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RE: Philosophy 101: How to Read Plato?
@tiancilao rightly pointed out that I did not offer substantial support for my claims, so here is a lecture on Plato and the Good. Keep in mind this is for an introductory course, within the first two weeks of class. I build upon this argument throughout the course, so many claims are better unpacked over the duration of the semester.
That said, those who claim that Plato is providing "his" philosophy, have clearly not read Plato's entire corpus; especially the Phaedrus, the ONLY story where Socrates is outside the city walls of Athens, and they are talking about the failings of WRITING!! The most human of all endeavors . . . Enjoy!
thank for this @gigantomachia. I will find time to finish this and I will get back to you once I do. Also, please send me the links for Heidegger and Gadamer's rereading of Plato. I will give you a response to that too in due time. Appreciate the effort to initiate a discourse.
Hey @tianiclao, no worries. It is easy to get sucked into the tradition for sure. I was "lucky" to have a professor that studied with Gadamer, albeit briefly. That said, most of Heidegger and Gadamer's work is still copyrighted, i.e., you have to actually buy the books. Here is a list of where to start:
Heidegger: "Being and Time", "Contributions to Philosophy", "Plato's Sophist", and "The Origin of the Work of Art". (I think you might really enjoy that last one).
Gadamer: "Truth and Method", "The Enigma of Health", and "Plato's Dialectical Ethics".
Enjoy!
Thanks! I have only finished Heidegger's Being and Time and Contributions to Philosophy. For Gadamer, I only came across "Truth and Method". I will surely find time to read the rest. When I finish, we can engage in a better discourse. I'm looking forward to that, @gigantomachia.
A lot depends on your opinion about Plato's Letters. Many argue they are not authentic, but then these are the same people that want to argue Plato IS giving us his philosophy. I am in the camp that understands them as authentic, in large part because having read all of Plato's works, with a background in reading attic Greek, shows me that there are a LOT of contradictions within what Plato writes if one attempts to suggest there is a consistent philosophy therein.
Good stuff!