Veritative ontology: reinterpreting Ancient Greek philosophy

This article proposes a revision of the traditional interpretation of ancient Greek ontology and indicates what consequences this revision may have for political reflection. The basis for the interpretation laid out here lies in classicist Charles H. Kahn’s work on the meaning and function of the verb “to be” (einai) in ancient Greek. Kahn asserts that the original and fundamental meaning of einai was veritative (veridical) rather than existential – it was used to signify truth, not existence. Though the significance of Kahn’s research has been widely acknowledged, the influence of his analyses on interpretations of Greek ontology seems disproportionately small in comparison. The veritative interpretation remains on the margin of studies dominated by the existential interpretation. My article is meant as a contribution to the project of building a veritative interpretation of Greek ontology. I intend to show, using certain examples, the forms of this interpretation and possibilities it presents. For scholars of ancient Greek philosophy, it is often difficult to distinguish between its ontological and epistemological aspects. As I will try to show, this state of affairs results from a post factum imposition of the existential interpretation on Greek thought. The problem is greatly reduced when we use the veritative paradigm in place of the existential paradigm. It also becomes easier to grasp the unity of Greek philosophy, especially the unity of ontology and epistemology. A veritative interpretation of Greek ontology carries with it important consequences for our understanding of Greek political philosophy as well. One of the key consequences is a “formal” (as opposed to “material”) understanding of concepts fundamental to Greek political reflection, such as the “good” and “justice.” As a result, discussion on ancient Greek political and legal reflection can be conducted from a fruitful new perspective.