Description
John V. Garner convincingly refines previous interpretations and uncovers a profound thesis in the Philebus: genuine learners find value not only in stable being but also in the process of becoming. Further, since genuine learning arises in pluralistic communities where people form and inform one another, those who are truly open to learning are precisely those who actively shape the betterment of humanity.
The Emerging Good in Plato's "Philebus" thus connects the Philebus's grand philosophical ideas about the order of values, on the one hand, to its intimate and personal account of the experience of learning, on the other. It shows that this dialogue, while agreeing broadly with themes in more widely studied works by Plato such as the Republic, Gorgias, and Phaedo, also develops a unique way of salvaging the whole of human life, including our ever-changing nature.
About the Author
John V. Garner is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of West Georgia.
Reviews
Garner offers a very fine study of an essential (but under-read and under-appreciated) Platonic text. The book has broad implications both for understanding Plato and for thinking about wider philosophical themes such as the nature of value and the character of legitimate philosophical inquiry."" Nathan Andersen, author of""Shadow Philosophy: Plato's Cave and Cinema
Book Information
ISBN 9780810135581
Author John V. Garner
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Northwestern University Press
Publisher Northwestern University Press
Weight(grams) 269g