Myths of Self-Transformation in Plato’s Republic

Ancient Philosophy 43 (1):69-87 (2023)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The four most prominent myths of Plato’s Republic oddly share a common motif, namely, the depiction of a subterranean locale to and from which individuals are depicted as traveling. This analysis offers an account of this motif that complements the themes of the “ascent” and “descent” of the philosopher, but draws more deeply upon katabasis mythology to reveal a subtext about individual transformation that enriches our understanding of justice.

Categories

Keywords

Reprint years

DOI

10.5840/ancientphil20234314

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,438

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

My notes

Similar books and articles

Essays on Plato's Republic.Erik Nis Ostenfeld - 1998 - Aarhus Universitetsforlag.
Plato’s Myths.Catalin Partenie (ed.) - 2009 - New York: Cambridge University Press.
Plato's "myths".Mark Anderson - 2018 - In Carolina López-Ruiz (ed.), Gods, Heroes, and Monsters: A Sourcebook of Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern Myths in Translation. Oxford, UK:
Spectacles from Hades. On Plato's myths and allegories in the Republic.Pierre Destrée - 2012 - In Catherine Collobert, Pierre Destrée & Francisco J. Gonzalez (eds.), Plato and Myth: Studies on the Use and Status of Platonic Myths. Brill.
Imposing Alfarabi on Plato : Averroes's Novel Placement of the Platonic City / Alexander Orwin - Ibn Bajja : An Independent Reader of the Republic / Josep Puig Montada - Expelling Dialectics from the Ideal State : Making the World Safe for Philosophy in Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Yehuda Halper - Music, Poetry, and Politics in Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Douglas Kries - Averroes on Family and Property in the Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Catarina Belo - Notes on Averroes's Political Teaching / Shlomo Pines (trans. Alexander Orwin) - The Sharia of the Republic : Islamic Law and Philosophy in Averroes Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Rasoul Namazi - An Indecisive Truth : Divine Law and Philosophy in the Decisive Treatise and Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Karen Taliaferro - Averroes between Jihad and McWorld / Michael Kochin - The Essential Qualities of the Ruler in Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Rosalie Helena de Souza Pereir.Michael Engel - 2022 - In Alexander Orwin (ed.), Plato's Republic in the Islamic context: new perspectives on Averroes's commentary. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
Imposing Alfarabi on Plato : Averroes's Novel Placement of the Platonic City / Alexander Orwin - Ibn Bajja : An Independent Reader of the Republic / Josep Puig Montada - Expelling Dialectics from the Ideal State : Making the World Safe for Philosophy in Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Yehuda Halper - Music, Poetry, and Politics in Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Douglas Kries - Averroes on Family and Property in the Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Catarina Belo - Notes on Averroes's Political Teaching / Shlomo Pines (trans. Alexander Orwin) - The Sharia of the Republic : Islamic Law and Philosophy in Averroes Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Rasoul Namazi - An Indecisive Truth : Divine Law and Philosophy in the Decisive Treatise and Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Karen Taliaferro - Averroes between Jihad and McWorld / Michael Kochin - The Essential Qualities of the Ruler in Averroes's Commentary on Plato's "Republic" / Rosalie Helena de Souza Pereir.Michael Engel - 2022 - In Alexander Orwin (ed.), Plato's Republic in the Islamic context: new perspectives on Averroes's commentary. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
Plato on the Pangs of Love.Mehmet M. Erginel - 2016 - In Mauro Tulli & Michael Erler (eds.), The Selected Papers of the Tenth Symposium Platonicum. pp. 231-236.
Selected Myths: Plato.Catalin Partenie (ed.) - 2004 - New York: Oxford University Press.
Essays in ancient & modern philosophy.Horace William Brindley Joseph - 1935 - Oxford,: The Clarendon press.
The Role of Afterlife Myths in Plato's Moral Arguments.Daniel William Issler - unknown
Women and the Ideal Society: Plato's Republic and Modern Myths of Gender.Natalie Harris Bluestone - 1987 - Berg Publishers.
Knowledge by Acquaintance and 'Knowing What' in Plato's Republic.Nicholas D. Smith - 1979 - Dialogue 18 (3):281-288.
Plato’s Republic.Graham Godwyn - 2006 - Questions: Philosophy for Young People 6:14-14.
Critically discuss Plato’s Kallipolis as presented in the Republic.Christopher Wray - unknown
Who’s Happy in Plato’s Republic?Jonathan Culp - 2014 - Polis 31 (2):288-312.

Analytics

Added to PP
2023-02-19

Downloads
25 (#622,868)

6 months
17 (#143,544)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Max Latona
St. Anselm College

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references