citizenry at large will be cynical about the motives of public officials; in spite of this widespread belief, however, there are likely to be few effective checks on public officials in a fatalist society, and Banfield sees fatalism as a social pathology bound to produce social backwardness and stagnation. Cultural theory is ambiguous on whether fatalism can be a viable basis of organization in the sense that a Montegrano‐type society could survive and reproduce itself over time, nor is it clear from the work of cultural theorists exactly what fatalists’ focus on karma amounts to. The last possibility—that fatalism might link to how‐to‐do‐it ideas about organizational design, as distinct from a view of the world as ineluctably ruled by the fickle goddess of fortune—has had little attention: from conventional cultural‐theory accounts, it would seem the most appropriate role, for fatalist social science in public management would be like that of the chorus in classical Greek theatre—and the second section of the chapter examines such a perspective on public management, looking particularly at one influential strain of ‘new institutionalist’ literature, which portrays the functioning of organizations as a highly unpredictable process, involving eclectic decision‐making unavoidably dependent on chance connections. It then moves on to build on the recipe for contrived randomness, and argues that a fatalist perspective can at least in some sense be taken beyond commentary and criticism into a positive prescription for conducting management and designing organizations to operate on the basis of chance.
Rebecca M. Empson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264737
- eISBN:
- 9780191753992
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264737.003.0008
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter focuses on the accumulation of wealth through herding. For pastoral herders, movement across the landscape is the dominant means by which fortune is harnessed and growth in animals ...
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This chapter focuses on the accumulation of wealth through herding. For pastoral herders, movement across the landscape is the dominant means by which fortune is harnessed and growth in animals achieved. Here, fecundity and wealth are visible in mobile and transitory forms. At the most basic level, it is the herds that form the landscape as it is they who traverse the land and contain the fortune that engenders the fertility and vital energy that makes ‘places’. In the face of competing claims on the landscape, local shamans are motivated to establish relations with previous inhabitants who are held to reside in particular places. In so doing, they gain endorsement from past historical figures who claim that they are good people who should remain there. In securing this endorsement, the Buriad go some way in gaining authority over the place in which they currently live.Less
This chapter focuses on the accumulation of wealth through herding. For pastoral herders, movement across the landscape is the dominant means by which fortune is harnessed and growth in animals achieved. Here, fecundity and wealth are visible in mobile and transitory forms. At the most basic level, it is the herds that form the landscape as it is they who traverse the land and contain the fortune that engenders the fertility and vital energy that makes ‘places’. In the face of competing claims on the landscape, local shamans are motivated to establish relations with previous inhabitants who are held to reside in particular places. In so doing, they gain endorsement from past historical figures who claim that they are good people who should remain there. In securing this endorsement, the Buriad go some way in gaining authority over the place in which they currently live.
Rebecca M. Empson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264737
- eISBN:
- 9780191753992
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264737.003.0010
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter reflects on the distinction between naturalist ontologies of growth and those found in the Mongolian concept of fortune. A review of these ideas in relation to the ethnography suggests ...
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This chapter reflects on the distinction between naturalist ontologies of growth and those found in the Mongolian concept of fortune. A review of these ideas in relation to the ethnography suggests that previous distinctions, which have usually been considered as distinct modes or ways of being — such as ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’, or ‘agnatic’ and ‘consanguineal’ — should instead be viewed as instantiations of a wider archetype for perspectival traffic. By focusing on the transformations afforded when parts are extracted from people, animals, and things and then contained, or housed, to allow for growth and generation, we see that these distinctions are always internal. In shifting between them, fortune is harnessed and growth is made visible.Less
This chapter reflects on the distinction between naturalist ontologies of growth and those found in the Mongolian concept of fortune. A review of these ideas in relation to the ethnography suggests that previous distinctions, which have usually been considered as distinct modes or ways of being — such as ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’, or ‘agnatic’ and ‘consanguineal’ — should instead be viewed as instantiations of a wider archetype for perspectival traffic. By focusing on the transformations afforded when parts are extracted from people, animals, and things and then contained, or housed, to allow for growth and generation, we see that these distinctions are always internal. In shifting between them, fortune is harnessed and growth is made visible.
Henry Phelps Brown
- Published in print:
- 1988
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198286486
- eISBN:
- 9780191596773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198286481.003.0016
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare
The distributions of personal income and holdings of wealth that have been examined earlier in the book have salient features in common: wealth is much more unequally distributed than income, but the ...
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The distributions of personal income and holdings of wealth that have been examined earlier in the book have salient features in common: wealth is much more unequally distributed than income, but the form of distribution is similar. There are three ways of asking how the distributions came to take that form; these overlap, but there may be an advantage in following separate approaches to these in an initial examination. The three approaches are examined in the next four sections of the chapter: the first looks at the components of distributions, since there are various distinct sources of inequality; and the second examines the mathematical properties of that form, hoping to find in those properties a guide to the actual processes of formulation in everyday life; and the third and fourth consider the formation of distributions as an ongoing process, addressing incomes and wealth separately. These four sections give examples from various countries. The last section of the chapter examines ‘great fortunes’, since it is clear that the biggest incomes and wealth holdings form a distinct system; most of the examples given are from British history, and look at both transmitted wealth and fortunes built up by their holders.Less
The distributions of personal income and holdings of wealth that have been examined earlier in the book have salient features in common: wealth is much more unequally distributed than income, but the form of distribution is similar. There are three ways of asking how the distributions came to take that form; these overlap, but there may be an advantage in following separate approaches to these in an initial examination. The three approaches are examined in the next four sections of the chapter: the first looks at the components of distributions, since there are various distinct sources of inequality; and the second examines the mathematical properties of that form, hoping to find in those properties a guide to the actual processes of formulation in everyday life; and the third and fourth consider the formation of distributions as an ongoing process, addressing incomes and wealth separately. These four sections give examples from various countries. The last section of the chapter examines ‘great fortunes’, since it is clear that the biggest incomes and wealth holdings form a distinct system; most of the examples given are from British history, and look at both transmitted wealth and fortunes built up by their holders.
Ingo Gildenhard
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199291557
- eISBN:
- 9780191594885
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291557.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter discusses figures of thought in Cicero's speeches to do with being human and the human condition. Special attention is given to the notions that human beings are inherently fallible and ...
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This chapter discusses figures of thought in Cicero's speeches to do with being human and the human condition. Special attention is given to the notions that human beings are inherently fallible and that human life unfolds in an unpredictable environment (personified in Fortune, goddess of happenstance and caprice) and is thus subject to random, i.e. amoral disasters. Both notions found articulation in new comic scripts, before appearing in other genres of discourse, such as rhetorical handbooks and public oratory. Against this background, the chapter explores how Cicero uses them to fashion models of the human self and of the universe, not least to address the problem of social accountability.Less
This chapter discusses figures of thought in Cicero's speeches to do with being human and the human condition. Special attention is given to the notions that human beings are inherently fallible and that human life unfolds in an unpredictable environment (personified in Fortune, goddess of happenstance and caprice) and is thus subject to random, i.e. amoral disasters. Both notions found articulation in new comic scripts, before appearing in other genres of discourse, such as rhetorical handbooks and public oratory. Against this background, the chapter explores how Cicero uses them to fashion models of the human self and of the universe, not least to address the problem of social accountability.
Ian W. McLean
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691154671
- eISBN:
- 9781400845439
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691154671.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This chapter talks about negative shocks from internal imbalance, external factors, and drought wrought havoc with the economy for more than a decade. Against this background of a major threat to ...
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This chapter talks about negative shocks from internal imbalance, external factors, and drought wrought havoc with the economy for more than a decade. Against this background of a major threat to prosperity, important changes occurred in the institutional framework with the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901. Though some recovery in economic fortunes occurred before the outbreak of war, it was short-lived. Per capita real GDP fell by 22 percent by 1895 and did not regain its 1889 peak for a full two decades. The approach adopted here includes a comparative perspective on Australians' reduced levels of prosperity between 1890 and 1914. Australia recorded the highest per capita income in the world for some period prior to the 1890s. The chapter shows how this achievement has never been repeated.Less
This chapter talks about negative shocks from internal imbalance, external factors, and drought wrought havoc with the economy for more than a decade. Against this background of a major threat to prosperity, important changes occurred in the institutional framework with the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901. Though some recovery in economic fortunes occurred before the outbreak of war, it was short-lived. Per capita real GDP fell by 22 percent by 1895 and did not regain its 1889 peak for a full two decades. The approach adopted here includes a comparative perspective on Australians' reduced levels of prosperity between 1890 and 1914. Australia recorded the highest per capita income in the world for some period prior to the 1890s. The chapter shows how this achievement has never been repeated.
John Marenbon
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134070
- eISBN:
- 9780199868094
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195134079.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Addresses the argument of Boethius's masterpiece, the Consolation of Philosophy. It shows that Boethius, the author, juxtaposes a complex view of happiness in which it is vulnerable to fortune, with ...
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Addresses the argument of Boethius's masterpiece, the Consolation of Philosophy. It shows that Boethius, the author, juxtaposes a complex view of happiness in which it is vulnerable to fortune, with a monolithic view in which it is identified with the highest good – God. It also considers the treatment of divine providence and how it can be reconciled with the existence of chance and with human freedom.Less
Addresses the argument of Boethius's masterpiece, the Consolation of Philosophy. It shows that Boethius, the author, juxtaposes a complex view of happiness in which it is vulnerable to fortune, with a monolithic view in which it is identified with the highest good – God. It also considers the treatment of divine providence and how it can be reconciled with the existence of chance and with human freedom.
J.G.A. Pocock and Richard Whatmore
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691172231
- eISBN:
- 9781400883516
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691172231.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter turns to a fuller exploration of the conspectus of providential time. It discusses how, for the thinkers of late antiquity, the separation of salvation and society, redemption and ...
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This chapter turns to a fuller exploration of the conspectus of providential time. It discusses how, for the thinkers of late antiquity, the separation of salvation and society, redemption and history, soul and body, sundered but did not abolish the problem of the eschatological present. It became a problem to account for the state of the soul between the death and resurrection of the body, but a radical heresy to solve this problem by doctrines of mortalism or psychopannychism, which asserted that the being or the experience of the soul were suspended during the remainder of secular time; for this denied the extra-temporal nature of membership in the civitas Dei, a society in communion with God, and consequently of that civitas itself.Less
This chapter turns to a fuller exploration of the conspectus of providential time. It discusses how, for the thinkers of late antiquity, the separation of salvation and society, redemption and history, soul and body, sundered but did not abolish the problem of the eschatological present. It became a problem to account for the state of the soul between the death and resurrection of the body, but a radical heresy to solve this problem by doctrines of mortalism or psychopannychism, which asserted that the being or the experience of the soul were suspended during the remainder of secular time; for this denied the extra-temporal nature of membership in the civitas Dei, a society in communion with God, and consequently of that civitas itself.
Carolyne Larrington
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198119821
- eISBN:
- 9780191671210
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198119821.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, Poetry
This chapter examines the range and theme of Old English wisdom poetry. It analyses Old English poems which are primarily concerned with imparting wisdom and use the gnome as a structural unit. These ...
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This chapter examines the range and theme of Old English wisdom poetry. It analyses Old English poems which are primarily concerned with imparting wisdom and use the gnome as a structural unit. These include Exeter, Cotton Maxims, and Fortunes of Men. This chapter suggests that Old English poems amalgamate Germanic, tradition, biblical forms, and classical devices in the presentation of wisdom in verse. It contends that Old English poets have taken whatever seemed useful to them from the traditions with which they were familiar and created frameworks around which they could structure the wisdom they wanted to present.Less
This chapter examines the range and theme of Old English wisdom poetry. It analyses Old English poems which are primarily concerned with imparting wisdom and use the gnome as a structural unit. These include Exeter, Cotton Maxims, and Fortunes of Men. This chapter suggests that Old English poems amalgamate Germanic, tradition, biblical forms, and classical devices in the presentation of wisdom in verse. It contends that Old English poets have taken whatever seemed useful to them from the traditions with which they were familiar and created frameworks around which they could structure the wisdom they wanted to present.
Gunther Martin
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199560226
- eISBN:
- 9780191721427
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199560226.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
A description of Demosthenes' position after Chaeroneia stands at the start of this chapter, showing that he defends himself not only against Aeschines, but also against the many accusations and the ...
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A description of Demosthenes' position after Chaeroneia stands at the start of this chapter, showing that he defends himself not only against Aeschines, but also against the many accusations and the allegations with a religious background which Aeschines only exploits. Demosthenes turns arguments about his ‘Fortune’, described as a goddess by Aeschines, into a discussion of personal fortune, thus deflecting the debate to one of social standing. In the discussion of Aeschines' participation in the obscure rite of Sabazius, he does not make a religious point but ridicules Aeschines for his ignoble upbringing. In this way he removes the religious element, alluding to this aspect of the accusation only occasionally and after long preparation.Less
A description of Demosthenes' position after Chaeroneia stands at the start of this chapter, showing that he defends himself not only against Aeschines, but also against the many accusations and the allegations with a religious background which Aeschines only exploits. Demosthenes turns arguments about his ‘Fortune’, described as a goddess by Aeschines, into a discussion of personal fortune, thus deflecting the debate to one of social standing. In the discussion of Aeschines' participation in the obscure rite of Sabazius, he does not make a religious point but ridicules Aeschines for his ignoble upbringing. In this way he removes the religious element, alluding to this aspect of the accusation only occasionally and after long preparation.
Tony Crook
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264003
- eISBN:
- 9780191734151
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264003.003.0005
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Anthropology, Global
This chapter describes the famous occasion when three anthropologists met up on the Sepik River in 1932/3 – and which infamously led to Margaret Mead eventually leaving Reo Fortune for Gregory ...
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This chapter describes the famous occasion when three anthropologists met up on the Sepik River in 1932/3 – and which infamously led to Margaret Mead eventually leaving Reo Fortune for Gregory Bateson. It also looks as much to the anthropologists as to their ethnographies to suggest that a view of one is available in the view of the other. The chapter furthermore presents an interest in how Stocking makes economy of exposition – just ‘one sentence’ – speak so much, and in what he does not need to say; whereas saying it any other way involves a long story to make the same point. Additionally, it intends to use the events instead to look at the commentary and contemporary practices in order to explore continuities in anthropological quasi-scientism sensitivities concerning the proximity between social relations, analytical relations, and ethnography. Mead's art is one of extraordinary clarity, giving hard edges to what it depicts. When the three anthropologists met up in Kankanamun, they did so acting with a number of others in mind. Blackberry Winter recalls as ‘compass points’.Less
This chapter describes the famous occasion when three anthropologists met up on the Sepik River in 1932/3 – and which infamously led to Margaret Mead eventually leaving Reo Fortune for Gregory Bateson. It also looks as much to the anthropologists as to their ethnographies to suggest that a view of one is available in the view of the other. The chapter furthermore presents an interest in how Stocking makes economy of exposition – just ‘one sentence’ – speak so much, and in what he does not need to say; whereas saying it any other way involves a long story to make the same point. Additionally, it intends to use the events instead to look at the commentary and contemporary practices in order to explore continuities in anthropological quasi-scientism sensitivities concerning the proximity between social relations, analytical relations, and ethnography. Mead's art is one of extraordinary clarity, giving hard edges to what it depicts. When the three anthropologists met up in Kankanamun, they did so acting with a number of others in mind. Blackberry Winter recalls as ‘compass points’.
Howard J. Curzer
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199693726
- eISBN:
- 9780191738890
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693726.003.0018
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
An enormous amount has been written about Aristotle’s account of happiness, almost all of it focused on the question of whether the supremely happy life of X.6–8 is a contemplative life or a ...
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An enormous amount has been written about Aristotle’s account of happiness, almost all of it focused on the question of whether the supremely happy life of X.6–8 is a contemplative life or a contemplative/ethical blend. Each interpretation faces serious problems. This chapter goes between the horns by taking Aristotle to be advocating a life of thoughtful, morally virtuous activity. Since the activity of reflection is what makes the agent happy, this life is rightly called contemplative. But since reflection can be performed along with almost all morally virtuous activity, contemplators need not strive to minimize their morally virtuous activity in order to maximize their contemplation.Less
An enormous amount has been written about Aristotle’s account of happiness, almost all of it focused on the question of whether the supremely happy life of X.6–8 is a contemplative life or a contemplative/ethical blend. Each interpretation faces serious problems. This chapter goes between the horns by taking Aristotle to be advocating a life of thoughtful, morally virtuous activity. Since the activity of reflection is what makes the agent happy, this life is rightly called contemplative. But since reflection can be performed along with almost all morally virtuous activity, contemplators need not strive to minimize their morally virtuous activity in order to maximize their contemplation.
Roger B. Manning
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199261499
- eISBN:
- 9780191718625
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199261499.003.0017
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
At the end of the 17th century, it was still possible to become an officer in the English army by serving an apprenticeship in arms, but purchasing a commission became the more usual way of gaining ...
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At the end of the 17th century, it was still possible to become an officer in the English army by serving an apprenticeship in arms, but purchasing a commission became the more usual way of gaining entry into the officer corps. Although William III and Queen Anne disapproved of the purchase system, most members of Parliament approved of it as a means of weeding out soldiers of fortune, of favouring aristocrats from their own ranks, and maintaining political loyalty and stability. In contrast to the strides made towards a system of advancement based upon proficiency and merit in the Royal Navy, the purchase system delayed professionalization in the English/British army. William III preferred officers from the Dutch army for the highest commands in the English army because he did not trust many of James II’s officers who had changed their colours in the middle of battle. Those British and Irish officers whom he did promote were usually veterans of the Dutch army or other mainland European armies. Because he assigned a higher priority to raising larger armies quickly, William did little to promote professionalization in the English army as he had done in Dutch army.Less
At the end of the 17th century, it was still possible to become an officer in the English army by serving an apprenticeship in arms, but purchasing a commission became the more usual way of gaining entry into the officer corps. Although William III and Queen Anne disapproved of the purchase system, most members of Parliament approved of it as a means of weeding out soldiers of fortune, of favouring aristocrats from their own ranks, and maintaining political loyalty and stability. In contrast to the strides made towards a system of advancement based upon proficiency and merit in the Royal Navy, the purchase system delayed professionalization in the English/British army. William III preferred officers from the Dutch army for the highest commands in the English army because he did not trust many of James II’s officers who had changed their colours in the middle of battle. Those British and Irish officers whom he did promote were usually veterans of the Dutch army or other mainland European armies. Because he assigned a higher priority to raising larger armies quickly, William did little to promote professionalization in the English army as he had done in Dutch army.
Andrew Gurr
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198129776
- eISBN:
- 9780191671852
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198129776.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Shakespeare Studies, Drama
This book is the first history of the professional acting companies who brought drama to London in William Shakespeare’s time. The book provides a general history of ...
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This book is the first history of the professional acting companies who brought drama to London in William Shakespeare’s time. The book provides a general history of company development from the 1560s, when the first of the major companies belonging to great lords began regularly to offer their plays at court and in London, to 1642, when by Act of Parliament they were closed down. Only in London were the playing companies able to secure purpose-built premises (such as The Globe or The Fortune), and to foster a thriving theatrical and literary culture. This was in direct contrast to much of the rest of England, which was overtly hostile to professional theatre. In the second part of the book, there are detailed and fascinating accounts of each of the forty companies that played in London during the period, including Shakespeare’s company, The Chamberlain’s/King’s Men. Although professional playing was very much a collective endeavour, remarkable individuals emerge — from impresarios such as Philip Henslowe, Christopher Beeston, Richard Gunnell, and Richard Heton, to stars like Richard Burbage and Edward Alleyn. Thoroughly grounding its discussion in the highly mobile social and political historical context, the book focuses on the plays themselves and the distinctive repertory traditions that led the different companies to stage them. These companies, and the growth of the London theatrical culture, are the factors which helped produce Shakespeare and to put into practice Shakespearian conceptions of drama.Less
This book is the first history of the professional acting companies who brought drama to London in William Shakespeare’s time. The book provides a general history of company development from the 1560s, when the first of the major companies belonging to great lords began regularly to offer their plays at court and in London, to 1642, when by Act of Parliament they were closed down. Only in London were the playing companies able to secure purpose-built premises (such as The Globe or The Fortune), and to foster a thriving theatrical and literary culture. This was in direct contrast to much of the rest of England, which was overtly hostile to professional theatre. In the second part of the book, there are detailed and fascinating accounts of each of the forty companies that played in London during the period, including Shakespeare’s company, The Chamberlain’s/King’s Men. Although professional playing was very much a collective endeavour, remarkable individuals emerge — from impresarios such as Philip Henslowe, Christopher Beeston, Richard Gunnell, and Richard Heton, to stars like Richard Burbage and Edward Alleyn. Thoroughly grounding its discussion in the highly mobile social and political historical context, the book focuses on the plays themselves and the distinctive repertory traditions that led the different companies to stage them. These companies, and the growth of the London theatrical culture, are the factors which helped produce Shakespeare and to put into practice Shakespearian conceptions of drama.
Judith A. Peraino
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199757244
- eISBN:
- 9780199918904
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199757244.003.0006
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter begins with the question: Why did Guillaume de Machaut write so many monophonic virelais? Of the thirty-three virelais, twenty-five are monophonic, while only eight are polyphonic (seven ...
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This chapter begins with the question: Why did Guillaume de Machaut write so many monophonic virelais? Of the thirty-three virelais, twenty-five are monophonic, while only eight are polyphonic (seven for two voices, one for three voices); even not counting these polyphonic virelais, the twenty-five monophonic virelais constitute the second most numerous genre in his musical oeuvre. The chapter examines the expressive meaning of both monophony and the virelai form, which is the only forme fixe to feature a substantial refrain, in the context of the Remede de Fortune, the Voir Dit, and his “collected works” manuscripts; and it considers their possible genealogical ties to Occitan dansas and their relationship to Machaut’s other monophonic—and decidedly archaic—genre, the lai. Furthermore, a series of Machaut’s lais alternate male and female voices, and a few but significant examples of his virelais follow suit. As both nostalgic and new, the monophonic virelai participates in Machaut’s programmatic exploration of the expressive lyric voice that also involves an exploration of the gendered voice.Less
This chapter begins with the question: Why did Guillaume de Machaut write so many monophonic virelais? Of the thirty-three virelais, twenty-five are monophonic, while only eight are polyphonic (seven for two voices, one for three voices); even not counting these polyphonic virelais, the twenty-five monophonic virelais constitute the second most numerous genre in his musical oeuvre. The chapter examines the expressive meaning of both monophony and the virelai form, which is the only forme fixe to feature a substantial refrain, in the context of the Remede de Fortune, the Voir Dit, and his “collected works” manuscripts; and it considers their possible genealogical ties to Occitan dansas and their relationship to Machaut’s other monophonic—and decidedly archaic—genre, the lai. Furthermore, a series of Machaut’s lais alternate male and female voices, and a few but significant examples of his virelais follow suit. As both nostalgic and new, the monophonic virelai participates in Machaut’s programmatic exploration of the expressive lyric voice that also involves an exploration of the gendered voice.
Fiona Robertson
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198112242
- eISBN:
- 9780191670725
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198112242.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 18th-century Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This book is an innovative reading of Walter Scott's Waverley Novels in the context of 18th- and 19th-century Gothic. Most critics have treated these two forms of historical narrative as though they ...
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This book is an innovative reading of Walter Scott's Waverley Novels in the context of 18th- and 19th-century Gothic. Most critics have treated these two forms of historical narrative as though they were completely unrelated, but this detailed study places Scott's work in the context of Gothic fictions from Walpole to Maturin. In so doing, the author highlights their shared techniques of narrative deferral, fantasies of origin and originality, and strategies of authenticity and authority. The book takes in the whole range of Waverley Novels, and includes analyses of such neglected works as The Fortunes of Nigel, Peveril of the Peak, and Woodstock, as well as the more frequently studied Rob Roy, The Heart of Midlothian, and Redgauntlet. Offering fresh insight into the variety and complexity of Scott's novels, and into the traditions of criticism that have so often obscured them, this book contributes to the study of Romanticism, the novel, and to current theoretical debates concerning historical fiction and historiographic authority.Less
This book is an innovative reading of Walter Scott's Waverley Novels in the context of 18th- and 19th-century Gothic. Most critics have treated these two forms of historical narrative as though they were completely unrelated, but this detailed study places Scott's work in the context of Gothic fictions from Walpole to Maturin. In so doing, the author highlights their shared techniques of narrative deferral, fantasies of origin and originality, and strategies of authenticity and authority. The book takes in the whole range of Waverley Novels, and includes analyses of such neglected works as The Fortunes of Nigel, Peveril of the Peak, and Woodstock, as well as the more frequently studied Rob Roy, The Heart of Midlothian, and Redgauntlet. Offering fresh insight into the variety and complexity of Scott's novels, and into the traditions of criticism that have so often obscured them, this book contributes to the study of Romanticism, the novel, and to current theoretical debates concerning historical fiction and historiographic authority.
Mark Philp and Z. A. Pelczynski
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199645060
- eISBN:
- 9780191741616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199645060.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Does Machiavelli operate with a different standard for the public (virtue) than or the private sphere (goodness)? What is his understanding of virtue and immorality? Plamenatz argues that the double ...
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Does Machiavelli operate with a different standard for the public (virtue) than or the private sphere (goodness)? What is his understanding of virtue and immorality? Plamenatz argues that the double standard is widespread. He examines Machiavelli’s ‘magnificent crimes’ and his condoning or excusing of them, and the underlying philosophy, which values lasting fame and reputation. He identifies a number of heroic virtues in Machiavelli, which may be displayed in morally good or morally bad ways.Less
Does Machiavelli operate with a different standard for the public (virtue) than or the private sphere (goodness)? What is his understanding of virtue and immorality? Plamenatz argues that the double standard is widespread. He examines Machiavelli’s ‘magnificent crimes’ and his condoning or excusing of them, and the underlying philosophy, which values lasting fame and reputation. He identifies a number of heroic virtues in Machiavelli, which may be displayed in morally good or morally bad ways.
Jane Blocker
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780816696970
- eISBN:
- 9781452952321
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816696970.003.0005
- Subject:
- Art, Visual Culture
This chapter contemplates artist Matthew Buckingham’s 1996 film Amos Fortune Road, which focuses on the relation between factual and fictional representations of the past by looking at the archival ...
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This chapter contemplates artist Matthew Buckingham’s 1996 film Amos Fortune Road, which focuses on the relation between factual and fictional representations of the past by looking at the archival record of the life of Amos Fortune, an African slave who died in 1801. It argues that Buckingham hollows out Fortune’s 18th century history and fills it with parallel events from the present. He usefully subjects history to doubt, and lines up two historical narratives in the same space.Less
This chapter contemplates artist Matthew Buckingham’s 1996 film Amos Fortune Road, which focuses on the relation between factual and fictional representations of the past by looking at the archival record of the life of Amos Fortune, an African slave who died in 1801. It argues that Buckingham hollows out Fortune’s 18th century history and fills it with parallel events from the present. He usefully subjects history to doubt, and lines up two historical narratives in the same space.
Hersh Shefrin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195161212
- eISBN:
- 9780199832996
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161211.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Financial Economics
The third theme of behavioral finance is inefficient markets. In recent years scholars have produced considerable evidence that heuristic‐driven bias and frame dependence cause markets to be ...
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The third theme of behavioral finance is inefficient markets. In recent years scholars have produced considerable evidence that heuristic‐driven bias and frame dependence cause markets to be inefficient. Scholars use the term “anomalies” to describe specific market inefficiencies. For this reason, Eugene Fama characterizes behavioral finance as “anomalies dredging.” This chapter discusses what behavioral finance implies about picking stocks and beating the market. Market efficiency is a direct challenge to active money managers, because it implies that trying to beat the market is a waste of time. Why? Because no security is mispriced in an efficient market, at least relative to information that is publicly available. Inside information may be another story. The chapter discusses whether the stock recommendations made by brokerage houses have beaten the market, and a series of effects discussed in the literature: the winner–loser effect, momentum, the size effect, the book‐to‐market effect, the effect of a change in analysts' recommendations.Less
The third theme of behavioral finance is inefficient markets. In recent years scholars have produced considerable evidence that heuristic‐driven bias and frame dependence cause markets to be inefficient. Scholars use the term “anomalies” to describe specific market inefficiencies. For this reason, Eugene Fama characterizes behavioral finance as “anomalies dredging.” This chapter discusses what behavioral finance implies about picking stocks and beating the market. Market efficiency is a direct challenge to active money managers, because it implies that trying to beat the market is a waste of time. Why? Because no security is mispriced in an efficient market, at least relative to information that is publicly available. Inside information may be another story. The chapter discusses whether the stock recommendations made by brokerage houses have beaten the market, and a series of effects discussed in the literature: the winner–loser effect, momentum, the size effect, the book‐to‐market effect, the effect of a change in analysts' recommendations.
