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On the Ancient Uses of Political Fear and Its Modern Implications
- Journal of the History of Ideas
- University of Pennsylvania Press
- Volume 69, Number 3, July 2008
- pp. 353-373
- 10.1353/jhi.0.0003
- Article
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This paper explores political fear in classical thought. Through an analysis of Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, and Sallust, I discuss two broad uses of fear: fear as a source of unity and of moral energy. In addition, the paper addresses the enervating role of political fear in Tacitus’ writings. The discussion centers on three issues: first, I draw attention to an important and often neglected set of themes in classical thought; second, I provide a historical resource for contemporary discussions of political fear; third, I argue that fear’s multiple uses in political theorizing ought to be a focus of scholarly inquiry.