E-LOGOS 2008, 15(1):1-23

Action and Hamartia in Aristotle's Poetics

Philip Tonner
Research Support Officer for Glasgow Museums, Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Glasgow and an Associate Lecturer with The Open University

In what follows we outline Aristotle's philosophy of tragedy in his Poetics paying particular attention to his account of action and hamartia. We situate his account of tragedy in terms of his ethical philosophy and philosophy of action generally. We argue that tragedy is disclosive of the frailty of the human situation in its precarious contingence. By this, we link Aristotle's philosophy of tragedy to twentieth century aesthetic, ethical and European philosophy.

Prepublished online: June 25, 2008; Published: June 1, 2008  Show citation

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Tonner, P. (2008). Action and Hamartia in Aristotle's Poetics. E-LOGOS, 15(1), 1-23
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    References

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