Through the contributions of specialists in the field, this volume addresses the still open question of the role and status of myth in Plato’s dialogues and thereby speaks to the broader problem of the relation between philosophy and ...

A partir de réflexions qui mettent en perspective différentes approches philosophiques, cet ouvrage présente une vision prospective de la philosophie - vision pensée sous l'horizon de la philosophie grecque. La philosophie ne peut, semble t-il, se développer indépendamment de toute référence grecque, c'est-à-dire aussi de ce qui constitue son origine. L'enjeu est de tracer les contours d'une philosophie à venir à partir d'une réflexion sur une contribution possible ou nécessaire de la philosophie grecque. On s'interroge sur le sens, les significations (...) et la pertinence de la philosophie grecque aujourd'hui : y a-t-il une nécessité à revenir aux origines de la philosophie, à son premier moment grec? Quelle serait la nature d'une telle nécessité? En quoi la philosophie grecque pourrait-elle constituer une référence obligée et comment penser cette référence? Y a t-il une actualité de la philosophie grecque? Telles sont les différentes questions auxquelles les auteurs de ce livre ont tenté de répondre. (shrink)

Homère nous présente dans l'Odyssée son activite poétique à travers deux aèdes, Phémios et Démodokos, et un conteur hors pair, Ulysse. II s'en degage une conception de la poésie qui apparait comme un melange de vérites et de faussetés. Une telle définition nous conduit, par une réflexion sur les notions de vraisemblable et de monde simulé, a penser la poesie d'Homere comme un recit fictionnel. Homer in his Odyssey presents his poetic activity through two aeds, i. e. Phemios and Demodokos, (...) and through an exceptional master of tale-telling, i. e. Ulysses. Hence a new conception of poetry as a mixture of thruths and falsities. Such a definition leads us, through a reflexion on the concepts of verisimilitude and simulated world, to think Homer's poetry as a fictional narrative. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Aristotle's Review of the Presocratics:Is Aristotle Finally a Historian of Philosophy?1Catherine Collobert (bio)"Just as inexperienced soldiers in fights, rushing forward from all sides, often strike fine blows, but without knowledge, so they do not seem to understand what they say" (Met. 985a13-16). This negative judgment of Aristotle about his predecessors has been the object of numerous controversies, which could be summarized by the following question: was Aristotle writing (...) philosophy or history of philosophy when he set out the doctrines of his predecessors?This controversy was reopened2 by H. Cherniss,3 according to whom the Aristotelian review of the Presocratics rests upon, on the one hand, the firm belief of Aristotle that each Presocratic groped around the truth and, on the other hand, the fact that Aristotle judged their mistakes and successes in the light of his own system, understood as the final realization of previous doctrines.4 W. K. C. Guthrie [End Page 281] has replied—renewing Jaeger's arguments5—to Cherniss's thesis, by arguing that Metaphysics, books 1 and 2 show that Aristotle respected the first thinkers and had "a stronger historical sense than most original philosophers possess."6 More recently, H.-G. Gadamer has stated that Aristotle and Plato as well provide "the sole philosophical access to an interpretation of the Presocratics."7To answer the question if Aristotle is a historian of philosophy requires, as a preliminary, a definition of 'history of philosophy.' Now, neither Cherniss nor Guthrie raises the question of the nature of this history—their discussion dealing mainly with the reliability of Aristotle's testimony. Cherniss refuses to bestow on Aristotle the status of historian because he constantly misinterpreted, even betrayed, the Presocratics by a willful lack of exactness. The betrayal is a consequence of a freedom taken by Aristotle toward the texts, which is a corollary of a philosophical but not a historical goal. On the contrary, if one supposes with Guthrie that Aristotle is a historian of philosophy, one has nevertheless to admit that he is one in a very special sense. Indeed he does not respect any of the rules accepted nowadays. It has been a long time, as J. Brunschwig points out without any irony, since "Aristotle summarized Empedocles in eight lines, ending his summary by adding that 'one can realize that in reading his poem.'"8The discussion concerning Aristotle's historical method results from his systematic review of the forerunners' doctrines, of which Aristotle is not really the father. Indeed, as J. Mansfeld reminds us, "the rudimentary beginnings of the historiography of Greek philosophy may be dated to the period of the Sophists."9 In order to understand the nature of Aristotle's discussion of the Presocratics, one has first to understand the methodological role of his review of the Presocratics' doctrines. In other words, one must determine whether this review is to be considered as an act of history of philosophy, consisting in a report and an explanation, i.e., an interpretation of these doctrines, or as being an opportunity to philosophize. Many points are at stake. First, this issue is interesting for historians of Presocratic philosophy (who are compelled to question the authenticity of the fragments quoted by Aristotle), and second, for those who think about methods used in the history of philosophy, and finally, for those who raise questions about the relationship between philosophy and its history.In order to clarify the notion of history of philosophy, one could borrow a definition from M. Gueroult:It is a fact that a historical succession of doctrines exists. If one considers it from a strictly historical point of view, this succession has to appear as a succession of events that are [End Page 282] subject to the laws of a historical determinism, explainable by the play of contingent and individual causes, where the past is evoked only as an explanatory factor for the present. The succession of doctrines will thus constitute historical data.10Gueroult deduces elsewhere11 the existence de facto of history of philosophy from the existence of studies and researches on past philosophies. History of philosophy implies first that philosophy has a past to examine... (shrink)

This paper attempts to demonstrate that the Socratic critique of Gorgias’ rhetoric is not merely destructive, but actually constructive and leads to the consideration of an important rhetorical component in Socratic cross-examination, as practised in the Gorgias. I argue that the Socratic critique of rhetoric is based on the moral neutrality of Sophistic rhetoric, defining it first as a tool, then as an art of manipulation, which might lead to immoralism, as embodied by Callicles. Yet there is a positive manipulation (...) that is practised by Socrates. Having as its devices irony and parrhêsia, it aims at a psychological destabilisation of the interlocutor through the emotion of shame. In fact, shame appears to be a powerful means of refutation. Yet the destabilisation does not cause the interlocutor to adhere to a new belief and to arouse in him pleasure, as in the case of Gorgias’ rhetoric, but rather it seeks to provoke the desire to philosophise. (shrink)

Cet ouvrage constitue la version révisée d'une thèse de doctorat soutenue à la Scuola Normale Superiore de Pise, et traduite en anglais. Composé de quatre chapitres, l'ouvrage se propose d'abord d'examiner le rôle que Platon attribue à la musique dans l'éducation, pour ensuite analyser la relation que la musique entretient avec l'âme et le corps. F. Pelosi étudie la conception platonicienne de la musique et envisage son importance pour comprendre non seulement la relation corps-esprit chez Platon, mais (…) - 12. (...) Plato 12 (2012). (shrink)

Cet ouvrage, composé de huit chapitres et de neuf appendices (qui contiennent des précisions utiles sur la méthode proposée), présente une thèse originale et controversée selon laquelle une structure musicale sous-tend les dialogues platoniciens, et en permet une plus riche compréhension. J. B. Kennedy s'appuie sur deux dialogues, le Banquet et l'Euthyphron pour la démontrer. Avant d'introduire sa méthodologie, il prend soin de tracer l'origine de ce type d'interprétation pour en défendre la pertinence. (…) - 12. Plato 12 (2012).

Homère nous présente dans l'Odyssée son activite poétique à travers deux aèdes, Phémios et Démodokos, et un conteur hors pair, Ulysse. II s'en degage une conception de la poésie qui apparait comme un melange de vérites et de faussetés. Une telle définition nous conduit, par une réflexion sur les notions de vraisemblable et de monde simulé, a penser la poesie d'Homere comme un recit fictionnel.

Ce numéro spécial consacré à Marcel Conche réunit des philosophes et historiens de la philosophie qui ont été influencés à des titres divers par sa pensée, laquelle a nourri ou nourrit encore leurs réflexions. Marcel Conche a acquis aujourd’hui une place d’importance dans le paysage philosophique français. Bien que ses travaux d’historien soient moins connus du grand public, ce..

Cet ouvrage de R. B. Onians, un classique dans le monde anglo-saxon, est enfin disponible au public français. Son titre ambitieux exprime le projet de l'auteur: comprendre comment notre pensée occidentale s'est construite en remontant à sa source originelle et essentielle, à celui qui fut considéré comme l'éducateur des Grecs: Homère. Le nerf de cette compréhension est l'analyse du vocabulaire, principalement homérique donc, qui situe cet ouvrage, comme l'indique à juste titre B. Cassin, dans sa présentation de l'édition française, «entre (...) dictionnaire étymologique et vocabulaire spécialisé». Cette compréhension s'appuie sur l'examen des croyances relatives à l'âme et au corps, à la vie, à la mort, aux dieux et à leurs rôles dans la sphère humaine, au destin et au temps chez les peuples grec et romain. Ce volume est divisé en trois parties: L'esprit et le corps; L'âme immortelle et le corps; Le destin et le temps. (shrink)

Philosophie de la culture grecque est un ouvrage qui rassemble une cinquantaine de textes de différentes origines. Cet ouvrage s’inscrit dans le prolongement des travaux d’E. Moutsopoulos, parmi lesquels La musique dans l’œuvre de Platon, La philosophie de la musique dans la dramaturgie antique. Formation et structure ou encore Les structures de l’imaginaire dans la philosophie de Proclus. L’unité de l’ouvrage se dégage au terme d’un parcours où se découvre progressivement sa logique interne. Les grands moments, c’est-à-dire aussi les grandes (...) figures, de la philosophie grecque depuis ses origines jusqu’au XXe siècle y sont présentés. L’idée directrice est de montrer le rayonnement de la pensée grecque dans l’histoire de l’Occident et d’en exposer les temps forts. L’influence décisive de la Grèce dans le passé, sous le nom d’humanisme, peut et doit être prolongée, selon notre auteur, dans l’Europe d’aujourd’hui. Composé de sept parties, l’ouvrage est centré sur ces deux grandes figures que sont Platon et Aristote, autour et à partir desquelles la philosophie s’est développée. L’enjeu de l’ouvrage est dans son titre même, puisqu’il s’agit de la possibilité d’une philosophie de la culture grecque. (shrink)

A DISCUSSION OF: CATHERINE COLLOBERT, PIERRE DESTRÉE, FRANCISCO J. GONZALEZ , PLATO AND MYTH: STUDIES ON THE USE AND STATUS OF PLATONIC MYTHS. MNEMOSYNE. SUPPLEMENTS, 337. LEIDEN/BOSTON: BRILL, 2012. PP. VIII + 476. ISBN 9789004218666. $222.00.

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Reviewed by:Plato and the PoetsCatalin ParteniePierre Destrée and Fritz-Gregor Herrmann, editors. Plato and the Poets. Mnemosyne Supplements: Monographs on Greek and Latin Language and Literature, 328. Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2011. Pp. xxii + 434. Cloth, $217.00.This beautifully produced volume is a collection of nineteen essays, half of them being initially presented as papers given at a 2006 conference in Louvain. Seven chapters focus on the Republic and address a variety (...) of issues: the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry (Glenn W. Most); Plato’s criticism of poetry and his negative attitude toward women (Penelope Murray); mimêsis as appearance-making (Gabriel Richardson); the meaning of mimêsis (Jera Marušič); Plato’s criticism and appreciation of poetry (Stephen Halliwell); thumos and the criticism of poetry (Pierre Destrée); painting, poetry, and the cognitive division of the soul (Rachel Singpurwalla). One chapter deals with myth, invented story, and true account in the Timaeus (Gretchen Reydams-Schils). Two are devoted to the Laws—mimetic correctness and choric poetry (Antony Hatzistavrou), and tragedy and philosophy (Susan Sauvé Meyer). The remaining nine chapters deal with other dialogues, although they are often discussed in connection with the Republic; the topics they discuss include: theia moira, enthousiasmos, and mimêsis in Gorgias (Fritz-Gregor Herrmann); divine possession, inspiration, and mimêsis in Ion and Republic (with references to Plato’s entire corpus, Catherine Collobert); the poet and the rhapsode as hermêneus in Ion (Carlotta Capuccino); the poet, the mad lover, and the mad philosopher as the true interpreter in Ion and Phaedrus (Francisco Gonzalez); inspiration and Plato’s psychology in Ion, Phaedrus, Politicus, Philebus, Timaeus (Stefan Büttner); theia moira in Ion and Meno, and the poets’ incomplete ascension in Symposium (Dominic Scott); Plato’s use of poetry and poets in Symposium (Elizabeth Bel-fiore); poetry and image-making in Republic and Sophist (Noburu Notomi); and poetry, the tripartition of the soul and the Form of Beauty in Phaedrus (Elizabeth Pender).As Stephen Halliwell put it in his essay, there is the seemingly Platonic attitude “which criticizes, censors and even ‘banishes’ poets, and which speaks in terms of unmasking the false pretensions and the damaging influence of poetry. But there is also the Platonic stance which never ceases to allow the voices of poetry to be heard in Plato’s own writing, which presupposes not only extensive knowledge but also ‘love’ of poetry on the part of Plato’s readers, and which at certain key junctures claims for itself nothing less than the status of a new kind of philosophical poetry and art: the status, indeed, of ‘the greatest music’ [Phaedo 61a; cf. Phaedrus 248d, 259b] and even of ‘the finest and best tragedy’ [Laws 817b]” (241). All the contributors address, in one way or another, the puzzling contrast between these two views on poetry. Halliwell, for instance, claims that Book X of the Republic “offers not a simple repudiation of the best poets but a complicated counterpoint in which resistance and attraction to their work are intertwined, a counterpoint which (among other things) explores the problem of whether, and in what sense, it might be possible to be a ‘philosophical lover’ of poetry” (244). While Most argues that “there is little or no evidence for any consciousness” of a generic opposition between philosophy and poetry tout court before Plato, “this opposition may even be in the process of being constructed” in his Republic (19) (Notomi, too, discusses this topic, and refers to the view according to which the “ancient quarrel” was Plato’s invention). [End Page 291]In reading the nineteen essays of this volume, one realizes that in Plato there is not just one poetics, or two contrasting views on poetry, but—as the editors put it—“several models of what poetry is and what the poets do” (xxii). One would have liked that these several models be explicitly discussed in a concluding chapter. The editors, however, acknowledge that neither they nor their authors aimed at achieving a unified vision of the subject: “While certain recurring themes crystallize themselves with increasing complexity in the course of the various discussions, there remain both contradictions and incompatibilities between results... (shrink)

Gabriela Cursaru, Benoît Castelnérac, Yvon Lafrance, Catherine Collobert, Daniel Larose, Francisco Gonzalez, Sara Magrin, George Englebretsen, David Konstan, Margaret R. Graver, Bulletin de philosophie ancienne, Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale, No. 3, Empédocle. Les Dieux, le sacrifice et la grâce (JUILLET-SEPTEMBRE 2012), pp. 403-454.

"Systematizes and develops in a comprehensive study Nelson Goodman's philosophy of language. The Goodman-Elgin point of view is important and sophisticated, and deals with a number of issues, such as metaphor, ignored by most other theories." --John R. Perry, Stanford University.

Stoic work on ambiguity represents one of the most innovative, sophisticated and rigorous contributions to philosophy and the study of language in western antiquity. This book is both a comprehensive survey of the often difficult and scattered sources, and an attempt to locate Stoic material in the rich array of contexts, ancient and modern, which alone can guarantee full appreciation of its subtlety, scope and complexity. The comparisons and contrasts which this book constructs will intrigue not just classical scholars, and (...) philosophers, but also logicians, theoretical linguists, communication theorists and historians of grammar and of literary theory. The Stoics on Ambiguity is designed to be intelligible to readers with no Greek or Latin. (shrink)

Understanding, as I construe it, is holistic. It is a matter of how commitments mesh to form a mutually supportive, independently supported system of thought. It is advanced by bootstrapping. We start with what we think we know and build from there. This makes education continuous with what goes on at the cutting edge of inquiry. Methods, standards, categories and stances are as important as facts. So something like E. D. Hirsch’s list of facts every fourth grader should know is (...) slightly silly. What makes for a good fourth grade education is not the set of facts the fourth grader knows, but the level of understanding she has achieved and the resources she can deploy to advance that understanding. Facts are part of the story, but so are fictions, methods, standards, and categories. A major part of understanding is recognizing what problems remain to be solved. (shrink)