Plato and the Question of Beauty (Studies in Continental Thought)
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: July 2008
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9780253219770
Subjects: Ancient Greek & Roman philosophy; Western philosophy; Aesthetics; General; History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical; Philosophy; Phaedrus; Plato; Plato
Description: "Drew A. Hyland, one of continental philosophy's keenest interpreters of Plato, takes up the question of beauty in three Platonic dialogues, th eHippias Major, Symposium and Phaedrus. What Plato meant by beauty is not easily characterized, and Hyland's close readings show that Plato ultimately gives up on the possibility of a definition. Plato's failure, however, tells us something important about beauty-that it cannot be reduced to logos. Exploring questions surrounding love, memory, and ideal form, Hyland draws out the connections between beauty, the possibility of philosophy, and philosophical living. This new reading of Plato provides a serious investigation into the meaning of beauty and places it at the very heart of philosophy."--Back cover.