Choice #3- Catherine Buttner

 "Introduction to The Human Condition" by Margaret Canovan

“For (in what is surely the most unexpected feature of the book) she finds in ancient Greece and Archimedean point from which to cast a critical eye on ways of thinking and behaving that we take for granted.  Indeed, her calm assumption that we may be able to learn important lessons from the experience of people who lived two and a half millennia ago itself challenges the modern belief in progress.” (Canovan vii-viii)

In this quote, Margaret Canovan is illustrating an important point within Hannah Arendt’s book.  Her point is that people take for granted the intellectual accomplishments of people who lived thousands of years ago, such as the ancient Greeks.  What some people do not realize is that we, as intellectual beings, would not be where we are today if it were not for the work of brilliant thinkers like Socrates and Plato.  Just because their technology and social norms were more primitive than what we are accustomed to, does not mean that their logic is not still relevant today.  The Socratic method and the Socratic oath are still very much utilized in schools and medical practices.  Similarly, the Bible was written about 3,500 years ago and many people still consider its stories to be applicable to our modern world.  In short, Canovan’s quote seeks to reinforce the legitimacy of the lessons that can be learned from ancient historical figures.