Aristotle on the Concept of Shared Life

Sara Brill

Classics in Theory Series

Offers the first comprehensive study of the concept of shared life as an essential aspect of Aristotle's ethical and political theory
Advances a critical interdisciplinary approach to the questions of life, the animal, and political animality in Aristotle's work, highlighting the reciprocity between his zoological and political theorizing
Opens up a new avenue of exploration between ancient and contemporary conceptions of power, politics, and the affective bonds that shape human political community
Reveals the relevance of Aristotle's thought to a variety of strands of contemporary critical theory, including critical animal studies, feminist theory, and critical life studies

Aristotle on the Concept of Shared Life

Sara Brill

Description

According to the terms of Aristotle's Politics, to be alive is to instantiate a form of rule. In the growth of plants, the perceptual capacities and movement of animals, and the impulse that motivates thinking, speaking, and deliberating Aristotle sees the working of a powerful generative force come to expression in an array of forms of life, and it is in these, if anywhere, that one could find the resources needed for a philosophic account of the nature of life as such. Aristotle on the Concept of Shared Life explores this intertwining of power and life in Aristotle's thought, and argues that Aristotle locates the foundation of human political life in the capacity to share one's most vital activities with others. A comprehensive study of the relationality which shared life reveals tells us something essential about Aristotle's approach to human political phenomena; namely, that they arise as forms of intimacy whose political character can only be seen when viewed in the context of Aristotle's larger inquiries into animal life, where they emerge not as categorically distinct from animal sociality, but as intensifications of it. Tracing the human capacity to share life thus illuminates the interrelation between the zoological, ethical, and political lenses through which Aristotle pursues his investigation of the polis. In following this connection, this volume also examines — and critically evaluates — the reception of Aristotle's political thought in some of the most influential concepts of contemporary critical theory.

Aristotle on the Concept of Shared Life

Sara Brill

Classics in Theory Series

Introduction
Part I. Shared Life in Aristotle's Ethics and Politics
Introduction to Part I
1. Friendship and Other Selves in Aristotle's Ethics
2. Shared Life and Politics
Part II. The Lives of Animals
Introduction to Part II
3. Land-Dwellers and Water-Dwellers
4. Polis-Dwellers
Part III. Zōē-Politics
Introduction to Part III
5. The Commodification of Life
6. Natal Longing and the Maternal Bond
7. Coda: Unlivable Life

Aristotle on the Concept of Shared Life

Sara Brill

Classics in Theory Series

Author Information

Sara Brill, Professor of Philosophy, Fairfield University

Sara Brill is Professor of Philosophy at Fairfield University, where she has also served as Chair of the Classical Studies Program. She works on the psychology, politics, and ethics of Plato and Aristotle, as well as broader questions of embodiment, life, and power as points of intersection between ancient Greek philosophy and literature and contemporary critical theory. She is the author of Plato on the Limits of Human Life (Indiana University Press, 2013) and the co-editor of Antiquities Beyond Humanism (with Emanuela Bianchi and Brooke Holmes; OUP, 2019), and has also published numerous articles on Plato, Aristotle, Greek tragedy, and the Hippocratic corpus.

Aristotle on the Concept of Shared Life

Sara Brill

Classics in Theory Series

Reviews and Awards

"I suspect that those engaged in the Continental tradition will find this work highly engaging and thought-provoking. Criticaltheorists should likewise benefit from Brill's excavation of Aristotle's concept of zoē and its delineation from his notion of bios." -- William B. Cochran, Harvard University, Polis

"In the final analysis, this is an important and engaging book, which moves on the field of Aristotelian bio-politics significantly. Amongst its many strengths are how beautifully it is written, its powerful command of numerous less explored Aristotelian texts, and its sensitive realignment of Aristotelian political philosophy." -- Sophia Connell, The Philosophical Quarterly

"a book for graduate students and specialists in philosophy and classics. Brill engages with the secondary literature primarily by identifying where to look for supporting, competing, or supplementary views." -- Daniel P. Maher, Bryn Mawr Classical Review