Plato's Philebus: A Philosophical DiscussionPanos Dimas, Russell E. Jones, Gabriel R. Lear The Philebus is an extraordinarily creative and profound examination of what makes for a good human life, containing some of Plato's most sophisticated discussions of moral psychology, knowledge, metaphysics, and philosophical methodology. The Philebushad a far greater influence on Aristotle's ethics than the frequently studied Republic - yet historians of philosophical ethics have relatively neglected it and existing commentaries tend to emphasize certain aspects at the expense of others. This edited volume, the first of its kind, brings together leading scholars of ancient philosophy to take a fresh and comprehensive look at this important work. Each essay focuses on a relatively brief section of the Philebus and discusses the passages methodically, covering topics such as pleasure, knowledge, philosophical method, and the human good in detail. The result is not and is not intended to be a commentary, nor does it aim to present a unified interpretation. It is instead a series of close, original philosophical examinations, often in conversation with each other, which together provide continuous coverage of the Philebus. This reference work, a useful resource for teaching and studying, is valuable reading for researchers, scholars, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates interested in Plato, ancient Greek ethics, and in the history of ethics. |
Contents
Revelations of Reason An Orientation to Reading Platos Philebus | 1 |
Rethinking the Contest Between Pleasure and Wisdom Philebus 11a14b | 17 |
Division and Classification Philebus 14c20a | 34 |
Why Pleasure and Reason are not the Good Philebus 20b23b | 55 |
The Fourfold Division of Beings Philebus 23b27c | 71 |
Intelligence as Cause Philebus 27c31b | 90 |
The Independence of the Soul from the Body Philebus 31b36c | 106 |
Two Ways in which Pleasures can be False Philebus 36c42c | 124 |
Plato on Pleasures from Comedy vPhilebus 47d50e | 163 |
Truth Beauty Purity and Pleasure Philebus 50e53c | 184 |
The Final Attack on Hedonism Philebus 53c55c | 202 |
Knowledge and Measurement Philebus 55c59d | 219 |
Cooking Up the Good Life with Socrates Philebus 59d64c | 235 |
The Dialogues Finale Philebus 64c67b | 253 |
269 | |
279 | |
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Plato's Philebus: A Philosophical Discussion Panos Dimas,Russell E. Jones,Gabriel R. Lear Limited preview - 2019 |
Common terms and phrases
answer appears argue argument asks beautiful beginning bodily body called cause Chapter claim clear combination comes complete concerned conclude condition consider context contrast crafts described desire determinate dialectic dialogue discussion distinction divided divine division doxa earlier example experience fact false feel follows Frede genus give given Hedonism human idea identify implies important ingredients intelligence intense interpretation introduces involved kind knowledge lack least less limit living matter means measure mentioned mixed mixture nature Note objects pain passage perhaps Philebus phthonos Plato pleasure and pain position possible precisely present produce proposes Protarchus pure pleasures question ranking reading reason reference relation Republic responsible restoration seems sense Socrates sort soul sounds speak species Stroppies suggests supposed things third translation true truth turn understand universe unlimited wants whole wisdom