Plato's Democratic Entanglements: Athenian Politics and the Practice of Philosophy
256
Plato's Democratic Entanglements: Athenian Politics and the Practice of Philosophy
256Hardcover
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Overview
Monoson focuses on Plato's engagement with democracy as he knew it: a cluster of cultural practices that reach into private and public life, as well as a set of governing institutions. She proposes that while Plato charts tensions between the claims of democratic legitimacy and philosophical truth, he also exhibits a striking attraction to four practices central to Athenian democratic politics: intense antityrantism, frank speaking, public funeral oratory, and theater-going. By juxtaposing detailed examination of these aspects of Athenian democracy with analysis of the figurative language, dramatic structure, and arguments of the dialogues, she shows that Plato systematically links democratic ideals and activities to philosophic labor. Monoson finds that Plato's political thought exposes intimate connections between Athenian democratic politics and the practice of philosophy.
Situating Plato's political thought in the context of the Athenian democratic imaginary, Monoson develops a new, textured way of thinking of the relationship between Plato's thought and the politics of his city.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780691043661 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press |
| Publication date: | 05/28/2000 |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ixINTRODUCTION Siting Plato 3
PART ONE: Aspects of the Athenian Civic Self-Image 19
CHAPTER ONE The Allure of Harmodius and Aristogeiton: Public/Private Relations in the Athenian Democratic Imaginary 21
Telling the Tale 22
Embracing the Simplified Tale 28
Thinking with the Tale 29
Thucydides' Critique 42
Aristotle's Critique 49
CHAPTER TWO Citizen as Parrhesiastes (Frank Speaker) 51
Truth-Telling and Risk-Taking 52
Frank Speaking and Freedom 54
Frank Speaking and the Integrity of Assembly Debate 56
CHAPTER THREE Citizen as Erastes (Lover): Erotic Imagery and the Idea of Reciprocity in the Periclean Funeral Oration 64
Citizen as Erastes 67
Citizenship as Reciprocity between Lover and Beloved 74
CHAPTER FOUR Citizen as Theates (Theater-Goer): Performing Unity,
Reciprocity, and Strong-Mindedness in the City Dionysia 88
The Event 90
Representing the Unity of the Democratic Polis 92
Enacting Democratic Norms 98
PART TWO: Plato's Democratic Entanglements 111
CHAPTER FIVE Unsettling the Orthodoxy 113
Philosopber as Tyrant-Slayer 113
The Matter of Bias 115
Dismay over the Fate of Socrates 118
Disdain for the Common Man 122
The 'Doctrine" of the Republic 125
The Work of the Academy 137
Personal Involvement in Syracusan Politics 145
CHAPTER SIX Philosopher as Parrhesiastes (Frank Speaker) 154
The Laches: Recognizing Parrhesia 155
The Gorgias: Embracing Parrhesia. 161
The Republic: Practicing Parrhesia 165
The Laws: Practicing Parrhesia 179
CHAPTER SEVEN Remembering Pericles: The Political and Theoretical Import of Plato's Menexcnus 181
Plato's Opposition to the Veneration of Pericles 182
Plato's Rcjection of Pericles Model of Democratic Citizenship 189
Plato's Theoretical Interest in Funeral Oratory 202
CHAPTER EIGHT Theory and Theatricality 206
A Puzzle 206
Four Patterns 207
Preliminary Thoughts on Theory and Theater-going 208
Philosopber as Theates in the Republic 212
Theorist as Theoros in the Laws 226
Why Is Socrates Absent from the Laws? 232
Concluding Remarks 237
Citation Index 239
General Index 245
What People are Saying About This
Richard Kraut,
Northwestern University
This splendid work will be warmly welcomed by all students of Plato's
political philosophy in its cultural context.
Susan Okin, Stanford University
Monoson deftly unsettles the orthodox view of Plato as not only a critic
but a fervent enemy of democracy.
J. Peter Euben, University of California, Santa Cruz
A wonderfully readable, original book.... With Monoson's help, some of
the most analyzed passages in all of Greek literature become interesting
again.
"Sara Monoson has written a wonderfully readable original book on themes and texts that feel thoroughly familiar until she engages them. With her help, some of the most analyzed passages in all of Greek literature become interesting again. Though the book is lucidly written, it has a complex structure which it employs to make its equally complex argument about the relationship between the Athenian self-understanding of their democracy and Plato's political philosophizing. After an 'Introduction,' Part I considers four substantive issues: power, eros, frank speech, and theatricality as political practices which help constitute an Athenian democratic imaginary. Each chapter is valuable in itself, both in the particular argument it makes and the provocative textual interpretations present at every turn. But it is their cumulative effect as a cultural context for Plato's project that concerns Monoson most of all. Part II reprises each theme but now in terms of the 'imaginary' of Platonic political philosophy. While acknowledging those places where Plato not only departed from Athenian democratic practices but etched an indelible critique of them, she shows how often Plato remained engaged by and even sympathetic to Athenian civic ideals, and how frequently his critique was based on the failure of the Athenians to live up to them. Her aim is to dislodge the orthodox view of Plato as anti-democratic, which all too often closes down the generative possibilities for introducing Plato as an interlocutor in contemporary political debates. And she accomplishes all this with deftness, insight, and an admirable command of the primary texts and the scholarly literature on them."—J. Peter Euben, University of California, Santa Cruz
Arlene Saxonhouse,
University of Michigan
A novel and arresting work.... Monoson has fully succeeded in bringing
Plato into our conversations about democracy.
Recipe
"Sara Monoson has written a wonderfully readable original book on themes and texts that feel thoroughly familiar until she engages them. With her help, some of the most analyzed passages in all of Greek literature become interesting again. Though the book is lucidly written, it has a complex structure which it employs to make its equally complex argument about the relationship between the Athenian self-understanding of their democracy and Plato's political philosophizing. After an 'Introduction,' Part I considers four substantive issues: power, eros, frank speech, and theatricality as political practices which help constitute an Athenian democratic imaginary. Each chapter is valuable in itself, both in the particular argument it makes and the provocative textual interpretations present at every turn. But it is their cumulative effect as a cultural context for Plato's project that concerns Monoson most of all. Part II reprises each theme but now in terms of the 'imaginary' of Platonic political philosophy. While acknowledging those places where Plato not only departed from Athenian democratic practices but etched an indelible critique of them, she shows how often Plato remained engaged by and even sympathetic to Athenian civic ideals, and how frequently his critique was based on the failure of the Athenians to live up to them. Her aim is to dislodge the orthodox view of Plato as anti-democratic, which all too often closes down the generative possibilities for introducing Plato as an interlocutor in contemporary political debates. And she accomplishes all this with deftness, insight, and an admirable command of the primary texts and the scholarly literature on them."—J. PeterEuben, University of California, Santa Cruz