Form and Argument in Late Plato

by: Gill, C. McCabe, M.M.

Price: 60,00 EURO

1 copy in stock

Form and Argument in Late Plato
Edited by Christopher Gill and Mary Margaret McCabe
Clarendon Press

The relation between literary form and philosophical content is a fashionable subject in Platonic studies
First-class line-up of contributors from the US, UK, and Germany, all internationally known and respected
All essays specially written for this volume
Individual chapters focus on eight of Plato's most important works

Description
Why did Plato put his philosophical arguments into dialogues, rather than presenting them in a plain and readily understandable fashion? In writing rich tales of philosophical encounters, does Plato desert clarity in favour of seducing his readers with fine words, or is there a philosophical reason behind the form of his argument? While recent work has focused on the literary brilliance of the early dialogues, the late dialogues present a particular problem: they lack the vivid literary character of Plato's earlier works, and the dialogue structure seems to be a mere formality. Is there a philosophical reason why Plato's late works are in the form of dialogues? In this volume, a group of internationally prominent scholars address that question. Their answers are fresh, varied, and powerfully argued.

This volume offers both a series of first-class essays on major late Platonic dialogues and a discussion which has important implications for the study of philosophical method and the relation between philosophy and literature. It shows that the literary form and modes of dialectic of the late dialogues are richly rewarding to study, and that doing so is of deep importance for Plato's philosophical project.

Author Information
Edited by Christopher Gill, Professor of Ancient Thought, University of Exeter, and Mary Margaret McCabe, Professor of Philosophy, King's College London

Form and Argument in Late Plato

by: Gill, C. McCabe, M.M.

• ISBN-13: 9780199241422 / 978-0-19-924142-2
• ISBN-03: 0199241422 / 0-19-924142-2
• Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000

Price: 60,00 EURO

1 copy in stock