A holistic analysis of Hippias Minor, to supplement my earlier holistic analysis of Hippias Major. The (dramatic) reality is in the characters, not in what they say, and through an analysis of them as paradeigmata [EDIT: deigmata of... more
A holistic analysis of Hippias Minor, to supplement my earlier holistic analysis of Hippias Major. The (dramatic) reality is in the characters, not in what they say, and through an analysis of them as paradeigmata [EDIT: deigmata of paradeigmata] it becomes possible to see how the two dialogues connect together and reveal a development in Plato's thought regarding the good itself, its manifestations, and the ramifications of these manifestations. Both dialogues should be read before Politeia (aka Republic) which presupposes them, on which see my holistic analysis of that dialogue.
I analyse Hippias Minor line by line at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCruvPuEgxOAVWlkpm8qP3UA
The aim of this work is to discuss the immorality traditionally attributed to Plato’s Lesser Hippias by offering an alternative reading of its first conclusion: the false man and the truthful man are the same. Hippias offers a notion of... more
The aim of this work is to discuss the immorality traditionally attributed to Plato’s Lesser Hippias by offering an alternative reading of its first conclusion: the false man and the truthful man are the same. Hippias offers a notion of truthfulness based on sincerity, understood as saying what one thinks, and our attempt is to show that the whole dialogue is about Socrates refusal of this notion in the name of a truthfulness based on power and knowledge. If that point of view is acceptable, we can conclude that: i) the first conclusion is not a paradox, but a valid statement even in a moral point of view; ii) there is a good argumentative link between the first and the second parts of the dialogue; iii) the last conclusion of the text, that the good man is the one who acts on purpose, is a valid statement also in a moral point of view; iv) the Lesser Hippias plays an important role within the Platonic corpus as the demonstration of an interrogative method based not on knowledge, but on ignorance. Keywords: Plato. Lesser Hippias. Dynamis. Pseudos.
Resumo: Para fazer frente ao dogmatismo costumeiramente atribuído ao platonismo, o presente artigo discute a figura do filósofo através de dois conceitos: o intermediário (metaxý) e a ignorância enquanto errância psíquica (plánē).... more
Resumo: Para fazer frente ao dogmatismo costumeiramente atribuído ao platonismo, o presente artigo discute a figura do filósofo através de dois conceitos: o intermediário (metaxý) e a ignorância enquanto errância psíquica (plánē). Defende-se que o primeiro conceito, presente em mais de um diálogo, é fulcral para a compreensão da figura do filósofo e opõe-se a uma postura dogmática. Argumenta-se igualmente que a ignorância como errância psíquica caracteriza não apenas o estado aporético experimentado pelos interlocutores de Sócrates, como também a experiência do próprio filósofo. Nesse sentido, pode-se falar de uma errância do filósofo platônico, a qual novamente aponta para a ausência de dogmatismo. Os dois conceitos enfatizam o elemento de incompletude que define o filósofo platônico e se baseiam, respectivamente, na consciência da ignorância e na dificuldade de lidar com os conceitos universais próprios da filosofia.
