Aristotle and I assume other Greeks of his era used the striking phrase __men in action__ for citizens in a polis:
> Since the objects of imitation are men in action, and these men must be either of a higher or a lower type… it follows that we must represent men either as better than in real life, or as worse, or as they are.”
In other places we can translate "living persons" from the greek literally meaning of "men doing or experiencing something."
Another etymological source that argues for the centrality of doing things or action in Greek thought comes from: > "Drama" being derived from δρᾶν "to do."
I do not know yet what this all means, other than a much stronger emphasis on deed historically over intention. As Stafford Beer states: > The purpose of a system is what it does.
It saddens me somewhat. In my personal development I began in my late 20s to consider there to be little difference between damage caused by conscious ill-intent, or from a predictable aspect of character regardless of self-awareness of the pattern of behaviour.
This view seems harsh. But what to do when faced everywhere we look by self-denial. By modern standards I am quite sure the greeks were harsh.
# Links - http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0056%3Asection%3D1448a