Book description
In this philosophy classic, which was first published in 1951, E.R. Dodds takes on the traditional view of Greek culture as a triumph of rationalism. Using the analytical tools of modern anthropology and psychology, Dodds asks, 'Why should we attribute to the ancient Greeks an immunity from 'primitive' modes ofā¦
Why read it?
1 author picked The Greeks and the Irrational as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
A long time ago, back in the mid-1970s, my Greek history professor told me that Doddsā Greeks and the Irrational was one of the most important books on Greek history of the 20th century. He was right. It is a wonderful book, full of amazing facts about magic, ritual, and religion. It has had a huge impact on the field of classical studies and is still in print 70 years after its first publication. Dodds was a distinguished Greek scholar (the Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford) but wrote for a wide audience interested in not only Greek civilizationā¦
From Josiah's list on The best books on why ancient Greece still matters today.
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