Ancient Theory Research Articles

Exploring Some Facets of Rasa Theory

The present paper is an exercise in humility to explore some of the facets of Rasa theory. Rasa as the name suggests means milk, wine or gist of a thing. The ancient theorists regard Rasa as the soul of poetry. Creation has evolved from the heterogeneity of Sattva, Raja and Tama. Pleasure is the most sought after thing starting from an insect to Brahma. This aesthetic pleasure or constant consciousness in Supreme Happiness is technically or poetically designated by the name of Rasa. The earliest treatise in which the Rasa theory finds an expression is the Natyashastra of Bharat who in turn claimed to have seen its first expression in Atharvveda. Rasa according to Bharat is a thought feeling synthesis. Rasa like the recipe of a drink is made up of many bhavas (feelings). As we delve deeper into the paper the explanation of Bharat about the origin of Rasa is given. Finally deities of this Rasas are shown in a tabular form.

Some Ancient Greek and Twentieth-Century Theories of Value

Abstract Plato puts goodness at the center of all practical thinking but offers no definition of it and implies that philosophy must find one. Aristotle demurs, arguing that there is no such thing as universal goodness. What we need, instead, is an understanding of the human good. Plato and Aristotle are alike in the attention they give to the category of the beneficial, and they agree that since some things are beneficial only as means, there must be others that are non-derivatively beneficial. When G. E. Moore proposed in the early twentieth century that goodness is, as Plato had said, the foundation of ethics, he rejected not only the assumption that goodness needs a definition, but also that goodness is beneficial – that is, good for someone. This article traces the development of this debate as it plays out in the writings of Prichard, Ross, Geach, Thomson, and Scanlon.

The Musical Language of Piety: The Semiotics of Visual Media in Shaping the Divine Status of Karnatik Music

Spiritual transcendence is a characteristic factor that defines ideal music according to the ancient theories of Indian classical music. 1 Culturally, this spiritual component of classical music, e...

The antitheatrical discourse in Ukrainian metadrama in the early twentieth century

The article analyzes methods of implementing antitheatrical discourse in Ukrainian dramaturgy. Different types of antitheatricality in literary texts are distinguished on the basis of plays by M. Starytskyi, I. Karpenko-Karyi, A. Krushelnytskyi, V. Vynnychenko, Ya. Mamontiv, V. Cherednychenko, and M. Kulish. The authors define key vectors that the antitheatrical discourse follows: criticism of theater as an institution, criticism of the drama school / method, criticism of theatricality and acting, including in offstage situations. It is arguably reasonable to examine the phenomenon of antitheatrical prejudice in the context of the theory of metadrama as one of its factors. Artistic interpretation of the theater in an ironic or farcical vein, discussions over the repertoire that is no longer relevant, the aesthetic nature of stage technique, and discredit of acting as an occupation all generally encourage dramatic conventionality to double. Most common metadramatic devices used to implement antitheatricality in Ukrainian drama are believed to include a play within a play, adaptation of spectator’s reception for stage, and intertextual references.

¿Hay continuidad entre la semiótica antigua y la contemporánea?

Este texto ilustra la importancia de las contribuciones del profesor Wenceslao Castañares al conocimiento de las ideas semióticas en el pensamiento de la antigüedad. El autor plantea, al hilo de la preocupación de Castañares por rescatar las aportaciones semióticas del mundo antiguo, la continuidad y la diferencia existente entre el pensamiento moderno y el pensamiento antiguo en torno a los signos y su funcionamiento. Discurre sobre la diferencia de acento en las teorías antiguas, marcadas por a una semiótica más ligada a los signos aislados, no verbales, y con ellos por el estudio de las inferencias, y la huella que dicha semiótica, desarrollada por el pensamiento epicúreo, en especial, ha tenido después en autores como Peirce. Uno de los elementos más interesantes es el novedoso desarrollo de la práctica de la inferencia por semejanza en los epicúreos. Con grandes diferencias marcadas por el enfoque más interesado en los signos verbales, estructurados en textos y en sus correspondencias semánticas, en la semiótica contemporánea, es posible trazar sin embargo, una continuidad de los hallazgos antiguos en las teorías y terminologías más relevantes de nuestra época, como es el caso de la semiótica peirceana, respecto al mundo antiguo.

Paradoks o konwencji: «Refleksje krytyczne» Jean-Baptiste’a Dubosa

W 1719 roku Jean-Baptiste Dubos opublikował olbrzymią rozprawę o sztuce Réflexions critiques sur la poésie et sur la peinture, w której zaproponował nowy rodzaj refleksji o tym, co artystyczne. Choć czerpał z teorii starożytników, to na szeroką skalę wprowadził do swojego dzieła nowoczesną, zwiastującą sensualizm perspektywę osobistego odbioru i indywidualnego zachwytu. Polskim teatrologom Dubos znany jest niemal wyłącznie dzięki artykułowi Zbigniewa Raszewskiego Partytura teatralna, przez co sprowadza się jego idee głównie do rozważań o możliwości stworzenia zapisu gry scenicznej. Tymczasem osiemnastowieczny teoretyk fascynował się istnieniem takiej partytury o tyle, o ile widział w niej narzędzie do wskazania aktorowi kierunku poszukiwań, której celem nie była utopijna wierność autorskiemu zamierzeniu, ale szansa na analizę wolności własnej i poszukiwania prawdy sztuki. Artykuł omawia główne strategie narracyjne zastosowane przez Jean-Baptiste’a Dubosa w traktacie, prezentuje główny obszar teatralnych zainteresowań autora i jego wyobrażenie o zastosowaniu maski w teatrze antycznym i w komedii dell’arte. Szkicuje związki koncepcji księdza Dubosa z osiemnastowieczną teorią i praktyką paryskiego teatru.

Truth of assertions in the ancient theory of action (Aristotle and early Stoics)

The subject of this research is the ancient theory of action in its Aristotelian and early-Stoic versions. The author examines the role of the truth of assertions of an actor in these theories, as well as draws parallel with the modern approaches to the philosophy of action. It is demonstrated that Aristotelian theory leans on the prerequisite that aspirations of a person originate in the irrational parts of soul, and thus reason carries out only a regulatory function in managing human actions. Stoic theory, in turn, suggests that reason exercises an initiating function. The research methodology contains historical method of reconstruction with reference to primary sources in the Ancient Greek language. The main conclusion of the conducted research lies in determination of the two paradigmatic traditions in description of the structure of action that is of high degree of rationalization, and as a result, difference in assessment of the meaning of truth of assertions of an actor for his successful activity. The novelty consists in drawing connection between the ancient theories of action and modern approaches in this field of knowledge.

BLOOD FLOW IN ARISTOTLE

Modern readers view ancient theories of blood flow through the lens of circulation. Since the nineteenth century, scholarly work on the ancient understanding of the vascular system has run the gamut from attempting to prove that an ancient author had in fact, to some extent or another, pre-empted Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood or towards attempting, often with some empathetic embarrassment, to explain the failure on the part of an ancient author to notice something that seems so obvious to the modern eye. Thus C.R.S. Harris's 1973 book The Heart and Vascular System in Ancient Greek Medicine, which remains the standard on the topic, opens with a sentence in which he marvels at how the otherwise admirable ancient Greek physicians could have ‘failed entirely to arrive at any conception of the circulation of the blood’. This modern vantage point has had an unfortunate effect. In the case of Aristotle in particular, understanding of his cardiovascular system has been diminished by a tendency to define it in contradistinction to our own modern understanding of circulation. By deliberately uncoupling from the framework of modern physiology, this paper will offer a richer and more accurate picture of his views.

Three Blind Vices?

Abstract Frequently Samson’s blindness is linked with newfound spiritual insight, with physical humiliation, and occasionally with instrumental talion. Few question the role of blindness in the text through other lenses or with knowledge of ancient theories of vision. Balancing this, I investigate Samson’s sight and blindness in the context of Judges 13-16, asking what his sensation and sensory impairment signified in the broader context of the Hebrew Bible (HB) and wider Ancient Near East (ANE).

The Abdominal Sides as Containers: Some Indo-Aryan and Iranian Denominations

On the meaning of Ved. (dual) kukṣí, a denomination for pair body parts frequently equated to bodies of water in Vedic texts, different assumptions have been made by scholars. In particular, Stephanie Jamison suggested interpreting it as “the two cheeks”, Henk Bodewitz as “the two sides of the body”. The present paper supports Bodewitz’ claim that Ved. kukṣí- was used to refer to any of the sides of the abdomen. In fact, abdominal sides may be categorised as containers of liquids. This is also proved by the denominations for the abdominal side (as distinct from the thoracic side) recorded in some Iranian languages, which may be considered as part of the legacy of the ancient theory of humours and the microcosm-macrocosm theory.

Linguistics and Classical Theories of Rhetoric: Connections and Continuity

The Connections between ancient approaches to rhetoric, as found in Plato and Aristotle, the prime ancient theorists of rhetoric, and modern linguistic approaches to register and genre theory, as in Hallidayan linguistics, show continuity of thought across the centuries. They also suggest that there may be such things as universal rhetorical principles as evidenced in various schemata. However, ethical considerations comprised an essential part of the ancient view of rhetoric. A major feature of the modern age is the opportunity to employ techniques of persuasion by means of new technological channels such as social media and blogs. As the use of these techniques have ethical consequences, so ethical considerations are becoming more prominent and perhaps should be incorporated into linguistic models of register.

SERMON AS A RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATION (EMOTIONAL TOOLS OF PERSUASION IN THE SERMONS BY ANTONIJ RADYVYLOVS’KYI)

Territorially and mentally, Ukraine is the borderland of different civilizations. Ukraine’s geographical location and historical conditions have drastically affected the course of social, political and cultural developments. It appears that the Baroque era became an important bridge in the convergence of Western and Eastern Europe. The rhetoric and homiletic genre held an important place in the art system of the old Ukrainian literature, and even more so in the Ukrainian Baroque literature in the time of radical national upheavals and inter-confessional wars. Since the early 1600’s the Ukrainian sermon acquired some new features, which was due mostly to the socio-historical changes. A major role in the development of church oratory prose was played by the instructors of the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium, whose rhetoric textbooks relied on both the ancient theory of rhetoric art and the Baroque works of the literati from Central and Western Europe. The "new" type of a sermon, i.e., a topical kazannia (sermon), evolved as a part of the anti-Catholic cultural and religious movement, which was a reflection of the socio-political situation. Whereas in the 1500’s and early 1600’s theUkrainian sermon constituted an exegesis of the Biblical text (expository sermons) designed in a moral and instructive spirit, the late 1600’s saw the arrival of the sermon whose main feature became the departure from the homily principle. Instead, the Gospel passages were interpreted in compliance with the principles of a rhetorical speech, or, to be more exact, of a topical kazannia. Antonij Radyvylovs’kyj was a Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium alumnus, so his sermons were built on the premises of Rhetoric art.

The Lever, or How to Act at a Distance: A Backdrop to Theophrastus’ De sensibus

Abstract It is well known that when it comes to perception in the De anima, Aristotle uses affection-related vocabulary with extreme caution. This has given rise to a debate between interpreters who hold that in Aristotle’s account, the act of sense-perception nevertheless involves the physiological alteration of the sense organ (Richard Sorabji), and those think, with Myles Burnyeat, that for Aristotle, perception does not involve any material process, so that an Aristotelian physics of sense-perception is a “physics of forms alone”. The present article suggests that the dematerialisation of Aristotle’s theory of perception, which has a long story from Alexander of Aphrodisias to Brentano, may be in fact traced back to Theophrastus’ exegesis of Aristotle’s relevant passages in the De anima in his Physics, as we can reconstruct it on the basis of Priscian’s Metaphrasis in Theophrastum and Simplicius’ commentary of Aristotle’s De Anima. The reconstruction also provides a scholastic-theoretical frame to Theophrastus’ critical exposition of ancient theories about sense perception in his De sensibus, whether or not the discussion originally belonged to Theophrastus’ Physics.

Discussion on ancient theory of acupuncture for post-stroke aphasia from "kidney"

The relevant articles in the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor and different physicians' clinical experience regarding acupuncture for post-stroke aphasia were summarized. The etiology, pathogenesis and acupuncture treatment principles for post-stroke aphasia were explored from the perspectives of "treatment based on kidney" "kidney-qi internal exhaustion" of syndrome differentiation of zang-fu and "kidney meridian as core with equal importance to multiple meridians" of syndrome differentiation of meridians, which is aimed to provide reference for clinical treatment.

Punctuating Paul’s Letters in Light of the Ancient Theory of Côla and Periods

Abstract This article argues that the micro-structure of Paul’s letters is intrinsically linked to an aural logic. Taking 2 Corinthians 10:8-11 as an example and using the notions of côlon and period as described in the rhetoric and stylistic treatises of the Graeco-Roman world, I will show both the methods and the extent to which it is possible to reconstitute its original “punctuation” – i.e., the different breaks that punctuated this passage when it was read aloud. This will allow me to shed new light on the structure of the passage and, especially, on the debated question of the place of verse 9, namely the extent to which it is linked with either verse 8 or verses 10-11, or is rather independent. More generally, this article is an invitation to develop colometric analysis as an additional tool in debates concerning micro-structure and punctuation of NT texts.

'falling awake': Peter Manson's Catachresis Peter Manson's Catachresis

One of the key tropes of Peter Manson’s work is the deliberately misleading, decontextualised, and downright erroneous use of words, which this article seeks to categorise under the rhetorical trope of catachresis or abusio, misuse. The traditional rhetorical distinction holds that catachresis is only used when there is no adequate term for what one wishes to describe, and that if the term does exist, it is metaphor. However, the Roman rhetorician Quintilian admits (reluctantly and without offering up examples) that ‘poets are accustomed’ to breaking this rule and using catachresis for other reasons, as it seems they have always done. A productively catachresis-centred poetics like that practiced by many avant-garde poets leading up to Manson sees the misuse of words not as a kind of ‘irresponsibility’ with regard to meaning, but as a responsibility to make fresh use of the language. Catachreses in Manson range from as simple a formulation as ‘falling awake’ (clear ‘mis’-application of a term in a way which cannot properly be described as metaphorical) to a more fundamental reconfiguration of a text’s grammar. This article aims first to identify and categorise catachresis in Manson’s recent work along the boundary lines drawn by ancient and contemporary rhetoricians and theorists, and then to explain how that informs our reading of these poems. The reading takes as a starting point the productive wrongnesses that come out of the neo-Oulipian texts of Factitious Airs (2016), then moves to consider catachresis as one possible reference for the idea of ‘frank rupture’ (a deliberate breaking with the conventional meanings of words) in the longer texts of Poems of Frank Rupture (2014). Taking Gertrude Stein's poetics as a point of comparison, the article considers the notion of catachrestic grammar, and how this can develop over a longer text, as well as catachresis as traditionally considered at the level of the individual word. Ultimately it hopes to provide a new critical tool for thinking about those manoeuvres in Manson’s work which cannot be described in the conventional vocabulary of poetic imagery.

Tragedy According to Jacobus Pontanus and the Tradition of Antiquity

The aim of this study is to present the findings of a comparative analysis that covers—on the one hand—the theory of tragedy presented in Poeticarum institutionum libri III by Jakob Pontanus (Spanmuller), the classical and Renaissance poetics and commentaries on which he based his work, as well as the ancient tragedies that belonged to the literary canon in Jesuit colleges, and—on the other hand—Pontanus’s theoretical approach mentioned above and his tragedy Elezarus Machabaeus. The works of Pontanus have previously been discussed by Joseph Bielmann. However, Bielmann did not present them against the background of the Greek and Roman tragedies or the statements of the ancient theorists on drama, the Renaissance theoretical reflection on tragedies, or the playwriting practice resulting from this reflection. Consequently, his characterisation of the Elezarus Machabaeus is untenable, and his comments on Pontanus’s theory of drama need reviewing. Determining whether Pontanus respected the rules of ancient tragedy or whether he openly violated them is important because he was one of the most outstanding Jesuit humanists and a person of authority in his community. If we take into account the fact that Elezarus Machabaeus was the first tragedy printed by the Jesuits, the Poeticarum institutionum libri tres was one of the first printed Jesuit textbooks of this kind, and Pontanus himself was also the author of other books recommended for reading in Jesuit colleges and participated in the work of the committee for the evaluation and approval of the Jesuit school act, his views on the imitation of ancient models should be considered influential at least to a moderate degree and at least in some literary circles of his time. This matter is addressed in the introductory part of this paper. It also contains a short presentation of Pontanus’s textbook against the background of other Jesuit poetics, as well as of his main sources in the field of drama theory. Subsequently, the author presents Pontanus’s concept of drama and then discusses his piece taking into account the context of ancient and contemporary drama theory and practice of writing. In the light of this comparative reading, Eleazarus Machabaeus seems to be generally based on ancient models despite certain peculiarities, such as the composition and absence of choruses, which may be surprising at first. Both Pontanus’s tragedy and his theoretical approach should be regarded as classical in nature.

Gregory of Nyssa’s “Bundle Theory of Matter”

Most ancient theorists of matter accept that matter is a formless substrate, which in itself lacks any qualification, but which undergoes the imposition of form as part of creation. Its existence is accepted to explain the continuity of generation and decay of the material world. Gregory of Nyssa’s theory of matter presents an exception to this widely shared view of matter. To his mind, a formless substrate cannot exist, as there is no such thing as a sheer absence of form. Any conceivable material existent (even sheer bulk) will have to be a qualified one, whereby the qualities (as universal intelligibles) are responsible for the existent’s being thinkable or perceivable. A material thing is, thus, always a “bundle” of qualities, which account for its individuality. The main point of this article is that the “bundle theory” of matter must be carefully distinguished from a “bundle theory” of the individual. The latter was not uncommon in late antiquity, but its application to matter seems to be peculiar to Gregory. The distinction between the two also allows one to avoid an apparent contradiction that lies in Gregory’s reference to matter as a “substrate” (ὑποκείμενον).

Race in John's Gospel: Toward an Ethnos-Conscious Approach by Andrew Benko

Reviewed by: Race in John's Gospel: Toward an Ethnos-Conscious Approach by Andrew Benko Shawn Kelley Jr. andrew benko, Race in John's Gospel: Toward an Ethnos-Conscious Approach (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2019). Pp. xvi + 263. $95. This exhaustively researched book employs an "ethnos-conscious approach" to argue that the Gospel of John replaces then current racial categories with cosmological-racial ones. The opening theoretical chapter explains Benko's approach and develops a model for [End Page 700] textual interpretation attentive to ancient racial markers. This is followed by two sections: a lengthy analysis of historical-geographical categories employed but ultimately rejected in the Gospel (part 1) and a briefer analysis of Johannine cosmological-racial thinking (part 2). In the first chapter, B. begins by defending his use of race as an analytical category for ancient texts. He is attentive to the difference between ancient and modern categorizations of race but argues for a historically grounded approach. The bulk of the chapter consists of a rigorous analysis of the categories that support ancient racial thinking. This includes a discussion of terminology (ethnos, genos, laos), with attention paid to the difficulty of translating Ioudaios (i.e., Jew? Judean?). B. nimbly works his way through various scholarly debates on race in antiquity (Jonathan Hall, David Konstan, Denise Kimber Buell, Caroline Johnson Hodge, Dennis Duling, and Markus Cromhout). B. includes a discussion of five ancient theories of race before offering his own model of ancient ethnicity-race. This model is attentive to relevant categories like claims of common ancestry, common home-land, and distinctive culture. This dense but readable chapter provides a theoretically sophisticated and historically grounded model for identifying the way race functions in John's Gospel and could be broadly applied to other early Christian writings. The theoretical model is first applied to three races that appear in John's Gospel: the Galileans (chap. 2), the Samaritans (chap. 3) and the Judeans (chap. 4). Each chapter explores, sometimes in more detail than is necessary, the historical-political situation facing each race as well as how each race defines itself and is defined by others. B. argues that the Galileans were Judeans who were distinctive enough to be their own ethnos (p. 70), that the Samaritans shared a history with the Judeans that included both common religious ideas and ancestry as well as often painful periods of conflicts (p. 99), and that the Judeans claimed a distinctive identity forged in the Roman world (p. 124). Each chapter also explores how these racial identities function within the Johannine textual world. B. argues that Galilee is identified as the homeland of Jesus and as a place of refuge while "Galilean" is employed as an ethnic slur. He argues that John's Gospel is comparatively positive in its valuation of Samaria, presenting it as a ripe missionary field and showing that Jesus rejects anti-Samaritan slurs. Finally, he argues that Jesus rejects the Judean claims of ethnic superiority. His central claim is that John thoroughly employs these ancient racial categories to reject them. It may be tempting to suggest that John's Gospel rejects the particulars of racial thinking for a universal Christian humanism, but B. astutely takes the argument in a different direction. Instead he argues that John replaces historical-geographical racial categories with a cosmological form of racial thinking (part 2). He argues that John uses racial categories (i.e., birth, descent, homeland, distinctive character) but translates them into a new framework. He does so by exploring Johannine claims about children of God/the devil and by analyzing two recurring metaphors (the sheepfold and the vine). John's Jesus claims that his followers share a common ancestor (God rather than Abraham), a common homeland (heaven rather than this world) and a common moral, spiritual character. John's claims go beyond Pauline claims of spiritual kinship: "It is an affirmation of consubstantial unity, of shared essence, derived from their membership in the same people" (p. 183). John identifies early Christians in cosmological-racial terms that show who is to be included and who is to be condemned as children of the devil. The vine and shepherd imagery, reimagined by the...

A Comparative Reading of the Shuihudi Qin Daybook “Stars” Text and Ancient Theories on Astrological Divination

Many scholars have already studied the daybook (rishu 日書) text titled “Stars” (Xing 星), which was included among the excavated Qin manuscripts at Shuihudi 睡虎地. The Corpus of Qin Documents Written On Bamboo and Wood (Qin jiandu heji 秦簡牘合集) can be seen as a consequential culmination of these studies. Based on a collative approach, this article offers a comparative reading by citing ancient theories on astrological divination in order to clarify the provenance of passages found within the “Stars” text. Through such a comparative study, it is possible to provide an enhanced explanation of certain passages, somewhat different from the understandings of other scholars.