Plato and the Body: Reconsidering Socratic AsceticismOffers an innovative reading of Plato, analyzing his metaphysical, ethical, and political commitments in connection with feminist critiques. For centuries, it has been the prevailing view that in prioritizing the soul, Plato ignores or even abhors the body; however, in Plato and the Body Coleen P. Zoller argues that Plato does value the body and the role it plays in philosophical life, focusing on Plato s use of Socrates as an exemplar. Zoller reveals a more refined conception of the ascetic lifestyle epitomized by Socrates in Plato s Phaedo, Symposium, Zoller gives us a new way of going forward in Plato studies. Her reading of the Platonic conception of embodiment frees it from the negative associations of the past. Plato and the Body will radically shift the scholarly conversation. The book is truly an exhilarating read. Anne-Marie Schultz, author of Plato s Socrates as Narrator: A Philosophical Muse |
Contents
Chapter 1 Interpreting Asceticism in Plato | 1 |
Chapter 2 Moderation and Training for Death in the Phaedo | 25 |
Chapter 3 Beauty Education and Erotic Ascent in the Symposium and Phaedrus | 59 |
Chapter 4 Health Justice and Peace in the Republic and Gorgias | 105 |
Chapter 5 Interpretative Possibilities for the Late Dialogues | 169 |
Epilogue | 185 |
Notes | 189 |
| 219 | |
| 239 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Adeimantus agree Alcibiades Alcibiades's analogy appetite Aristophanes ascetic Athenian austere asceticism austere dualist interpretation Bacchants beloved bodily body-love Callicles chapter charioteer cities and souls citizens civic unity claims concern contemplation contends Cooper dark horse Dionysus Diotima divine Dorter embodied emphasizes engage erôs erotic desire Eryximachus Ferrari focused Glaucon Gorgias Hackforth harmony healthy city Ibid important individual inquiry interlocutors justice Kallipolis late dialogues leadership lifestyle live lover moderation natural philosophers Nehamas nonphysical normative dualist Nussbaum one’s opson palinode passage peace Phaedo Phaedrus Phdr Philebus philosopher's Phlb physical pleasure physical world Plato has Socrates Plato's Socrates Plotinus political position possible poverty prioritize psychic pursuit Pythagorean readers reading reason Reeve Republic Roochnik rule Saxonhouse sense perception separate soul sexual experiences Simmias Socrates says Socrates's sort soul’s speech Symposium theory of recollection things thinking Timaeus training for death translation understanding Vlastos writes Xanthippe