The Third Way: New Directions in Platonic StudiesFrancisco J. Gonzalez The study of Plato's dialogues has traditionally oscillated between two paradigms: one that portrays the dialogues as treatises expounding doctrines and one that sees them as purely skeptical, rhetorical, or literary. This collection of new essays by twelve noted Plato scholars illustrates the fruitfulness of breaking away from those paradigms, which have divided Platonic scholarship and led it to a number of dead ends. While the essays are diverse in their approaches, each seeks to find a 'third way' to understand Plato, reading him as neither a dogmatist nor a skeptic but as a philosopher capable of reconciling the content and form of his writings. |
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Academy Ancient Greece Ancient Philosophy Arcesilaus argue argument Aristotle Athenian Athens audience believe Cambridge University Press character characterization Charmides claim conception of philosophy courage Critias definition dialectic dialogue form Diogenes Laertius discourse discussion divine doctrines dogmatic dogmatist dramatic Eleatic Euthyphro example exhibits expressed Gorgias Greek Havelock Homer hypothesis ideas inquiry instantiation interlocutors interpretation of Plato Interpreting Plato irony kind Laches language Literacy logos matter means Metaphysics method myth Neoplatonic Nicias object oral Oxford paradigm Parmenides Phaedo Phaedrus Philebus philosophical knowledge Plato Plato wrote Plato's dialogues Plato's philosophy Plato's Progress Polus present problem propositions Protagoras question readers reflexive refutation Republic rhetoric Ryle scholars sense Seventh Letter Simmias skeptical interpretation Socrates's Sophist soul speakers speech Statesman Studies stylometric suggests Symposium techne temperance Theaetetus theory things Timaeus treatise truth understanding unity unwritten teachings virtue Wolfgang Wieland words writing written York young Socrates