The Ambiguity of Plato Essay -- Philosophy Essays

The Ambiguity of Plato For hundreds of years, Plato has been admired as a writer, a master rhetorician, an artist, and supra all, a philosopher however, Platos backlashes against sophistry and art have led to much mix-up concerning his ideas and beliefs. John Poulakos says of Plato, For most rhetoricians Plato has always played the same role he assigned to the sophists--the enemy (Nienkamp 1). Plato will always appear to be the competent rhetorician or artist who speaks out against rhetoric and art. In exculpation and Phaedrus we see the character of Socrates rail against writing because it gouge quickly sop up out of control of the author and just as easily be misinterpreted, yet Plato is known for his skillful dialogical writing. In reference to the Divided Line, Plato informs us that art is one of the lowest forms because it is no more than an illusion, yet Plato uses his delicious ability in Simile of a Cave to help us understand the journey to knowledge. This ambiguity wit hin the texts leads to, what appears to be, Plato contradicting himself however, to fully understand these contradictions we must ask ourselves, Who is the real Plato? Platos contradictory nature and overall ambiguity invent the lines of distinction between the writer, the rhetorician, the artist, and the philosopher become blurred, so it is difficult for anyone to understand or explain the real Plato.Jean Nienkamp says of Plato, He is the writer who writes that nothing of importance can be conveyed through writing the word-smith who argues that words are but imitations of imitations at the same time that he insists on precise definitions, divisions... (1). In Phaedrus, Plato presents rough of his more powerful arguments against writing. Most... ...1 23-44. Plato. Euthyphro. Trans. G.M.A. Grube. Indianapolis Hacket create Company Inc., 1981 5-22. Plato. Meno. Trans. G.M.A. Grube. Indianapolis Hacket Publishing Company Inc., 1981 57-88. Plato. Phaedo. Trans. G.M.A. Grube. India napolis Hacket Publishing Company Inc., 1981 89-155.Plato. Phaedrus. Trans. A. Nehamas and P. Woodruff. Amherst Hermagoras Press, 1999 165-213.Plato. Simile of a Cave. The Republic. Trans. Desmond Lee. capital of Massachusetts Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002 1-9.Tejera, Victorino. The Apology and the Phaedo Platos Tragic Humor. Platos Dialogues One by One A Dialogical Interpretation. Lanham University Press of America, Inc., 1999.Thesleff, Holger. In Search of Dialogue. Platos Dialogues New Studies and Interpretations. Ed. Gerald A. Press. Lanham Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1993 259-266.