Myth and Philosophy in Plato's Phaedrus

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ancient, Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Myth and Philosophy in Plato's Phaedrus by Daniel S. Werner, Cambridge University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Daniel S. Werner ISBN: 9781139540131
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: July 9, 2012
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Daniel S. Werner
ISBN: 9781139540131
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: July 9, 2012
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

Plato's dialogues frequently criticize traditional Greek myth, yet Plato also integrates myth with his writing. Daniel S. Werner confronts this paradox through an in-depth analysis of the Phaedrus, Plato's most mythical dialogue. Werner argues that the myths of the Phaedrus serve several complex functions: they bring nonphilosophers into the philosophical life; they offer a starting point for philosophical inquiry; they unify the dialogue as a literary and dramatic whole; they draw attention to the limits of language and the limits of knowledge; and they allow Plato to co-opt cultural authority as a way of defining and legitimating the practice of philosophy. Platonic myth, as a species of traditional tale, is thus both distinct from philosophical dialectic and similar to it. Ultimately, the most powerful effect of Platonic myth is the way in which it leads readers to participate in Plato's dialogues and to engage in a process of self-examination.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Plato's dialogues frequently criticize traditional Greek myth, yet Plato also integrates myth with his writing. Daniel S. Werner confronts this paradox through an in-depth analysis of the Phaedrus, Plato's most mythical dialogue. Werner argues that the myths of the Phaedrus serve several complex functions: they bring nonphilosophers into the philosophical life; they offer a starting point for philosophical inquiry; they unify the dialogue as a literary and dramatic whole; they draw attention to the limits of language and the limits of knowledge; and they allow Plato to co-opt cultural authority as a way of defining and legitimating the practice of philosophy. Platonic myth, as a species of traditional tale, is thus both distinct from philosophical dialectic and similar to it. Ultimately, the most powerful effect of Platonic myth is the way in which it leads readers to participate in Plato's dialogues and to engage in a process of self-examination.

More books from Cambridge University Press

Cover of the book The Causal Power of Social Structures by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Governing Digitally Integrated Genetic Resources, Data, and Literature by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Tractability by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book The Cambridge Handbook of Deliberative Constitutionalism by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Effective Teaching and Successful Learning by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Democratization and Research Methods by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book International Authority and the Responsibility to Protect by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book The Cambridge Companion to W. E. B. Du Bois by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Art and Vision in the Inca Empire by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Fundamentals of Anaesthesia by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book The Elements of Hittite by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Interactional Linguistics by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Wavelets by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Proportionality and the Rule of Law by Daniel S. Werner
Cover of the book Comprehensive Electromyography by Daniel S. Werner
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy