Plato's _Hippias Minor_ has long been considered puzzling in its philosophical purpose, its characterization of Socrates, and its overall design. Departing from a tradition of scholarship that largely relegates the dialogue to the fringes of the Platonic corpus, this volume offers a fresh translation into English and a comprehensive re-evaluation of the dialogue's philosophical content and literary construction. Ravi Sharma argues that _Hippias Minor_ contributes significantly to our understanding of Plato's conception of intentional action and that the dialogue's ideas form the basis for reflections in moral psychology that may be found elsewhere in the Platonic corpus. The portrait of Socrates in the dialogue is one of Plato's more subtle explorations of his epistemic complexity: Socrates is shown to be wedded to the arguments he makes despite understanding that they entail significant difficulties for the development of a broader theory of intentional action. The overall literary design of _Hippias Minor_ is revealed to be fully appropriate to Plato as a writer of dialogue, a master of character-portrayal, and an innovative commentator on his intellectual and cultural milieu. The commentary engages expansively with the history of scholarship in the major linguistic and methodological traditions, supporting an interpretation of the dialogue that fully integrates its philosophical and literary dimensions, and that draws on neglected historical evidence concerning the sophist Hippias to explain Plato's portrayal of him. The volume also provides a fresh examination of the relationship of Hippias Minor to relevant works by Xenophon and Antisthenes, offering a case study of the literary and intellectual relationships among first-generation Socratic authors.
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Analysis, Text, Translation, and Commentary

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780198939924
Publisert
2025
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Oxford University Press Academic UK
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok

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