Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Drama, fiction, and the elusive author

1.Theory and practice

Plato insists that philosophy is the search for truth, using methods of arguments, which he often calls ‘dialectic’.

Plato first puts forward that philosophy has its own aims and methods which we should distinguish from other ways of thinking. Also, Plato is the most “literary’ philosopher, because of the readability and charm of his writings. Moreover, Plato’s works are all cast in a dramatic form.

2.Detachment and authority

Plato doesn’t want to present his own position for the reader to accept on Plato’s authority. He wants the reader is made to do his or her own work to come to understand what Plato is saying, he doesn’t want the reader to pick up these views just because Plato says no.

Plato writes philosophy as he does because he is concerned to keep two things apart also: presenting his own position, and getting the reader to come to understand them for herself.

3.Two traditions

There were two traditions of reading Plato in the ancient, the first one is skeptical Academy, which is about metaphysics and morality, teaching people to argue against current dogmas.

The another is called ‘Platonist’ as opposed to the enquiring ‘Academy’, which has been divided by modern interpreters into the ‘Middle Platonists’ and ‘Neo-Platonists’. But this is a modern distinction; in the ancient world the only real distinction was seen as that between two traditions. 

The two traditions are sometimes mutually hostile, but it is possible for them to co-exist and even learn from each other.

4.Many voices

Plato has many voices, not many doctrines. It means Plato has different emphasis and perspective, as well as radically 

different treatments of similar ideas and sometimes what look like outright conflict between the positions in different 

dialogues.

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5.Fiction, myth, and philosophy

The philosopher aims at truth, not fiction. Plato is notoriously hostile to the fictions popular in his culture.

2019-07-29

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