Wikipedia explains the word pleonexia like this:
Pleonexia, sometimes called pleonexy, originating from the Greek πλεονεξία, is a philosophical concept which roughly corresponds to greed, covetousness, or avarice, and is strictly defined as "the insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others."
A surfeit of pleonexia is the cause of most suffering in our society.
Hat tip to PSR in the comments on this blog
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Famous at last, but I must thank Michael Hudson for his very readable ‘The Collapse of Antiquity’ (2023) which introduced me to the ‘joys’ (?) of pleonexia.
But you shared it….
Can I have your autograph?
I have not read Hudson – but Catherine Nixey: “The Darkening Age” (The Christian Destruction of the Classical World) is worth a read (shades of Gibbon). It is also noteworthy that classical thought only started to make a comeback in the late 15th century. In Robert Fisks book “The Great War for Civilisation”, page 249 is revealing as Fisk interviews on the Iranian front line in the Iran Iraq war a solider by the name of Hassan Qasqari: he warbled on about martydom (Iranians very keen on it – particulary for 14 years olds) & observed that Europeans could not understand martydom cos the Euro Renasissance had done away with religion & no longer paid attention to morality or ethics – concentrating on materialism.
Couple of mixed messages there – but arguably – it took the best part of 1000 years for interest in classical thought to remerge only to be subsumed by materialism (by circa mid-19th cent). Hope this is not too off topic – but here we are at Easter. BTW: Nixey is most interesting, dad ex-monk and mum ex-nun. did you know Cicero’s “De re publica” only survived because it was written over by Augustine (palimpset).
Another book on the list – bought second hand
I didn’t pay much attention at the time (1966 ish) but my history tutor Dr John Fines told us the 12th century Renaissance and how the Bishop of Bath and Wells ( my diocese ) complained many of his best scholars were departing to Spain, then under the Moors, as they had translations of Aristotle and Plato. Since I became a layabout pensioner I have done a bit of research.
The Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars did co-operate.
The Arabs also gave us our numbers, algebra and named stars which we still call by the same name. The Crusades didn’t do a lot for them but Europe learnt a lot.
Happy Easter.
Yes Mike – the Christian link is a strong driver.
In the late John Pilger’s film ‘The Coming War with China’ one Chinese entrepreneur talks about this – how the Christian ethos of the West is all about converting you to their view only – they are not natural pluralists, look at their history when going across the Americas and Africa, its convert or die basically. Yet it is Muslims who unfairly get called out for their apparent lack of tolerance, when it is Christian values being perverted by capitalism.
The Chinese do not want to be converted – they are happy to share ideas but that is as far as it goes, and I think that the list of people lining up behind China is growing. China never yielded really to the Christian ethos, and that still rankles even today, especially I feel in the U.S..
Let’s face it – follow Christianity and capitalism and look at what you end up with – Putin’s Russia.
Book ordered.
A lot of classical references today.
We have some interesting people on this blog.
Think of it in these dark times as a universitas: “a number of persons associated into one body, a society, company, community”.
We do. I learn a lot from all the contributors… and of course, Richard. A man with the hide of a Rhinoceros, the work rate of a beaver, the sharpness of a razor clam (feel free to add your own animal descriptors) and the patience of a Saint (given the trolling of which we see only a fraction).
Thanks.
Are you trying to say I am not normal?
I will take it as a compliment.
Not normal? That is a given.
Human?… that is the question!
🙂
@ Ian Stevenson
“We have some interesting people on this blog.”
We have interesting people because “we are *interested* people”.
“An explosion of pleonexia”
So nearly an anagram……
🙂