Plato and the Art of Philosophical WritingPlato's dialogues are usually understood as simple examples of philosophy in action. In this book Professor Rowe treats them rather as literary-philosophical artefacts, shaped by Plato's desire to persuade his readers to exchange their view of life and the universe for a different view which, from their present perspective, they will barely begin to comprehend. What emerges is a radically new Plato: a Socratic throughout, who even in the late dialogues is still essentially the Plato (and the Socrates) of the Apology and the so-called 'Socratic' dialogues. This book aims to understand Plato both as a philosopher and as a writer, on the assumption that neither of these aspects of the dialogues can be understood without the other. The argument of the book is closely based in Plato's text, but should be accessible to any serious reader of Plato, whether professional philosopher, classicist, or student. |
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accept action actually allows already answer appear approach argue argument aspects beauty beginning believe called chapter claim comes context conversation course desire dialectic dialogue form dialogues discussion division doctrinal early especially essential evidently example fact find first forms fundamental genuine give given human ideas important insofar interlocutors interpreters kind knowledge least leave less live look matter means Menexenus merely metaphysical middle mind move nature never objects Parmenides particular perhaps person perspective philosophical Plato Plato’s Socrates political position possibility present principle propose question readers reading reason referring relation represent Republic respect sceptical Sedley seems sense simply Socrates someone Sophist sort soul speaker suppose talk tend Theaetetus theory things thinking thought Timaeus treat truth turn typically understanding usually writing written