I have just subscribed to the Elpenor's Greek forum in search for someone who could help me trace the etymological history of "hexis" (especially when it became to be used as a technical term). I am doing a Ph.D. research on the concept of state and movement in Plato, Origen and Athanasius in Leuven, Belgium. And I desperately need a specialist's help to give me the terminological insight on "hexis" at this stage. Can anyone assist me in this matter? I appreciate any help very much, Slavik Lytvynenko.
2. in surgery, posture, Hp.Off.3; he. ê thesis ib.15.
II. (echô intr.) a being in a certain state, a permanent condition as produced by practice ( [praxis] ), diff. from schesis (which is alterable) (v. infr.):
I am so grateful to you for the explanation on the word of hexis. Thanks both for your skills and for the time you took to answer me.
Do you happen to know when the word hexis became to be used as a strictly technical term. My guess is that it might had started being used so in the Hippocratic tradition where the physical state (eksis) of person was for the first time technically considered, but I am not sure. Do you have any helpful suggestions as to where I should be looking for this?
The start is with www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/plato-homepage.asp" target="_blank">Plato. Aristotle built upon Plato, with the difference that he did it in a scholastic, ‘scientific’, impersonal and cold manner. The path you've chosen for your dissertation (Plato-Origen-Athanasius), is a mystical path, you would stoop to a contradiction in terms, if you were to treat it in a scholastic way. Remember how disappointing was the work of Lossky on Meister Eckhart (a work Lossky never published when he was alive). Here is a list you can begin with, not exhaustive; hexis may be present where its name is not.
Thanks so much for your helpful indication concerning the use of hexis. I will go through all the references you gave me and study how the term or the idea of hexis is present there. The reason why I chose Plato for my dissertation is because I need him as a background for Origen and Athanasius who were willing to appropriate Platonism (in their case, it was probably the middle Platonism of Philo of Alexandria; I am still not sure) into their theologies of vocation. Hence my topic: Human vocation in Plato, Origen and Athanasius (this is a raw variant now). Do you think this would be a fair path still?
Also, I wanted to ask, if you happen to know up to what centuries back in history can the terminology of klesis as a human vocation may be traced. And did klesis ever expressed the idea of human being called to do a certain task in the pre-Christian era? Do you have any helpful thoughs about it? I would appreciate your help so much here.
Remember Socrates "daimon" who ordered him "mousiken poiei kai ergazou", that is, to be a philosopher, understand and spread the meaning of the world. Study also the www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/plato-paideia-cave.asp">parable of the cave in Plato's Politeia. Study also the creation of the cities as dwelling places of gods.
Etymological history of hexis
Posted - 09 Sep 2006 : 06:14:24
