Author Description
Phaedrus Is Widely Recognized As One Of Plato's Most Profound And Beautiful Works. It Takes The Form Of A Dialogue Between Socrates And Phaedrus And Its Ostensible Subject Is Love, Especially Homoerotic Love. Socrates Reveals It To Be A Kind Of Divine Madness That Can Allow Our Souls To Grow Wings And Soar To Their Greatest Heights. Then The Conversation Changes Direction And Turns To A Discussion Of Rhetoric, Which Must Be Based On Truth Passionately Sought, Thus Allying It To Philosophy. The Dialogue Closes By Denigrating The Value Of The Written Word In Any Context, Compared To The Living Teaching Of A Socratic Philosopher. The Shifts Of Topic And Register Have Given Rise To Doubts About The Unity Of The Dialogue, Doubts Which Are Addressed In The Introduction To This Volume. Full Explanatory Notes Also Elucidate Issues Throughout The Dialogue That Might Puzzle A Modern Reader.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the nature of love, the mechanics of rhetoric, and the superiority of oral dialectic over written communication. Plato, the foundational figure of Western philosophy, utilizes the Socratic method to explore how divine madness facilitates the soul's ascent toward truth. The text argues that rhetoric, when divorced from philosophical inquiry and truth, remains a hollow art, whereas true communication requires a deep understanding of the human soul and the nature of reality.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A detailed examination of the tripartite soul and the metaphor of the charioteer.
- A critique of the limitations and potential dangers of written texts compared to living dialogue.
- An analysis of the relationship between erotic desire and the pursuit of wisdom.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a comprehensive manual for public speaking, focusing instead on the ethical and philosophical foundations of discourse.
- It does not offer a systematic theology, but rather uses mythological imagery to illustrate metaphysical concepts.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars frequently identify this dialogue as a pivotal text for understanding Plato's later metaphysical development and his complex views on the written word. Readers often note the density of the prose and the necessity of the provided scholarly notes to navigate the shifts between the dialogue's disparate thematic sections.
Page Count:
176
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191589535
ISBN-13:
9780191589539
Philosophy
Rhetoric
Classical Philosophy
Dialogues
Ethics