I, too, sail past: Odysseus and the logic of self-control

Abstract

In opposition to previous studies that used only the image of the bound Odysseus, this paper examines the story of his encounter with the Sirens exegetically to glean specific propositions concerning rational behavior, self-control, and story-telling. These propositions are then tested against the behavior of alcoholics, both lost and reformed, both drowned and dried, and against the principles espoused by Alcoholics Anonymous.