Description
Book SynopsisChallenges the view that Plato is a virulent opponent of all things democratic. This book argues that we should attend more closely to Plato's suggestion that democracy is horrifying and exciting, and seeks to explain why he found it morally and politically intriguing.
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2001 American Political Science Association's Best First Book Award, Foundations of Political Theory Section "Sara Monoson is that rare exception to the rule that political theorists cannot sustain the interest of political philosophers: her training in ancient history and classical Greek give her treatment of Plato's complicated relationship to democracy a depth and richness that will repay the efforts of the most exacting of critics."--Debra Nails, Journal of the History of Philosophy "No one interested in Plato and Athenian democracy or in Plato generally can afford to miss this serious study of Plato's political philosophy in relation to Athenian democracy."--F. Rosen, Political Studies "Clearly written, wide-ranging, but tightly organized. [Monoson] wears her erudition lightly, commanding a clear and cogent prose that is a pleasure to read... Her richly textured portrait of Athenian political culture requires that we reexamine the contrasts conventionally associated with 'ancient' versus 'modern democracy.' Her work also invites us to think harder about the practices through which ideals of freedom and equality may be realized."--Morris B. Kaplan, Political Theory "One of the many strengths of S. Sara Monoson's book about Plato's views on democracy ... is the frank recognition of the open-endedness of Platonic interpretation. Her aim is not to argue for a particular cut-and-dried version of Plato's thoughts about democracy but rather to add new dimensions to what is conceded to be a rich cluster of subtle and ambivalent attitudes ... All those working on either Plato or Athenian democracy will find much of interest."--Richard Mulgan, Ethics
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix INTRODUCTION Siting Plato 3 PART ONE: Aspects of the Athenian Civic Self-Image 19 CHAPTER ONE The Allure of Harmodius and Aristogeiton: Public/Private Relations in the Athenian Democratic Imaginary 21 Telling the Tale 22 Embracing the Simplified Tale 28 Thinking with the Tale 29 Thucydides' Critique 42 Aristotle's Critique 49 CHAPTER TWO Citizen as Parrhesiastes (Frank Speaker) 51 Truth-Telling and Risk-Taking 52 Frank Speaking and Freedom 54 Frank Speaking and the Integrity of Assembly Debate 56 CHAPTER THREE Citizen as Erastes (Lover): Erotic Imagery and the Idea of Reciprocity in the Periclean Funeral Oration 64 Citizen as Erastes 67 Citizenship as Reciprocity between Lover and Beloved 74 CHAPTER FOUR Citizen as Theates (Theater-Goer): Performing Unity, Reciprocity, and Strong-Mindedness in the City Dionysia 88 The Event 90 Representing the Unity of the Democratic Polis 92 Enacting Democratic Norms 98 PART TWO: Plato's Democratic Entanglements 111 CHAPTER FIVE Unsettling the Orthodoxy 113 Philosopber as Tyrant-Slayer 113 The Matter of Bias 115 Dismay over the Fate of Socrates 118 Disdain for the Common Man 122 The 'Doctrine" of the Republic 125 The Work of the Academy 137 Personal Involvement in Syracusan Politics 145 CHAPTER SIX Philosopher as Parrhesiastes (Frank Speaker) 154 The Laches: Recognizing Parrhesia 155 The Gorgias: Embracing Parrhesia. 161 The Republic: Practicing Parrhesia 165 The Laws: Practicing Parrhesia 179 CHAPTER SEVEN Remembering Pericles: The Political and Theoretical Import of Plato's Menexcnus 181 Plato's Opposition to the Veneration of Pericles 182 Plato's Rcjection of Pericles Model of Democratic Citizenship 189 Plato's Theoretical Interest in Funeral Oratory 202 CHAPTER EIGHT Theory and Theatricality 206 A Puzzle 206 Four Patterns 207 Preliminary Thoughts on Theory and Theater-going 208 Philosopber as Theates in the Republic 212 Theorist as Theoros in the Laws 226 Why Is Socrates Absent from the Laws? 232 Concluding Remarks 237 Citation Index 239 General Index 245
