Myth and philosophy in Plato's Phaedrus / Daniel S. Werner.
By: Werner, Daniel S.
Material type:
BookPublisher: Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2012Description: vi, 302 p. ; 24 cm.ISBN: 9781107021280.Subject(s): Plato. Phaedrus | Rhetoric, Ancient -- Early works to 1800 | Love -- Early works to 1800 | PHILOSOPHY / History & Surveys / Ancient & ClassicalDDC classification: 184 Online resources: Contributor biographical information | Table of contents only | Publisher description Summary: "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"--
| Item type | Current location | Call number | Status | Date due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Non Fiction
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BardBerlinLibrary | 184 Wer 2012 (Browse shelf) | Available |
Browsing BardBerlinLibrary Shelves Close shelf browser
| 184 Tuo 2011 Plato's Charmides : | 184 War 2005 Descent of Socrates : | 184 War 2013 Arguing with Socrates : | 184 Wer 2012 Myth and philosophy in Plato's Phaedrus / | 1841999 Plato on rhetoric and language : | 185 ADL 1990 Great books of the Western world [8] Aristotle II | 185 ADL 1990 Great books of the Western world [7] Aristotle I |
Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-293) and index.
"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"--
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