The Gift of Philosophy
The Gift of Philosophy
The Treatises as Translations
This chapter examines Cicero’s claims about the political content of his philosophical writings and their potential benefit to the future of the state. Drawing on two of his treatises, the preface to book one of Tusculan Disputations and the preface to book one of De Finibus, the chapter considers what Cicero repeatedly identifies as his project’s major contribution: the act of translating philosophy from the Greek and making it accessible in Latin. It also explores the cultural and political meaning of translation as an act of patriotism, as well as Cicero’s response to the difficulties of presenting works in translation to an audience with a variety of often opposing cultural objectives and prejudices.
Keywords: philosophical writings, Tusculan Disputations, De Finibus, Cicero, philosophy, translation, patriotism
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