The Oldest Dead White European Males and Other Reflections on the Classics: And Other Reflections on the Classics [Hardcover]

Bernard MacGregor Walke Knox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1993

Should the ancient Greeks - "the oldest dead white European males" - and their legacy have any relevance to the way we live now? So much of what the ancients were and did may now appear positively racist and sexist in this era of multiculturalism. Yet for all their flaws, the Greeks gave us Homer Sappho, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles and Thucydides, to name a few. They invented much of what we now take for granted: the idea of the humanities, philosophy, the theatre, competitive athletics, political theory, rhetoric and oratory, biology, zoology and atomic theory. In this book, Bernard Knox raises questions that are of fundamental importance for our age.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In three erudite essays originally delivered as lectures, Knox stresses the relevance of the ancient Greeks (the "dead white males" of the title) to the modern world. Former director of Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies, Knox ( The Norton Book of Classical Literature ) defends the modern teaching of the humanities as "an education for democracy." While acknowledging the inferior status of women in ancient Greek society, he argues that women were a formidable presence in the household, and he finds in Greek epics, poetry and drama a wealth of assertive, active females. Knox portrays the Sophists, who taught rhetoric and poetry, as "the first professors of the humanities." It was the Sophists, not Socrates, who "brought theory down from the skies," he insists. He closes with an account of his year-long stay in Greece, where he found living ties between the country's ancient and contemporary language and culture.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The Norton Book of Classical Literature. Norton. Mar. 1993. c.868p. ed. by Bernard Knox. index.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393034925
• ISBN-13: 978-0393034929
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,537,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An eloquent defense of classical studies, May 23, 2002

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Oldest Dead White European Males and Other Reflections on the Classics: And Other Reflections on the Classics (Hardcover)

Dr. Knox dares to stand up for the ancient Greeks and their pivotal influence on Western society in this rather short collection of three essays. His message is largely a response to the modern calls from multiculturalists and "radical feminists" downplaying or even condemning the importance of the humanities in today's academic world. The overspecialization that is the inevitable product of multiculturalism sees only the faults in ancient Greek society--slavery, a limited and inferior role for women, the crudities of ritual sacrifice, an undemocratic democracy, etc.. Knox acknowledges the validity of such criticism, but he argues cogently that Greek culture and its pervading influence on the West cannot be examined solely through a narrow lens. Some modern critics have even gone so far as to label ancient Greek society a reactionary force enforcing conformity. This, as Knox explains very well, is ludicrous. The study of the classics has long been the wellspring from which innovative, radical, and even subversive new ideas emerge. Certainly, ancient Greek society was flawed in certain ways, but the fact remains that this culture bequeathed us the very foundations of our politics, philosophy, drama, rhetoric, science, etc. The very playing field upon which modern critics denigrate the influence of the ancient Greeks was essentially constructed by their long-dead opponents.

I was most impressed by Knox's analysis of the recent history of the humanities in Western culture. Until the last century, education was largely an aristocratic privilege. The Industrial Revolution set in motion a recomposition of society, one that now dwells more and more on "practical" education; it is this social metamorphosis that has done much to call into question the role of the humanities in education today. Do not throw out the baby with the bath water, Knox warns. The world we have created reflects the vast influence of the ancient Greeks, but more importantly, that influence is even still working actively to challenge modern thinkers. While we have learned a great deal from the culture of the oldest dead white Europeans, we yet have much more to learn from them. Even should the humanities and classical studies be suppressed tomorrow, their value, beauty, and utility are such that they would soon return to the forefront of intellectual and academic studies despite the wishes of modern critics.

I must say that I was disturbed by the widespread disdain for the history of "dead white guys" while immersed in my own postgraduate studies. Multiculturalism and the new social history represents a noble effort to tell the stories of men and women who have been voiceless until now, but the end result threatens to pigeon-hole and fragment academia. The study of the classics provides an education in democracy and citizenship; herein lies the secret of its eternally important influence. I rejoice in reading such an outspoken defense of the importance of the humanities, and I believe all traditionalists will admire and be inspired by the essays collected here.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Knox to the rescue, November 20, 2002

By 

Ross Morrissey - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oldest Dead White European Males and Other Reflections on the Classics: And Other Reflections on the Classics (Hardcover)

Dr. Knox first presents a lively defense of the study of the ancient Greeks as an important part of a liberal arts education - there's value in the ancients if you look beyond the stereotypes. Next he defends the liberal arts education itself - again value beyond the stereotypes. Finally, he defends the modern Greeks against his fellow Classics scholars, who surprisingly have been perpetuating a stereotype about how visiting Greece is disappointing and learning modern Greek is damaging to the "ear."

All told, an entertaining read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars kudos and thanks, July 31, 2009

By 

hermenaut (Portland O.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oldest Dead White European Males: And Other Reflections On The Classics (Paperback)

This is a lovely book from a fine scholar and teacher who opens the door to the "classics" and gracefully and cogently addresses some who regard the classical tradition as merely the repository of outdated unenlightened work superseded by the enlightened pomo wisdom. Much better than the fulminations of Victor David Hanson, and particularly valuable for those seeking entry into "Greek " culture which, as Knox says so well, didn't expire with Alexander or even the Byzantines. Knox must be congratulated for his honesty, his elegant writing, and his clear sighted view of both ancient and modern Greece.