"Prospective readers puzzled by the somewhat enigmatic title Backing into the Future may well come to the conclusion that it is a reference to the amusing film produced in 1985, called Back to the Future . But in fact the source of the title is much older. The phrase is based on a number of expressions found in ancient Greek literary texts: the chorus's description of its bewilderment in Sophocles's Oedipus the King , for example -- 'not seeing what is here nor what is behind' -- or the characterization of an older man ...
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"Prospective readers puzzled by the somewhat enigmatic title Backing into the Future may well come to the conclusion that it is a reference to the amusing film produced in 1985, called Back to the Future . But in fact the source of the title is much older. The phrase is based on a number of expressions found in ancient Greek literary texts: the chorus's description of its bewilderment in Sophocles's Oedipus the King , for example -- 'not seeing what is here nor what is behind' -- or the characterization of an older man in Homer's Odyssey as 'the one who sees what is in front and what is behind.' The natural reaction of the modern reader is to understand the first of these expressions as 'not seeing the present nor the past, ' and the second as 'who sees the future and the past.' But the Greek word opiso , which means literally 'behind' or 'back, ' refers not to the past but to the future. The early Greek imagination envisaged the past and the present as in front of us - we can see them. The future, invisible, is behind us. Only a few very wise men can see what is behind them; some of these men, like the blind prophet Tiresias, have been given this privilege by the gods. The rest of us, though we have our eyes, are walking blind, backwards into the future." --from the Foreword
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Add this copy of Backing Into the Future: the Classical Tradition and to cart. $9.19, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
Add this copy of Backing Into the Future: the Classical Tradition and to cart. $9.19, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
Add this copy of Backing Into the Future: the Classical Tradition and to cart. $9.19, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
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Add this copy of Backing Into the Future-the Classical Tradition & Itâ²S to cart. $16.46, very good condition, Sold by Gareth Roberts rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rhydcymerau, Llandeilo, CARMARTHESHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
Add this copy of Backing Into the Future: the Classical Tradition and to cart. $17.99, very good condition, Sold by A Cappella Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Atlanta, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
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Add this copy of Backing Into the Future: the Classical Tradition and to cart. $23.02, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. Could have library markings. Ships promptly!
Add this copy of Backing Into the Future: the Classical Tradition and to cart. $23.70, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
Add this copy of Backing Into the Future to cart. $23.77, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1994 by W. W. Norton & Company.
