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John R Lenz

Drew University, Classics, Faculty Member

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Phillips Academy, Andover Mass.1975
Columbia College and Columbia University, Ph.D. 1993
Fulbright scholar in Greece 1988-9
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Supervisors: Richard Janko, William V. Harris, Roger Bagnall, Richard Billows, Morton Smith, and George Huxley
Phone: 12016023855

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Aneurin Ellis-Evans

University of Oxford

Catherine Rowett

University of East Anglia

The University of Texas at Austin

Royal Holloway, University of London

Richard P Martin

Stanford University

Alejandra B Osorio

Wellesley College

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Kansas State University

Shaun Gallagher

University of Memphis

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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Papers by John R Lenz

American Philosophical Association Eastern Division: Abstracts of Papers to be read at the Seventy-third Annual Meeting December 30, 1976

Journal of Philosophy, 1976

GEORGE R. LENZ (1924-2017)

Personal. I'm sharing here this eulogy of my father, a great man who was known to many in NY and... more

AN ENLIGHTENMENT POLYMATH, UPDATED

Russell, 2022

A review of Chad Trainer, Reflections on Russell: Musings on a Multidimensional Man (2022)

Russell on the Value of Philosophy for Life

Philosophy Now, 2017

Philosophy and Salvation in Greek Religion

Although Greek authors treat philosophy and theology in the closest contiguity, most scholarship ... more Although Greek authors treat philosophy and theology in the closest contiguity, most scholarship still reflects the 19th century prejudice according to which philosophy is a rational enterprise, while theology is a dogmatic discipline. Yet, as this volume demonstrates, Greek philosophy emerges from and remains closely linked to the archaic religious experience. Spanning Greek thought from Homer to Neo-Platonism, this anthology is essential reading for those interested in ancient Greek philosophy in the context of its theological, soteriological and cosmological concerns.

Ideal Models and Anti-Models of Kingship in Ancient Greek Literature: Mirror of Princes from Homer to Marcus Aurelius

A Critical Companion to the 'Mirrors for Princes' Literature, 2022

Lenz development, or in place, as still found in Persia and other inimical Near Eastern states. A... more Lenz development, or in place, as still found in Persia and other inimical Near Eastern states. A king is now a tyrant and slave-master. Most influential for later, post-Classical, writings in praise of princes are Greek works of the fourth century B.C. The first explicit works of advice addressed to kings, subsequent to the early poets who had always retained a central role in education, appear then. A surprise turnaround in the attitude to kingship occurs in politically minded philosophical writers associated with Athens. Athens is still governed by a democracy. Xenophon, Isocrates, Plato, and, somewhat differently, Aristotle all praise kingship and even state that kingship is the best form of government. At times we can see an ad hoc reason for this in their desire to flatter their own (if not always Athens') foreign royal friends or allies, especially in Xenophon and Isocrates who make Eastern kings into ideal models, and arguably but less so in Plato and Aristotle. But the more general trend has not been given enough scholarly attention. They share a theoretical monarchic reaction on the part of intellectual and perhaps wealthy Athenians to the excesses of democracy. Indeed some of the first talk of " political science" occurs in followers or close successors of Socrates (died 399 B.C.)-we will discuss five-who use the term to refer to an ideal ruler's knowledge of how to rule, and their own expertise in advising him. It is not enough to call these thinkers conservative. While today seeming theoretical and abstract, they claimed a power to educate true statesmen. Their kings are able to unify a state, end the chaos of democracy, and put an end to the endemic bloody fighting between rich and poor, or oligarchs and democrats, that plagued historical Greek cities. These authors depict ideal kings as virtuous, self-controlled, and benevolent leaders of a harmonious state. With Alexander the Great of Macedon (336-323 B.C) and earlier his father Philip II, kingship returned to the Greek world. Greece, the Near East and most of the former Persian Empire came to be ruled by Greek kingdoms. Naturally some writers flattered them; intellectuals are often attracted to power. Hellenistic-era (323-30 B.C.) practices exerted a significant influence on Roman political forms and ideology, when in the first century B.C. Rome moved from a republic to a monarchy. Greeks now found themselves the subjects of an external ruling power. When authors of the 1st century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D. wished to flatter or improve their Roman lords, they were able to draw upon models of exemplary rulers found in Homer, histories of Alexander, and Greek philosophy. The wishful thinking is apparent, but this tradition did reach a Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who himself wrote a work of advice for rulers and others. We will consider these four thematic periods in chronological order.

From Politics to Salvation through Philosophy: Herodotus’ Histories and Plato’s Republic

Philosophy and Salvation in Greek Religion

Russell and the Greeks

Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies, 1987

BERTRAND RUSSELL WAS raised in the Victorian era, but, unlike most aristocrats of the time, he wa... more BERTRAND RUSSELL WAS raised in the Victorian era, but, unlike most aristocrats of the time, he was educated at home and avoided the usual classical education. Yet his works abound in references to the Greeks and Romans, whether to ideas of their philosophers or to incidents from their history. Indeed, few of his writings lack such references. The heritage of Greek civilization was always important to Russell, in several different ways. The breadth of his life and thought make him a representative figure of one modern view of the importance of the Greeks, between the Victorian era l and our own. This paper will consider a few topics concerning Russell's arritude towards the Greeks, and towards classical learning: First, his education and his own educational principles; then, the famous "conversion" incident of 1901 which included his reaction to Euripides' play, Hippolytus; third, the implications of Russell's attitude for his study of Greek mathematics and philosophy, and for his politics; and, finally, the enduring importance of Greek civilization to him. Russell's education and educational principles T.S. Eliot once wrote, "It is a public misfortune that Mr. Bertrand Russell did not have a classical education."3 We hope to arrive at a different estimate by the end of this paper.

John R. Lenz - In Byron's Shadow: Modern Greece in the English and American Imagination (review) - Classical World 100:3

In Byron's Shadow: Modern Greece in the English and American Imagination (review)

Classical World, 2007

Teatro do Mundo Titulo Teatro do Mundo Capa Impressão e Acabamento Tiragem Existential Violence in Greek Tragedy

Reviews of The Nay Science

International Journal of Dharma Studies, 2016

Written in a soul: Notes toward a new (old) philology Acknowledgement: This essay was written by ... more Written in a soul: Notes toward a new (old) philology Acknowledgement: This essay was written by Edward P. Butler, Independent Scholar. The critique of German Indology in The Nay Science is aimed not merely at disclosing the ideologies and discourses of power animating the work of a certain body of researchers in a single subdiscipline of the humanities, but rather, as its Prologue reveals, at freeing space through this critique for the emergence of a new philology. German Indology proves the ideal point from which to launch this critique for several overlapping reasons. German Indology is linked to an event of world historical importance, namely the project of German nationalist intellectuals to appropriate for themselves an "Aryan" identity. Furthermore, German Indology constituted the cutting-edge of European

Lenz Russell and the Post-War Greek Left 2018.pdf

Bulletin of the Bertrand Russell Society, 2018

Describes the influence Bertrand Russell had on the Greek peace movement, including two the most ... more Describes the influence Bertrand Russell had on the Greek peace movement, including two the most important Greek political figures of the 20th century, Gregory Lambrakis and Manolis Glezos. Includes material from a new (still unpublished) translation of George Kalpadakis' Greek book, with Glezos' preface, together with unpublished documents in the Russell Archives.

Lenz Existential Violence in Greek Tragedy: Its Necessity (for Spectators) 2017.pdf

Explores a philosophy of Greek tragedy. Challenges the dominant sociological view that Greek tra... more Explores a philosophy of Greek tragedy. Challenges the dominant sociological view that Greek tragedy affirms the community of Athens. That view, while often associated with political activism (I do not object to), derives from Hegel and other Christian-tinged theories (Burkert, Girard) of a salvific sacrifice. Also questions Aristotle and presents a vaguely Nietzschean view ("perhaps every interpretation of Nietzsche is a paraphrase") of art as teaching the tragedy of life.

Bertrand Russell on the Value of Philosophy

Russell gave a restrictive, technical definition of philosophy early in his career, but he belied... more Russell gave a restrictive, technical definition of philosophy early in his career, but he belied this over the next 50 years with his voluminous writings on human nature, war and peace, the good life, the best society, and the future of the world. We should study these seriously to understand him.

From Philosophy to Philology: Plato, Nietzsche, Classics, and The Nay Science

This review essay critically evaluates the themes of The Nay Science (Oxford 2014), which present... more This review essay critically evaluates the themes of The Nay Science (Oxford 2014), which presents a massive criticism of German Indology and of the academic tradition of philosophy. I discuss the authors' use of Plato, Nietzsche as a critic of philology, and implications for my field, Classical Studies (whose history can be partially re-evaluated). The implications are large. Philosophy is more important than technical philology!

How Bertrand Russell Became A New Kind of Intellectual during WWI.pdf

Bertrand Russell was one of the great public intellectuals of the 20th century. During WWI he tu... more Bertrand Russell was one of the great public intellectuals of the 20th century. During WWI he turned from logic and analysis to working for peace and a better future for all humanity. His humanism and public writings deserve serious study. (The peace symbol comes from the anti-nuclear-war group he led later.) Here I contrast him with other intellectuals of the period such as Dewey and Santayana, and relate him to Julien Benda and Romain Rolland.

The Use of Classics for Modern Greek Independence: Korais especially

Korais and the modern Greek Enlightenment. What ancient Greece meant to them and how European ph... more

How Bertrand Russell Became a Public Intellectual in WWI (vs. Dewey). in full issue of the BRS Bulletin with articles by others (that's why the site entered co-authors)

on pp. 30-34 of the Russell Society Bulletin, Fall 2015 (you have the whole thing with other int... more

Kings and the Ideology of Kingship in Early Greece (c. 1200--700 BC): Epic, Archaeology and History (dissertation)

Seminal dissertation (1993)!

American Philosophical Association Eastern Division: Abstracts of Papers to be read at the Seventy-third Annual Meeting December 30, 1976

Journal of Philosophy, 1976

GEORGE R. LENZ (1924-2017)

Personal. I'm sharing here this eulogy of my father, a great man who was known to many in NY and... more

AN ENLIGHTENMENT POLYMATH, UPDATED

Russell, 2022

A review of Chad Trainer, Reflections on Russell: Musings on a Multidimensional Man (2022)

Russell on the Value of Philosophy for Life

Philosophy Now, 2017

Philosophy and Salvation in Greek Religion

Although Greek authors treat philosophy and theology in the closest contiguity, most scholarship ... more Although Greek authors treat philosophy and theology in the closest contiguity, most scholarship still reflects the 19th century prejudice according to which philosophy is a rational enterprise, while theology is a dogmatic discipline. Yet, as this volume demonstrates, Greek philosophy emerges from and remains closely linked to the archaic religious experience. Spanning Greek thought from Homer to Neo-Platonism, this anthology is essential reading for those interested in ancient Greek philosophy in the context of its theological, soteriological and cosmological concerns.

Ideal Models and Anti-Models of Kingship in Ancient Greek Literature: Mirror of Princes from Homer to Marcus Aurelius

A Critical Companion to the 'Mirrors for Princes' Literature, 2022

Lenz development, or in place, as still found in Persia and other inimical Near Eastern states. A... more Lenz development, or in place, as still found in Persia and other inimical Near Eastern states. A king is now a tyrant and slave-master. Most influential for later, post-Classical, writings in praise of princes are Greek works of the fourth century B.C. The first explicit works of advice addressed to kings, subsequent to the early poets who had always retained a central role in education, appear then. A surprise turnaround in the attitude to kingship occurs in politically minded philosophical writers associated with Athens. Athens is still governed by a democracy. Xenophon, Isocrates, Plato, and, somewhat differently, Aristotle all praise kingship and even state that kingship is the best form of government. At times we can see an ad hoc reason for this in their desire to flatter their own (if not always Athens') foreign royal friends or allies, especially in Xenophon and Isocrates who make Eastern kings into ideal models, and arguably but less so in Plato and Aristotle. But the more general trend has not been given enough scholarly attention. They share a theoretical monarchic reaction on the part of intellectual and perhaps wealthy Athenians to the excesses of democracy. Indeed some of the first talk of " political science" occurs in followers or close successors of Socrates (died 399 B.C.)-we will discuss five-who use the term to refer to an ideal ruler's knowledge of how to rule, and their own expertise in advising him. It is not enough to call these thinkers conservative. While today seeming theoretical and abstract, they claimed a power to educate true statesmen. Their kings are able to unify a state, end the chaos of democracy, and put an end to the endemic bloody fighting between rich and poor, or oligarchs and democrats, that plagued historical Greek cities. These authors depict ideal kings as virtuous, self-controlled, and benevolent leaders of a harmonious state. With Alexander the Great of Macedon (336-323 B.C) and earlier his father Philip II, kingship returned to the Greek world. Greece, the Near East and most of the former Persian Empire came to be ruled by Greek kingdoms. Naturally some writers flattered them; intellectuals are often attracted to power. Hellenistic-era (323-30 B.C.) practices exerted a significant influence on Roman political forms and ideology, when in the first century B.C. Rome moved from a republic to a monarchy. Greeks now found themselves the subjects of an external ruling power. When authors of the 1st century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D. wished to flatter or improve their Roman lords, they were able to draw upon models of exemplary rulers found in Homer, histories of Alexander, and Greek philosophy. The wishful thinking is apparent, but this tradition did reach a Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who himself wrote a work of advice for rulers and others. We will consider these four thematic periods in chronological order.

From Politics to Salvation through Philosophy: Herodotus’ Histories and Plato’s Republic

Philosophy and Salvation in Greek Religion

Russell and the Greeks

Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies, 1987

BERTRAND RUSSELL WAS raised in the Victorian era, but, unlike most aristocrats of the time, he wa... more BERTRAND RUSSELL WAS raised in the Victorian era, but, unlike most aristocrats of the time, he was educated at home and avoided the usual classical education. Yet his works abound in references to the Greeks and Romans, whether to ideas of their philosophers or to incidents from their history. Indeed, few of his writings lack such references. The heritage of Greek civilization was always important to Russell, in several different ways. The breadth of his life and thought make him a representative figure of one modern view of the importance of the Greeks, between the Victorian era l and our own. This paper will consider a few topics concerning Russell's arritude towards the Greeks, and towards classical learning: First, his education and his own educational principles; then, the famous "conversion" incident of 1901 which included his reaction to Euripides' play, Hippolytus; third, the implications of Russell's attitude for his study of Greek mathematics and philosophy, and for his politics; and, finally, the enduring importance of Greek civilization to him. Russell's education and educational principles T.S. Eliot once wrote, "It is a public misfortune that Mr. Bertrand Russell did not have a classical education."3 We hope to arrive at a different estimate by the end of this paper.

John R. Lenz - In Byron's Shadow: Modern Greece in the English and American Imagination (review) - Classical World 100:3

In Byron's Shadow: Modern Greece in the English and American Imagination (review)

Classical World, 2007

Teatro do Mundo Titulo Teatro do Mundo Capa Impressão e Acabamento Tiragem Existential Violence in Greek Tragedy

Reviews of The Nay Science

International Journal of Dharma Studies, 2016

Written in a soul: Notes toward a new (old) philology Acknowledgement: This essay was written by ... more Written in a soul: Notes toward a new (old) philology Acknowledgement: This essay was written by Edward P. Butler, Independent Scholar. The critique of German Indology in The Nay Science is aimed not merely at disclosing the ideologies and discourses of power animating the work of a certain body of researchers in a single subdiscipline of the humanities, but rather, as its Prologue reveals, at freeing space through this critique for the emergence of a new philology. German Indology proves the ideal point from which to launch this critique for several overlapping reasons. German Indology is linked to an event of world historical importance, namely the project of German nationalist intellectuals to appropriate for themselves an "Aryan" identity. Furthermore, German Indology constituted the cutting-edge of European

Lenz Russell and the Post-War Greek Left 2018.pdf

Bulletin of the Bertrand Russell Society, 2018

Describes the influence Bertrand Russell had on the Greek peace movement, including two the most ... more Describes the influence Bertrand Russell had on the Greek peace movement, including two the most important Greek political figures of the 20th century, Gregory Lambrakis and Manolis Glezos. Includes material from a new (still unpublished) translation of George Kalpadakis' Greek book, with Glezos' preface, together with unpublished documents in the Russell Archives.

Lenz Existential Violence in Greek Tragedy: Its Necessity (for Spectators) 2017.pdf

Explores a philosophy of Greek tragedy. Challenges the dominant sociological view that Greek tra... more Explores a philosophy of Greek tragedy. Challenges the dominant sociological view that Greek tragedy affirms the community of Athens. That view, while often associated with political activism (I do not object to), derives from Hegel and other Christian-tinged theories (Burkert, Girard) of a salvific sacrifice. Also questions Aristotle and presents a vaguely Nietzschean view ("perhaps every interpretation of Nietzsche is a paraphrase") of art as teaching the tragedy of life.

Bertrand Russell on the Value of Philosophy

Russell gave a restrictive, technical definition of philosophy early in his career, but he belied... more Russell gave a restrictive, technical definition of philosophy early in his career, but he belied this over the next 50 years with his voluminous writings on human nature, war and peace, the good life, the best society, and the future of the world. We should study these seriously to understand him.

From Philosophy to Philology: Plato, Nietzsche, Classics, and The Nay Science

This review essay critically evaluates the themes of The Nay Science (Oxford 2014), which present... more This review essay critically evaluates the themes of The Nay Science (Oxford 2014), which presents a massive criticism of German Indology and of the academic tradition of philosophy. I discuss the authors' use of Plato, Nietzsche as a critic of philology, and implications for my field, Classical Studies (whose history can be partially re-evaluated). The implications are large. Philosophy is more important than technical philology!

How Bertrand Russell Became A New Kind of Intellectual during WWI.pdf

Bertrand Russell was one of the great public intellectuals of the 20th century. During WWI he tu... more Bertrand Russell was one of the great public intellectuals of the 20th century. During WWI he turned from logic and analysis to working for peace and a better future for all humanity. His humanism and public writings deserve serious study. (The peace symbol comes from the anti-nuclear-war group he led later.) Here I contrast him with other intellectuals of the period such as Dewey and Santayana, and relate him to Julien Benda and Romain Rolland.

The Use of Classics for Modern Greek Independence: Korais especially

Korais and the modern Greek Enlightenment. What ancient Greece meant to them and how European ph... more

How Bertrand Russell Became a Public Intellectual in WWI (vs. Dewey). in full issue of the BRS Bulletin with articles by others (that's why the site entered co-authors)

on pp. 30-34 of the Russell Society Bulletin, Fall 2015 (you have the whole thing with other int... more

Kings and the Ideology of Kingship in Early Greece (c. 1200--700 BC): Epic, Archaeology and History (dissertation)

Seminal dissertation (1993)!

Papa Trechas by A. Korais, translated into English and thence into Marathi

Papa Trechas (in Marathi) with Introduction, 2024

Papa Trechas (1811-20) by Adamantios Korais (1748-33), translated from Greek into English by John... more Papa Trechas (1811-20) by Adamantios Korais (1748-33), translated from Greek into English by John R. Lenz and Lee F. Sherry, thence into
Marathi by Prof. Madhavi Kolhatkar: Papa Trekhaj, Aprant Books, Pune, India, June 2024; Introduction by J.R. Lenz.
Based on the new Greek text of Papa Trechas by Lenz & Sherry, forthcoming