Department of Philosophy and Classics

Permanent URI for this collection

http://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/4887

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 21

Accountability in Governance A Comparative Study of Athenian And Ghanaian Institutions of Accountab
(2011-07) Gyamfi, K.; Adenkannbi, G.O.; Ackah, E.K.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Arts, Department of Philosophy and Classics
The ability of citizens to scrutinise officials is a long-standing power, and central to the strength of democracy. Consequently, it is of critical importance to the well being of any society, and the individuals who are a part of it, that their government, and the people who manage it, are held highly accountable for their actions or, in some cases, their failure to act, since this helps to minimise human deprivation and corruption. For ancient Athenians, making officials accountable through strengthened institutions of public accountability — such as the Heliaia (the populr tribunal or the supreme court of the land), the dokimasia(an investigative body constituted either by the boule or in the heliaia, to test whether a man was formally qualified to hold an office), the euthyna (the body that examined the accounts of every public official),the boule (the popular council or the council of citizens appointed to run daily affairs of the city) and the ecclesia (the principal assembly of the Athenian democracy) — was the key to lent. This thesis concentrates on the systems and procedures two institution^ ^^accountability in the oldest established democratic government in the world (A th en s),% ^d o y flia1a§;and the euthyna, and attempts to establish a correlation between the two institutions of accountability aforementioned with two institutions of accountability for public officials (the appointments committee of parliament and the audit service) in one of the first country to achieve independence in sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana). The euthyna was the companion of the dokimasia. Dokimasia and euthyna were ways of ensuring the proper public behaviour of politicians. The dokimasia was an obligatory procedure by which a jury checked that those voted in or drawn by lot for a particular official position were entitled to hold it. The euthyna occurred at the end of the official s tenure, and was compulsory for all citizens elected or allotted to perform public duties, bar jury members. The procedure of euthyna came in two parts. First, there was a financial audit to ensure that the official had not embezzled money (klope), or accepted bribes (dora). Second, the official faced investigation in the open agora, at which any citizen who wished (ho boulomenos) might bring forward accusations of neglect of duty or improper use of power. An in-depth study of the appointments committee of parliament and the audit service of the present Ghanaian democratic dispensation reveals that these state institutions of accountability share some similarities and dissimilarities lessons can be derived from the Athenian experience for advancing the emerging
An Analysis of Rawls’ Reflective Equilibrium as a Method of Justification in Ethics
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Quansah, P.K.
It is undeniable that people have beliefs about what actions are morally right. These beliefs play an important role in guiding moral action. Can beliefs about what actions are morally right be justified? How can they be justified? Sinnott-Armstrong has advanced an epistemic regress ar-gument against the justification of moral beliefs with the consequence that moral beliefs cannot be justified. This research looks at the subject of the justification of moral beliefs with the view of answering the question about how moral beliefs can be justified in response to Sinnott-Armstrong‘s epis-temic regress argument. It argues for the plausibility of Rawls‘ reflective equilibrium as an ade-quate method of justification of moral beliefs while showing the inadequacies of the intuitionist method and naturalistic epistemology as alternative methods of justification of moral beliefs. The arguments and ideas of philosophers such as W. D Ross, Richard Boyd, John Rawls, Robert Audi and others who have reflected on the subject of the justification of moral beliefs will be ex-tensively and critically examined.
An Appraisal of Laurence Bonjour’s Internalist Foundationalism as a Theory of Epistemic Justification
(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Arthur, S.D.; Lauer, H.; Ackah, K.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Arts, Department of Philosophy and Classics
This thesis focuses on the issue of how we, human beings, can show that our beliefs about our physical environment are justified. This is called the concept of epistemic justification. What is central to the concept of epistemic justification is the epistemic regress problem (regress problem). In relation to the regress problem, I will examine Laurence BonJour‟s thesis that basic beliefs which are „immediately‟ obtained from our sensory contacts with physical objects adequately prove other beliefs of ours as instances of justified beliefs. With this account, he claims that he has resolved the regress problem. Moreover, BonJour denies as inadequate D. M. Armstrong‟s and C. I. Lewis‟ various proposed solutions to the regress problem. My view is that BonJour‟s criticisms against the above mentioned philosophers are generally tenable. Nonetheless, I will argue that BonJour‟s own account fails to be adequate in resolving the regress problem. Hence, the analysis made in this study will show that his notion of basic beliefs cannot serve as adequate basis for justification.
Caesar’s Crossing Of The Rubicon: Ambition Or A Call For A Change In Governance?
(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Adiku, S.D.
Most of the literature on the affairs of Caesar that survived was either written by people who stayed under the patronage of the Roman nobles or were themselves Roman aristocrats such as Appian, Livy, Plutarch, Sallust, and Cicero. For these reasons the main motive of Caesar‟s crossing of the Rubicon was seen to be the inordinate ambition of a Roman general who wanted more for himself. This propaganda has gotten hold of scholars of classical history so much that even notable historians and commentators such as Plutarch, William Smith, Tom Holland, Henry Boren, H. H. Scullard, Adrian Goldsmith, Christian Meier, and Phil Grabsky, have bought into this Optimates idea of deception that the main motives of Caesar‟s crossing of the Rubicon were ambition (excessive) and the fear of prosecution. In our estimation this is not borne out by the facts. Some of the questions answered by the thesis in the attempt to clarify these points were: What accounted for the apparent enmity borne by the senatorial nobility to Plebeians? Why were most of the vociferous champions of the Plebeians tagged as would-be tyrants and assassinated? The research is mainly literature-based, using a qualitative research method. The study made use of historical analysis of the happenings in Rome after the fall of Carthage till Caesar crossed the Rubicon. It also made use of comparative analysis in looking at the affairs of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Cicero, and Caesar. Additionally, this study clearly outlined the affairs in Rome just after the fall of Carthage to the crossing of the Rubicon so as to make it quite obvious that as a Roman, Caesar had ambition to attain greater feats in oratory, warfare and politics but he was not driven by inordinate ambition in crossing the Rubicon as he was accused of. Consequently, Caesar‟s crossing of the Rubicon was not an act of ambition or the fear of prosecution but that he was the champion of the Plebeians who responded to their cry for help on the one hand just as the Gracchi brothers and on the other hand, the call of the Republic for a change in governance due to the failure of the existing system of governance under the watch of the Patricians. Finally, this research critically linked the happenings in some African countries to that of ancient Rome. This was aimed at making it clear that any attempt by the select few to maintain the same system of governance without innovations to improve it by introducing socialist interventions to assist the masses and making it possible for other emerging political parties to win power; form government, or contribute to the governance in the their respective countries coupled with the existing socio-economic and political inequalities would not have a happy ending.
Compassionate Love In Homer’s Iliad
(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Amoo, R.O
Human beings in all societies depend and interact with one another because they are social beings. In war times, there is chaos and destruction which create trauma. The underlying themes of the Iliad such as wrath, strife, and destruction are established through war and violence. They become the backdrop through which other themes such as honour and pride, justice, loyalty, and sense of responsibility are displayed. These themes in Homer‘s Iliad have been examined by scholars; however, little seems to have been written on the theme of love. In the Iliad, there is an intense level of pain and suffering that exists within humans as a result of the violence of war. The violence of war causes the physical manifestation of emotional hurt. However, one of the most far-reaching and important themes of the Iliad is love between human beings and between the gods, a phenomenon that runs as a counter-part below the surface of the darker themes of violence and destruction which are more obvious. Apparently, many scholars like E.R Dodds, J. T Hooker, M. Finkleberg and P.A.L Greenhalgh, have argued that the characters in the Iliad were motivated to act due to the sense of duty, shame, sheer pride, honour and loyalty. These scholars have overlooked the fact that compassionate love can motivate a character to act even in turbulent times. This thesis argues that there are varied expressions of compassionate love even in times of crisis. The study investigates how some characters in the Iliad are motivated to act out of compassionate love. The research is mainly literature-based using a qualitative research method.
The Concept of Consciousness in Akan Philosophical Thought
(University of Ghana, 2011-05) Buckman, E.Y.
I have made the attempt, in this thesis, to understand the concept of consciousness in Akan metaphysics. The analysis of the concept of consciousness has taken centre stage in most philosophical discussions in ancient and in modem times, but philosophers have failed to agree on the subject due to their own different views on the subject. This is particularly the case in Akan metaphysics where few literary materials exist on the subject. It is my aim in this thesis to explore the possibility of understanding consciousness as an amene (brain) process or as an activity of the okra (soul) in Akan metaphysics. With the understanding that a person in Akan conception is composed of not only the honam (body),of which the amene is part, and okra but also the sunsum. we shall attempt to also understand consciousness as an activity or a function of the sunsum, a component that is not part of what a person is in other conceptions of a person, for instance, in the West. In addition to the examination of consciousness and ascertaining whether consciousness is a physical or a non-physical or quasi-physical activity in Akan metaphysics, other pertinent notions related to the analysis of consciousness, the metaphysical significance of Akan terms for consciousness and a person (a subject of which consciousness is a feature) ,will also be discussed. The thesis will also discuss a possible relation between consciousness and personal identity in the context of the Akan belief in life after death. The relevance of this discussion is to inquire if consciousness has any definitive role to play in the determination of a person's identity in Akan metaphysics.
The Divine Motivation: An Examination of Socratic Ethics
(University Of Ghana, 2017-07) Nutsugah, A. L.
There are several drives, both internal and external, which influence people to act. Reason, fear, love, hate, money, and pleasure are a few of such driving forces. More often than not people are driven by the motivating forces which are not based on sound ethical reasoning. They end up disappointed or causing harm either to themselves or to others, depending on the consequences of their action. This study examines the motivations of Socrates’ ethical behavior, concentrating on the role of reason, and the daimonion, which is traditionally taken to be a divine or an extra-rational force. The main thrust of my argument implies that throughout human history, certainly from the time of Socrates in fifth century BC Athens to contemporary times, reason and extra-rational forces (whether this latter is seen as intuition, gut feeling, revelation or other) have been claimed by people as the motivating sources of their ethical behavior. The key issues here are whether Socrates’ daimonion is an external divine power and whether its role is complementary or superior or inferior to reason. The traditional interpretation in Socratic scholarship is that Socratic ethical behavior was centrally motivated by reason or rationality. This is the position I shall critique. A substantive portion of this work is dedicated to the examination of the function of the Socratic daimonion and rationality. I hope to have shown that the influences of the daimonion override rationality. To provide a persuasive account of what it means to act morally rightly on the basis of divine or extra-rational motivation, I have used multiple qualitative research approaches, ranging from semantic clarifications of concepts, to historical and textual analyses of texts on the daimonion and rationality in Plato and Xenophon.
Geography And Human Development: A Study Of Ancient Athens
(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Ocansey, D.
Two main, often conflicting, approaches or theories have been provided to understand or explain human-geography relationships, namely, geographic determinism and geographic possibilism. Scholars who hold geographic deterministic views argue that geographic conditions, to a larger extent, determine human culture and development. On the other hand, the possibilists argue that humans have the capacity to arise above the dictates of the geographical environment to modify and adapt to geographic conditions for their development. Contextually, the Balkan peninsular, since classical antiquity, has been considered by scholars as a major determinant of Greek, admirable human achievements and development. Thus, scholarship on the relationships between geography and human development in ancient Greece is mostly done in geographic determinism, leaving less to be said about possibilism. In this thesis, I attempt to offer a substantive account of a possibilist understanding of the relationship between geography and human development in ancient Greece in general and ancient Athens in particular. Incidentally, while pointing out the strength and limitations of each theoretical framework, the result of the study advocates for a merger of both determinism and possibilism in teasing out the relationships or correlations that exist between human development, geographic environment and civilisation, in the context of Greek society and Athens in particular.
Ifeanyi Menkiti’s Notion of Personhood and the Problem of Human Rights
(University of Ghana, 2020-07) Erzuah, E.
Motivated by the problem of human rights, this thesis engages in a critique of Ifeanyi Menkiti’s notion of personhood. According to Menkiti (1984), his conception of personhood is characteristic of a society that gives priority to individuals’ communal duties and recognises individual rights as secondary. This led Kwame Gyekye (1992 & 1997) to criticise Menkiti’s conception of personhood that in his (Gyekye) estimation fails to take individual rights seriously. Gyekye in turn was criticised that he fails to understand Menkiti’s conception of personhood and that, a charitable interpretation of Menkiti’s notion of personhood reveals that Menkiti does not threaten individual rights (Wiredu; see Eze & Metz, 2015, Molefe, 2016 & 2017 and Ikuenobe, 2018). In the light of the fact that Menkiti’s conception of personhood recognises individuals such as criminals and social deviants in the lived-world as non-persons; and these individuals appear not to be treated well in as much as their rights and dignity claims as human beings are not taken seriously, this thesis, in examining the debate on personhood between Menkiti and Gyekye aims to find an answer to the question of how human rights and dignity were safeguarded within Menkiti's conception of personhood. How is it ensured in Menkiti’s conception of personhood that an individual human such as a criminal ends up not being treated in an undignified manner by members of a community? The thesis findings reveal that, Menkiti’s conception of personhood appears to consider that the actions of individuals are what go into securing human rights and dignity. And that whilst individuals ought not to lose their basic moral worth as beings with dignity when they fail to act in a morally appropriate manner, they owe it to themselves as moral agents to live morally good lives so that the consequences of their actions do not ruin their rights and dignity status.
Individual Autonomy And The Public Interest: Some Theoretical Considerations
(University of Ghana, 2011) Morgan, S.N.
This thesis starts off by showing or giving some evidence to support claims that traditional Akan societies, as well as many other traditional African societies, by some of their traditional beliefs and practices, suppress individual autonomy. That is to say, the continual observance of some beliefs and practices of traditional Akan societies makes the attainment of individual autonomy a problem. The observance of these beliefs and practices leads to the suppression of individual autonomy which in turn leads to frequent tensions between those who want to maintain the continuous practice of these traditional norms and beliefs and some individuals' attempt to be free. The thesis therefore seeks to show the importance of individual autonomy to every human being, both in traditional societies and even in modem states. The thesis also challenges some interpretations of the term 'public interest' as justifications given for the suppression of individual autonomy. To show that individual autonomy is not entirely antithetical or foreign to some of the beliefs and practices of traditional societies, as it is frequently argued, the thesis concludes by proposing a theory of a traditional Akan society that accommodates individual autonomy while still maintaining some of the principles that underlie the continual practice of some of their cherished and inherited cultural beliefs.
Is Non-Reductive Physicalism a Plausible Theory of Consciousness?
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Barimah, G.K.
According to the non-reductive physicalist, mental properties are not identical to physical properties. In order to distinguish non-reductive physicalism from epiphenomenalism, the non-reductive physicalist considers mental properties as not just a by-product of physical processes but posits that mental properties can cause physical events thereby violating the principle of the causal closure of the physical domain. The problem which this thesis seeks to investigate, therefore, is that, if physicalism suggests that the only reality is the physical kind and that all other things including the mental depend on the physical domain then is the position of the non-reductive physicalist with respect to the independence of mental properties and their causal powers consistent with physicalism? I posit in this thesis that non-reductive physicalism is a plausible theory of consciousness by clarifying concepts such as monism, physical, physicalism and materialism. I also assert the plausibility of non-reductive physicalism by showing that non-reductive physicalism upholds the principle of the causal closure of the physical against Kim’s (1993) criticism that it does not.
Is Non-Reductive Physicalism a Plausible Theory of Consciousness?
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Barimah, G.K.
According to the non-reductive physicalist, mental properties are not identical to physical properties. In order to distinguish non-reductive physicalism from epiphenomenalism, the non-reductive physicalist considers mental properties as not just a by-product of physical processes but posits that mental properties can cause physical events thereby violating the principle of the causal closure of the physical domain. The problem which this thesis seeks to investigate, therefore, is that, if physicalism suggests that the only reality is the physical kind and that all other things including the mental depend on the physical domain then is the position of the non-reductive physicalist with respect to the independence of mental properties and their causal powers consistent with physicalism? I posit in this thesis that non-reductive physicalism is a plausible theory of consciousness by clarifying concepts such as monism, physical, physicalism and materialism. I also assert the plausibility of non-reductive physicalism by showing that non-reductive physicalism upholds the principle of the causal closure of the physical against Kim’s (1993) criticism that it does not.
Is Rorty a Jamesian? A Comparative Analysis of William James and Richard Rorty on the Pragmatists‟ Conception of Truth
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Rahim, M.T.A.
This thesis is a comparative analysis of William James and Richard Rorty on the pragmatists‟ conception of truth. In this thesis, I argue that Rorty‟s notion of truth is similar to James‟s pragmatic notion of truth, contrary to the claims that it is not. Also, I argue that Rorty remains a Jamesian in respect of James‟s pragmatic notion of truth. Rorty agrees with James‟s position that truth is the expedient in the way of our thinking. However, Rorty argues for other positions regarding truth which seem to contradict James‟s view about truth. Rorty appears to be selective about what he considers to be James‟s notion of truth. Again, Rorty argues that there is no theory of truth and that the idea of truth could be replaced with justification. James emphatically calls his position a theory of truth, and never argues explicitly for the replacement of truth with justification as Rorty does. Despite the view that Rorty‟s claim differs sometimes with James‟s position, Rorty maintains that his position is similar to James‟s position. In line with Rorty‟s position, I argue that Rorty‟s denial of a theory of truth is in fact not a rejection of a theory of truth. It is to repudiate the idea of the correspondence theory of truth. In addition, I argue that Rorty‟s replacement of truth with justification is not only because there is no practical difference or practical consequences in doing that. It is also the case that James argues a similar issue by suggesting that truth is just a process just as health and wealth are processes and the naming of these processes are just our own labeling. I argue that James‟s and Rorty‟s position on truth is established on practical importance, and other things are secondary. The accepted necessity, practical importance, gives a strong support to the claim that Rorty is a Jamesian and his notion of truth is similar to James‟ pragmatic notion of truth.
Is Rorty a Jamesian? A Comparative Analysis of William James and Richard Rorty on the Pragmatists‟ Conception of Truth
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Rahim, M.T.A.
This thesis is a comparative analysis of William James and Richard Rorty on the pragmatists‟ conception of truth. In this thesis, I argue that Rorty‟s notion of truth is similar to James‟s pragmatic notion of truth, contrary to the claims that it is not. Also, I argue that Rorty remains a Jamesian in respect of James‟s pragmatic notion of truth. Rorty agrees with James‟s position that truth is the expedient in the way of our thinking. However, Rorty argues for other positions regarding truth which seem to contradict James‟s view about truth. Rorty appears to be selective about what he considers to be James‟s notion of truth. Again, Rorty argues that there is no theory of truth and that the idea of truth could be replaced with justification. James emphatically calls his position a theory of truth, and never argues explicitly for the replacement of truth with justification as Rorty does. Despite the view that Rorty‟s claim differs sometimes with James‟s position, Rorty maintains that his position is similar to James‟s position. In line with Rorty‟s position, I argue that Rorty‟s denial of a theory of truth is in fact not a rejection of a theory of truth. It is to repudiate the idea of the correspondence theory of truth. In addition, I argue that Rorty‟s replacement of truth with justification is not only because there is no practical difference or practical consequences in doing that. It is also the case that James argues a similar issue by suggesting that truth is just a process just as health and wealth are processes and the naming of these processes are just our own labeling. I argue that James‟s and Rorty‟s position on truth is established on practical importance, and other things are secondary. The accepted necessity, practical importance, gives a strong support to the claim that Rorty is a Jamesian and his notion of truth is similar to James‟ pragmatic notion of truth.
Karol Wojtyla’s Conception of Love and Responsibility and Its Application to the Use of Contraception
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Dery, L.
This study probes the perspective of Wojtyla’s sexual ethics regarding his views on love and responsibility and his synthesis on the ends of marriage and the morality of the use of contraception in marriage. “Love and Responsibility” is the title and the theme of his book on sexual ethics which reflects his own brand of moral philosophy. Karol Wojtyla argues against the use of contraceptives for married couples. His view is that contraceptive sexual intercourse is reductive, does not fully respect the dignity of the other and does not fully express human spousal love. This thesis investigates Karol Wojtyla’s position and defends the possibility of exercising responsible human love whilst using contraceptives in the sexual life of married couples.
Kwasi Wiredu’s Consensual Democracy And The Problem Of Identity Politics
(University Of Ghana, 2022-06) Adjei-Mawutor, G.
This thesis argues for a critical application of Wiredu’s consensual democracy to the problem of identity politics that have bedevilled postcolonial Africa. By doing so, it lays bare the present understanding of identity and identity politics and contextualises this to the African experience. The thesis, proceeding through an historico-philosophical examination of colonialism, surveys the tension between the imperial ideologies of legitimation and the anticolonial ideologies of legitimation, uncovering the deficiencies that resulted in the numerous catastrophes in the short existence of many African postcolonial nation-states. Subsequently, a case for a reconfiguration of the postcolonial African nation-state is made to divorce it from all colonial imperatives. The thesis also compares colonially inspired majoritarian democracy and indigenously inspired consensual democracy, emphasising the foundational presuppositions between these concepts as grounds for evaluation. I argue using the moderate communitarian framework that consensual democracy if applied through the primordial public allows for the hybridisation and nomadization of identities; thus, as conceived by Wiredu, political associations open the space for people to associate with different political associations that fits their perspectives. It is further argued that this reduces the dimension of antagonism among political associations (a dimension that affects political parties in majoritarian democracy) and instead transforms this dimension into agonism, thereby removing the tendency to politicise identities and thus diffusing the tendency to identity politics.
Plato And The Education Of Citizens
(University of Ghana., 2012-07) Batinge, P.A.K.
This thesis is primarily an exegetical examination of Plato's views on education in the Republic and Laws. It examines what Plato thinks of the general purpose of education; the means that should be employed in educating citizens to be relevant to their society. However, in addition to the knowledge and intellectual amusement derived from examining what Plato thought about education in his ancient Greek society emerges a subsidiary focus: the implication of Platonic conception of education in the contemporary Ghanaian society. This second aim, which is not given extensive attention as the main aim, nonetheless, argues why philosophy is relevant to national development.
Reassessing the Nonconformist Charges against Euripides: A Study of Selected Plays of Euripides and Aristophanes’ Frogs
(University Of Ghana, 2016-06) Karikari, L.
Ancient Greek tragedy came to Euripides with its general conditions fixed in a manner which he could not attempt to alter. There is a governing diction, tone and propriety which define the genre and sustains its elevation; three actors in a play, a chorus, and subject-matter that must be taken from the heroic legends and myths. Wounds and death were not supposed to be presented on stage. These are some of the basic conventions of ancient Greek play. But it is widely held against the background of the criticisms of Euripides‘ drama that his plays generally represent a sharp departure from the existing traditions, customs, and theatrical conventions of the tragic genre. To Aristophanes in particular, and some modern scholars such as August W. Schlegel, Friedrich Schlegel, Ann Norris Michelini, Paul Decharme, Stahlin Schmid and Ebener Dietrich, Euripides is an immoral dramatist, a misogynist, an anti-traditionalist, impious, a lover of rhetoric, a sophist, a systematic thinker and a skeptical dramatist whose plays show nonconformist attitudes and views towards the traditional religion, morality and the mythological stories of the tragic genre. However, some other commentators like Adele Robert, Donald Mastronarde, Helen Foley, Desmond Conacher, David Kovacs, and G. M. A. Grube are of the view that Euripides is an innovative, realistic, and creative dramatist, whose drama should not be misinterpreted from our modern perspectives. Thus, there appears to be lack of consensus among ancient and modern scholars about the interpretations of Euripides‘ plays. The problem I identify is that some of the arguments from both sides about the interpretations of Euripides‘ drama are either incorrect or misconstrued. Therefore, the questions that this dissertation attempts to address are: what are the aspects of Euripides‘ writings that give rise to the criticism that he is a nonconformist? What are the interpretations that are favored by scholars who charge Euripides with nonconformism? What are the interpretations of Euripides‘ plays that are preferred by scholars who argue that he is an innovative and creative dramatist? In what ways are the allegations against Euripides in Aristophanes‘ Frogs justified? Which interpretations of Euripides‘ works would be more representative of his perspective of Greek society? My main focus of investigation in my attempt to address the questions noted above, will be on Aristophanes‘ Frogs in which the comic poet criticises and stigmatizes Euripides in various ways, and the Hippolytus and Hecuba of Euripides which commentators and critics consider as among the plays which are reflective of the attitudes and thoughts of Euripides. By and large, my fundamental objective here is to reassess the charges against Euripides; and by way of methodology, I hope to argue, where necessary, and critique and comment on not only the views of scholars about the works of Euripides but also the communicative intentions of the playwright with particular reference to his two plays in focus.
A Rousseauean Justification of Punishment
(University of Ghana, 2019-08) Agbenosi, H.
This thesis is an attempt to arrive at a more suitable justification for the institution of punishment. The problem arises because punishment discriminates between those who are considered offenders (one who has broken the law) and those considered non-offenders. Punishment also goes beyond distinguishing between the offender and the non-offender to inflict some pain or deprive some right to the one considered as an offender. Both the discrimination and the pain inflicted or right deprived to the offender require a justification to be acceptable. This is what has engaged many theorists in penology. There are various positions on the matter. One of the traditional positions like the desert-based retributivists, a variant of the Retributivists justification for punishment says the offender deserves to be punished because he or she has committed a crime and deserves a punishment that inflicts a pain which is equal to the crime that has been committed. The other traditional position is the utilitarian position which suggests that it is justifiable to punish the offender because such a punishment will preserve the society by maintaining social control. This thesis proposes a rational contractarian approach based on the ideas of the contractarian Jean Jacques Rousseau. This thesis suggests that a more plausible justification for punishment could be based on freedom as an essential characteristic of the human being. When a person is deprived of his or her freedom the person loses their humanity. The thesis further suggests that when a person lives according to rational nature, they will live according to the general will, which is always good and makes him free. However, a person who lives according to the will of another or according to one‟s passions, will live in subjugation to another person‟s will or passions against the general will and by so doing is not free. The actual will of a person rises against the general will (the person‟s real will), and this results in a split will. Such a split will is one which makes a person commit a crime and become an offender and unfree. This thesis proposes that punishment remedies this situation when the laws which are based on the general will are applied. The rational will of the person discerns the general will and from that makes the laws. When a person is punished based on the law, then, one punishes oneself and is thus subject neither to another nor to one‟s passions and so is free; there is no distinction between the sovereign who makes the law and the offender who has broken the law. Punishment is thus applied to make a person free since by going against the general will one has made oneself unfree. This thesis seeks to pick some positive attributes of the traditional positions, while avoiding some of their major criticisms and adding its own unique features like concentrating on human freedom as an essential basis to give a more suitable justification for punishment.
The Socio-Political Implications of the Portrayal of Women in Aristophanes' 'Women Plays'
(University of Ghana, 2012-06) Owusu-Asiamah, M.; Onayemi, F.; Ackah, E.K.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Arts, Department of Philosophy and Classics
Literary records representing women in the ancient Athenian society are heavily dependant on the writings of men and that has influenced the portrayal of women. However, the ancient Athenian society has some outstanding similarities and differences in areas such as: the performance of rituals, family life and shared values in the society. The positions of women in the Athenian society are characterized by male domination. From childhood the girl comes under the authority of her father and upon marriage that of her husband. Throughout a woman’s life she remains under the subordination of a man and she is expected to work without complaint. The objective of this work is: to collect passages from Aristophanes’ three ‘women plays’ namely Lysistrata, Thesmophoriazusae and Ecclesiazusae because these plays are deemed to represent Aristophanes’ detailed portrayal of Athenian women. The depiction of women in the plays reflects the general view of women during the fourth and fifth centuries BC. Then there would be analyses of the implications that arose from their portrayal such as their roles as wives, mothers and intruding into the public sphere of men (assembly) that comes to the fore in the plays. It is pertinent to remember that the representation of women on stage is the representation of a male’s interpretation of women, since men played all parts in the play. I conclude that Aristophanes’ portrayal of Athenian women should be accepted with some caution since not all of his portrayal can be said to have truly represented women.

Browse

Browsing Department of Philosophy and Classics by Title

Results Per Page

Sort Options