Description
The Sophist sets out to explain what the sophist does by defining his art. But the sophist has no art. Plato lays out a challenging puzzle in metaphysics, the nature of philosophy, and the limitation of philosophy that is unraveled in this new and unconventional interpretation.
Here is a new translation of this important late Platonic dialogue, with a comprehensive commentary that reverses the dominant trends in the scholarship of the last fifty years. The Sophist is shown to be not a dry exposition of doctrine, but a rich exercise in dialectic, which reveals both the Eleatic roots of Platonic metaphysics and Plato's criticism of unrevised Eleaticism as a theoretical underpinning for sophistry.
The Sophist is presented now not as an artefact of the intellectual past or precursor of late 20th century philosophical theories, but as living philosophy. In a new translation and interpretation, this late dialogue is shown to be a defense of not a departure from Plato's metaphysics.
The book is intended to provide a complete interpretation of Plato's Sophist as a whole. Central to the methodology adopted is the assumption that all elements of the dialogue to be understood must be understood in the context of the dialogue as a whole and in its relation to other works in the Platonic corpus.
Three main points are argued: 1) the dialogue does not present a definitive or positive doctrine of the late Plato, but has the structure of a reductio ad absurdum; 2) the figure of the sophist is employed to critically examining the metaphysics of Parmenides. While acknowledging a core of metaphysical insight in Parmenides, the argument implies that, by failing to account for resemblance, Eleaticism implies an inadequate theory of relations, which makes impossible an adequate understanding of essence. Consequently, Eleaticism unrevised can be taken as the philosophical underpinning for the antithesis of philosophy, lending legitimacy to sophistry; 3) the criticism constitutes an indirect argument for Platonic metaphysics, which has roots in Eleaticism, that is, for the Theory of Forms.
About the Author
David K. Ambuel is Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Kurt F. Leidecker Chair of Asian Studies at Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA, USA. He specializes in Ancient Greek and Indian & Asian Philosophy. He is the co-editor of Philosophy, Religion and the Question of Intolerance (1997).
Reviews
there are things to be grateful for in this book; above all, it is well argued and clearly written. And, just because of its difficulties, Sophist is studied less than many Platonic dialogues: it is good to have a new translation and a thought-provoking book-length commentary"". - Heythrop Journal
Awards
Runner-up for IndieFab awards (Philosophy) 2007.
Book Information
ISBN 9781930972049
Author David Ambuel
Format Hardback
Page Count 298
Imprint Parmenides Publishing
Publisher Parmenides Publishing
Dimensions(mm) 24mm * 17mm * 2mm
Here is a new translation of this important late Platonic dialogue, with a comprehensive commentary that reverses the dominant trends in the scholarship of the last fifty years. The Sophist is shown to be not a dry exposition of doctrine, but a rich exercise in dialectic, which reveals both the Eleatic roots of Platonic metaphysics and Plato's criticism of unrevised Eleaticism as a theoretical underpinning for sophistry.
The Sophist is presented now not as an artefact of the intellectual past or precursor of late 20th century philosophical theories, but as living philosophy. In a new translation and interpretation, this late dialogue is shown to be a defense of not a departure from Plato's metaphysics.
The book is intended to provide a complete interpretation of Plato's Sophist as a whole. Central to the methodology adopted is the assumption that all elements of the dialogue to be understood must be understood in the context of the dialogue as a whole and in its relation to other works in the Platonic corpus.
Three main points are argued: 1) the dialogue does not present a definitive or positive doctrine of the late Plato, but has the structure of a reductio ad absurdum; 2) the figure of the sophist is employed to critically examining the metaphysics of Parmenides. While acknowledging a core of metaphysical insight in Parmenides, the argument implies that, by failing to account for resemblance, Eleaticism implies an inadequate theory of relations, which makes impossible an adequate understanding of essence. Consequently, Eleaticism unrevised can be taken as the philosophical underpinning for the antithesis of philosophy, lending legitimacy to sophistry; 3) the criticism constitutes an indirect argument for Platonic metaphysics, which has roots in Eleaticism, that is, for the Theory of Forms.
About the Author
David K. Ambuel is Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Kurt F. Leidecker Chair of Asian Studies at Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA, USA. He specializes in Ancient Greek and Indian & Asian Philosophy. He is the co-editor of Philosophy, Religion and the Question of Intolerance (1997).
Reviews
there are things to be grateful for in this book; above all, it is well argued and clearly written. And, just because of its difficulties, Sophist is studied less than many Platonic dialogues: it is good to have a new translation and a thought-provoking book-length commentary"". - Heythrop Journal
Awards
Runner-up for IndieFab awards (Philosophy) 2007.
Book Information
ISBN 9781930972049
Author David Ambuel
Format Hardback
Page Count 298
Imprint Parmenides Publishing
Publisher Parmenides Publishing
Dimensions(mm) 24mm * 17mm * 2mm
