Review of "Giovanni Giorgini, Introduzione al pensiero politico classico, Bologna: il Mulino, 2024"

In the opening, the review praises amplitude and complexity of this Introduction to Classical political thought, relating both features to the skills of its internationally renowned author. The review then goes on to identify the strengths of Giorgini’s interpretation while raising some specific criticisms about them. The discussion revolves mainly around the following issues: 1. The understanding of political thought as differing from political theory; 2. The understanding of the work of the historian; 3. The emphasis placed on the reasons of the ‘distance’ between the Greeks and us; 4. The understanding of the role of religion in ancient Greek society and its relevance for political matters; 5. The understanding of the polis as peculiar political model and the focus placed on the poleis‘ lack of political unity; 6. The substantial focus placed on fifth century Athenian democracy; 5. Alleged merits of the Hippocratic school of medicine for the discovery of human nature and of ancient Sophistic for the discovery of the laws of human behavior.