ยป How to Read Plato
We can all have a good laugh when Socrates* says writing will weaken your mind while Plato nods and takes notes. But try telling a group of student teachers that math should always be taught with calculators (I’ve actually done this: I was scared).
If you want, you can read Plato the modernist way: look at the context he was writing in and interpret his writing based on that. For example, The Republic might have advocated totalitarianism, but at least it wasn’t Sparta. And he may have advocated censorship of poetry, but the Athens Assembly executed Socrates for “corrupting the youth”.
I say it’s more fun to read Plato the postmodern way: decide that he’s talking about the world you currently live in and pretend that references to ancient Greece are allegorical. Here’s a handy guide:
- Ban bad poetry
- Ban bad TV
- The world is a shadow of reality
- The world is signs denoting reality
- That’s not a chair, it’s an artist’s rendition of The Chair
- That’s not a chair, it’s an artist’s collage of symbols
- You don’t learn stuff, you discover things your soul already knew
- There is no truth, just stuff your society decided is true
- We should be ruled by the wise
- Somebody other than male white lawyers should rule us
- Only perverts enjoy sex with women
- Gay is cool
- etc.
* Note: I am of the school that Socrates is fictional.
One thing I would add that acknowledges both of what you call “modern” and “post-modern” readings of Plato. Much of his writing is a reaction to the Sophists, a school of philosophers, educators, politicians, what-have-you, who used rhetoric as a tool to convince the people of all kinds of suspect arguments. Plato’s distrust of poetry comes from his seeing others use words to deceive the masses. This applies still today of course. There is historical continuity.
tara
19 Mar 08 at 2:52 pm
I think Simon took a course on the Sophists, so hopefully he’ll weigh in here, but my impression is that Plato is prejudiced against them. Their “deceit” was similar to how lawyers argue jury cases today. Of course the fact that rhetoric can be used to push a point of view rather than reveal The Truth brings the validity of the Socratic Method into question, so it makes sense that Plato would be against it.
And are you questioning my impeccable understanding of modernity and postmodernity with your scare quotes? How dare you!
Jared
19 Mar 08 at 5:56 pm
Rhetoric is more important than logic, especially in a post-modern society.
Jack
19 Mar 08 at 8:20 pm
I’m not “questioning” your understanding of modernity and postmodernity… Just drawing attention to the fact that it is difficult to use either term without ambiguity.
tara
20 Mar 08 at 1:52 am