A Companion to Plato (eBook)

Hugh H. Benson is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. He is the editor of Essays on the Philosophy of Socrates (1992) and author of Socratic Wisdom (2000) as well as various articles on the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Notes on Contributors viii

Preface xii

Abbreviations xiv

1 The Life of Plato of Athens 1

DEBRA NAILS

2 Interpreting Plato 13

CHRISTOPHER ROWE

3 The Socratic Problem 25

WILLIAM J. PRIOR

Part I PLATONIC METHOD AND THE DIALOGUE FORM 37

4 Form and the Platonic Dialogues 39

MARY MARGARET MCCABE

5 The Socratic Elenchus 55

CHARLES M. YOUNG

6 Platonic Definitions and Forms 70

R. M. DANCY

7 Plato's Method of Dialectic 85

HUGH H. BENSON

Part II PLATONIC EPISTEMOLOGY 101

8 Socratic Ignorance 103

GARETH B. MATTHEWS

9 Plato on Recollection 119

CHARLES KAHN

10 Plato: A Theory of Perception or a Nod to Sensation?
133

DEBORAH K. W. MODRAK

11 Knowledge and the Forms in Plato 146

MICHAEL FEREJOHN

Part III PLATONIC METAPHYSICS 163

12 The Forms and the Sciences in Socrates and Plato 165

TERRY PENNER

13 Problems for Forms 184

MARY LOUISE GILL

14 The Role of Cosmology in Plato's Philosophy 199

CYNTHIA FREELAND

15 Plato on Language 214

DAVID SEDLEY

16 Plato and Mathematics 228

MICHAEL J. WHITE

17 Platonic Religion 244

MARK L. MCPHERRAN

Part IV PLATONIC PSYCHOLOGY 261

18 The Socratic Paradoxes 263

THOMAS C. BRICKHOUSE and NICHOLAS D. SMITH

19 The Platonic Soul 278

FRED D. MILLER, JR.

20 Plato on Eros and Friendship 294

C. D. C. REEVE

21 Plato on Pleasure as the Human Good 308

GERASIMOS SANTAS

Part V PLATONIC ETHICS, POLITICS, AND AESTHETICS 323

22 The Unity of the Virtues 325

DANIEL DEVEREUX

23 Plato on Justice 341

DAVID KEYT

24 Plato's Concept of Goodness 356

NICHOLAS WHITE

25 Plato on the Law 373

SUSAN SAUVÉ MEYER

26 Plato and the Arts 388

CHRISTOPHER JANAWAY

Part VI PLATONIC LEGACY 401

27 Learning about Plato from Aristotle 403

CHRISTOPHER SHIELDS

28 Plato and Hellenistic Philosophy 418

A. A. LONG

29 Plato's Influence on Jewish, Christian, and Islamic
Philosophy 434

SARA AHBEL-RAPPE

Index 452

"This compendium of 29 essays by leading scholars, on every aspect
of Plato from his biography and literary style to his metaphysics
and politics to his reception by later philosophical and religious
traditions, is a welcome addition to the resources available to
students of Plato. A number of essays distill cutting-edge research
developed in greater detail in the authors' monographs. The
result is a book every student of Plato will want to
consult."

Rachana Kamtekar, University of Arizona

"This is a valuable collection of essays from a distinguished
cast of contributors. It should prove useful to a wide variety of
readers."

Chris Bobonich, Stanford University

"This hefty volume differs from many anthologies on Plato in its
comprehensiveness...The essays represent recent scholarship on
Plato, with bibliographical references at the end of each essay to
literature almost exclusively within the last 50 years...To a lover
of Plato, another volume of essays on his thought is always
welcome."

Choice

"A work avowedly for the philosopher and the student
philosopher, but accessible too by other students, this will be a
welcome addition in a wide range of libraries from undergraduate
level upwards."

Reference Reviews

"This compendium of 29 essays by leading scholars, on every aspect
of Plato from his biography and literary style to his metaphysics
and politics to his reception by later philosophical and religious
traditions, is a welcome addition to the resources available to
students of Plato. A number of essays distill cutting-edge research
developed in greater detail in the authors' monographs. The
result is a book every student of Plato will want to
consult."

-Rachana Kamtekar, University of Arizona



"This is a valuable collection of essays from a distinguished
cast of contributors. It should prove useful to a wide variety of
readers."

-Chris Bobonich, Stanford University