An original reading of three Platonic dialogues concerned with the
soul, tyranny, self-knowledge, and the beautiful. Guided by the
question "What is Socratic self-knowledge," this study begins with
Plato's Charmides because it is within this work, more than any other,
that the utility of self-knowledge becomes the predominant theme. In
this dialogue, Socrates explores the possibility of the very
culmination of his philosophical investigations—knowledge of
ignorance. This happens through an investigation of the perplexing
concept, sôphrosunê. Alan Pichanick's approach offers a new
perspective upon the perplexing exploration of sôphrosunê in the
Charmides by placing much greater emphasis on the neglected "erotic
setting" in the dramatic introduction and argues that our reading of
the rest of the dialogue should be done in light of this dramatic
setting. The erotic setting of the Charmides combined with the
discussion of philosophical wonder in the Symposium and tyrannical
erôs in the Republic gives guidance about how to think about the
potential connection between Socratic self-knowledge and knowledge of
the good and also shows why the characters of Charmides and Critias
fail to come to such knowledge. Here we have the Platonic diagnosis of
the tyrant, whose soul never wonders at anything beyond itself.
Les mer
Erôs, Thumos, and Socratic Self-Knowledge in the Charmides, Republic, and Symposium
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9798855803921
Publisert
2025
Utgiver
State University of New York Press (SUNY Press)
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter