Rhetoric and Reality in Plato's "Phaedrus"

✍ Scribed by David A. White

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 345
• Series: SUNY series in Ancient Greek Philosophy
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Phaedrus is well-known for the splendid mythical panorama Socrates develops in his second speech, and for its graphic descriptions of erotic behavior. This book shows how the details of the myth and the accounts of interaction between lovers are based on a carefully articulated metaphysical structure. It follows the dialogue as narrated, showing how passages that may not appear relevant to metaphysics have been deployed to heighten the vision of reality that Socrates develops in his second speech and concludes with an Epilogue in which the metaphysical principles adumbrated in the dialogue are ordered and briefly developed. This Epilogue helps illustrate the continuity between the Phaedrus and subsequent dialogues, such as the Parmenides, Sophist, Statesman, and Philebus, in which methodological and metaphysical concerns are dominant for Plato. As a result, new connections emerge between the metaphysical domain in Plato’s thought and the more visible and vibrant areas of the psychology of eros and practical rhetoric.

✦ Table of Contents

Rhetoric and Reality in Plato's Phaedrus
Brief Contents
Expanded Contents
Acknowledgement
Introduction Principles of Interpretation
I
II
Chapter 1 Myth and Rhetorical Inspiration (227a-237b)
Leisure and Love
Socrates and Phaedrus
The Problem of Mythic Explanation
Socrates and the Possibility of Self-knowledge
Beauty and the Nourishment of Discourses
The Speech of Lysias
The Conditions of Praiseworthy Discourse
The Inspiration of Socrates
The Premise of Socrates' First Speech
Phaedrus' Threat and the Socratic Character
Chapter 2 Socrates' First Speech (237b-244a)
Socrates' First Speech—Invocation
Rhetorical Setting
Argument and Definition
Division Between Lover and Nonlover
Desire and Predication
A Definition of Love
Socrates and the Inspiration of Madness
The Speech Continued
Beloved and Intellect
Beloved and Pleasure
Reversal of Lover and Beloved
Socrates and Poetic Possession
Socrates and Truth
Phaedrus and the Propagation of Discourse
Socrates the Seer
The Need for Recantation
Shame and Recantation
The Audience for the Palinode
Remark
Chapter 3 The Metaphysics of Madness and the Nature of Soul (244a-247c)
The Human Origin of the Palinode
The Metaphysical Origin
The Madness of Prophecy
The Madness of Purification
The Madness of Poetry
The Metaphysics of Madness
Substantive
Formal
Wisdom and Nature
The Nature of Soul—Self-motion
The Form of Soul
The Powers of Soul
Soul and the Good
Mortality and Immortality
The Nature of Soul's Wings
The Divine Ascent to Reality
Chapter 4 Soul and Truth (247c-250d)
Poetry and Truth
Reality and Divine Soul
Reality and Human Soul
Destiny and Fallen Soul
The Afterlife of Human Soul
Recollection: The One and the Many
Madness and Participation
Metaphysics and Mystery
Mystery and the Good
Completeness
Simplicity
Fixity
Happiness
Chapter 5 Beauty and the Capture of the Beloved (250d-257b)
Beauty and Wisdom
The Vision of Beauty
The Experience of Beauty
The Poetic Vision of Love
The Divine and the Choice of Beloved
Love and Participation in Divinity
The Education of the Beloved
The Happiness of Love
The Form of the Horses
The Vision of the Beloved
Beauty and Memory
The Training of the Evil Horse
Love and the Good
Love and Desire
Love and Friendship
Love and Philosophy
The Blessings of Friendship
The Socratic Recantation: Summary
Chapter 6 Rhetoric and Truth (257b-262c)
The Unity of the Phaedrus
Writing and the Love of Honor
The Problem of Writing
The Story of the Cicadas
The Birth of the Muses
The Muses and Philosophical Inspiration
Rhetoric and Truth
The Challenge of Opinion
The Art of Speaking: Rejoinder and Criticism
The Definition and Scope of Rhetoric
Rhetoric and Opposition
Rhetoric and Truth
Chapter 7 Rhetoric and Dialectic (262c-266d)
The Synoptic Perspective
Truth and Inspiration
The Art of Rhetoric: Agreement and Division
Definition and Inspiration
The Critique of Lysias' Speech
Socrates' Speeches: Recapitulation and Madness
The Art of Rhetoric: Principles and Definition
Collection and Division
Division and Nature
Socrates—the Lover of Method
Love and the Unity of the Phaedrus
Chapter 8 Nature and the Art of Writing (266d-274b)
The History of Rhetoric
Art and the Preliminaries of Rhetoric
Art and Nature
Nature and Totality
The Structure of Nature
Teaching the Art of Rhetoric
Practicing the Art of Rhetoric
Probability and the Good
Chapter 9 Writing and Wisdom (274b-279c)
The Problem of Writing
The Prophecy of Thamos
The Character of Writing
The Gardens of Letters
Lysias Revisited
The Need for Method
The Propriety of Writing
The Legacy of Composition
Socrates Prophesies
The Prayer of Socrates
Concluding Comment
Epilogue Method and Metaphysics in the Phaedrus
Collection
Division and Nature
Nature
The Range of Nature
Nature and the Forms
Simplicity and Complexity
Active and Passive
Nature and Totality
Nature and Division
Notes
Introduction
Chapter 1 (227a-237b)
Chapter 2 (237b-244a)
Chapter 3 (244a-247c)
Chapter 4 (247c-250d)
Chapter 5 (250d-257b)
Chapter 6 (257b-262c)
Chapter 7 (262c-266d)
Chapter 8 (266d-274b)
Chapter 9 (274b-279c)
Epilogue
Bibliography
Editions of and Commentaries on the Phaedrus
Books on themes treated in the Phaedrus
Articles on the Phaedrus or on issues discussed in the Phaedrus
Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
Z