The Oeconomicus (Greek: anthracis) by Xenophon, the preeminent Greek historian is the first known philosophical tract in existence. Written around the 3rd century BCE the Oeconomicus presents his most thorough exposition of Stoic philosophy. In this lengthy treatise the author traces the development of Stoic, political theory and Stoic ethics down to the time of the military leader Hippias.
The theme of the Oeconomicus is household management. He begins the dialogue by recounting how Zeno, the younger brother of Hippias, persuaded his father to adopt austerities for the soul. He then goes on to detail how his father and the other Wise men adopted austerities that were stricter than those adopted by the younger philosophers. This became the basis for the later Stoicism of Zenos. The theme of the Oeconomicus is the need to manage or sublimate emotional and intellectual impulses through self-control and rational calculation.
In the final analysis, the aim of the Xenophon is not so much to tell how things should be but how individuals can achieve their goals by using the tools and skills they have at their disposal. In essence, the focus lies in helping the reader understand the distinction between reason and will. While will may sometimes seem to override reason, the truth is that the former leads to a goal that may not be attainable but the latter always makes possible the realization of that goal by the use of the tools of will. The purpose of the dialogue therefore is not so that the audience can gain an insight into Stoic metaphysics but rather that the audience be made more familiar with the different elements of Stoic metaphysics as part of a larger context that may lead them to Stoic wisdom.
Stoicism is said to be the most philosophical of the three principal schools of Ancient Greece. That is because the school started as an offshoot of the Greek ideal of a life guided by “the gods”. Thus, the theme of the dialogue is about how a person can achieve happiness despite the fact that the will of the person’s culture may be against it. The idea is that Stoicism gives people the tools for achieving happiness and freedom.
The theme of the dialogue also reveals how important it is to understand the role that emotions play in Zeno’s ideas. In his Against Parmenides, Zeno makes it clear that the concept of necessity (the idea that something must be done in order for a thing to be produced) is not necessary for happiness or for the attainment of the highest level of intellectual and emotional happiness. In the later works, he makes clear that the concept of necessity is only a product of human reasoning. Thus we see the relevance of the theme of Xenophon’s work in helping us understand the ideas of his philosophical works.
The second theme is the question of why the concept of Parmenides needs to be introduced into the world. As suggested by the previous discussion, the idea that there is only one fundamental kind of reality, and that all other kinds are mere accidents are an idea that flies in the face of the materialist metaphysics. Zeno contends that all knowledge can be understood in terms of its application to the world as it actually is, including the fundamental principles of physical reality. To the extent that the metaphysical principles are understood in this way, they will provide the grounds on which individuals and organizations can rationally commit to action. As a result, the concepts of Parmenides are introduced into the philosophical dialogue to assist the readers in seeing how they can begin to rationalize and commit to the necessities of the world as they actually are. This introduction serves to strengthen the impact of the first theme of this paper, the importance of interpreting the metaphysics of the essay.
The third and final theme is the idea that knowledge can be found in the form of ideas. To this end, the majority of the essays utilizes the figure of the philosopher as the device through which ideas can be found and utilized. The metaphysics of Xenophon serve as the ground for the understanding of his ideas. To this end, the ideas of Xenophon are presented as well, thereby helping the students see how the metaphysics of Xenophon help them to advance their own ideas.
These three themes, when considered together, allow for a closer examination of the ideas and arguments of the works that make up the Xenophon’s dialogues. The theme of metaphysics provides the basis for understanding the concepts of the works. The second theme of interpretation focuses on the ways that metaphysics and interpretation interact to help with the understanding of the works. Finally, the third theme provides the background against which the ideas of the Xenophon’s work are analyzed.
In order to fully appreciate the contribution that the Xenophon’s works have made to the field of philosophy, it is important to examine all three themes that are intertwined within the larger theme of Xenophon’s metaphysics. These three themes provide the framework from which the works derive meaning. When these three themes are examined individually, the true value of Xenophon’s works becomes apparent. The works that make up the Xenophon’s metaphysics, and the structure of the metaphysics, are valuable for the understanding of metaphysics and its role in society. Furthermore, the numerous works that form part of the Xenophon’s philosophical literary compositions provide insight into the role of metaphysics in modern society.