Description
- Shows that Plato wrote to change Athenian society and thereby transform Athenian politics
- Offers accessible discussions of Plato's philosophy of language and political theory
- Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2011
About the Author
Danielle S. Allen is UPS Foundation Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. She is the author of The World of Prometheus: The Politics of Punishing in Democratic Athens (2000) and Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship Since Brown vs. the Board of Education (2004).
Reviews
"Packed with controversial theses, engagingly and intelligently written, iconoclastic - there's not much wrong with this book as a work of ancient philosophy." (The Heythrop Journal, 4 September 2013)
"In her bold and richly absorbing study, Why Plato Wrote, Danielle S. Allen argues that the answer to why Plato wrote is also the answer to the relation between the Platonic dialogues and Athenian political life ... He may have elected not to enter the political fray in Athens as ordinarily understood, but Danielle Allen shows with elegance and scholarship that he was indeed a politicos, just as Diogenes Laertius claimed." (Times Literary Supplement, 23 December 2011)
"I have learned much from this book. It demands that we connect Plato's writing to real life in his city. Even those who do not share all its conclusions will be challenged by Allen's many original insights into how Plato used symbols to work on our intellect, our preconceptual beliefs, and our emotions." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 21 November 2011)
"This extraordinary and scholarly book takes a fascinating new look at Plato as politikos. It is a joy to read. Excellent notes, bibliography, and index. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers." (Choice, 1 June 2011)
Book Information
ISBN 9781118454398
Author Danielle S. Allen
Format Paperback
Page Count 244
Imprint Wiley-Blackwell
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 318g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 155mm * 13mm
