Description
Book SynopsisThis is the first full-length study of the 'Symposium' to be published in English, and one of the first English works on Plato to take its bearings by the dramatic form of the Platonic dialogue, a thesis that was regarded as heterodox at the time but which today is widely accepted by scholars of the most diverse standpoint. Rosen was also one the first to study in detail the philisophical significance of the phenomenon of concrete human sexuality, as it is presented by Plato in the diverse characters of the main speakers in the dialogue. His analysis of the theoretical significance of pederasty in the dialogue was highly contreversial at the time, but is today accepted as central to Plato's dramatic phenomenology of human existence. Rosen discusses a variety of topics that had previously been neglected in the secondary literature, including the problem of hybristic nature of the philosopher, the poetical dimension of Plato's conception of philosophy, and the theoretical implication of the difference between Platonic writing and Socratic conversation.
Trade Review"Rosen treats the 'Symposium' very much form the literary point of view. He has... perceptive observations to make on the dramatic elements in Plato's style, on his use of irony, and on his characterizations." - Times Literary Supplement "Recent years have seen a small but steady flow of major studies in the Platonic dialogues, marked by a marriage of scholarly thoroughness with genuine humanistic warmth. This volume is one such... A wealth of linguistic and cultural lore pertaining to ancient Greece... This book must be in every college library." - Choice "Rosen's book is strikingly different from most English writing on Plato. The volume is beautifully produced and contains an extensive and useful biography." - H. J. Easterling, Classical Review "This exciting book... contains much to reflect upon. The author possesses a good knowledge of ancient texts but does not hesitate to provide very instructive references to modern philosophy... One may say of this book what the author says of the Platonic dialogue as compared to a poem or a set of axioms: no description is equivilent to its content or its implications." - Remi Brague, Revue Philisophique de Louvain "Highly intelligant and... stimulating book." - Trevor J. Saunders, Journal of Hellenic Studies"
Table of ContentsPreface, introduction, notes, bibliography, index
