t. 1. Historia tēs philosophias, Hellas.

It seems at least daring to speak of truth on the subject of art, when Plato, in the Sophiste, 234c, likens art to sophistry, in other words, to falsity and deformation. To be sure, this comparison is based on an exaggeration, because elsewhere Plato insists on the necessity of artistic reality: in the same Sophiste, 299e, he states that “life would be unlivable without art.” The importance thus given to art becomes obvious when we think that this same expression is (...) already used in the Apologie, 38a, with regard to philosophy, the activity that for a man conscious of his own existence is one of scrupulously examining his own life. This similarity in expression testifies to the conceptual and axiological similarity of two (but distinct) activities of the mind effected by Plato who, on a different level, as we have just seen, unhesitatingly condemns one of them, at least apparently; apparently, because basically Plato does not inveigh against art in general but against the art of his contemporaries, whom he openly accuses of accepting the postulate of verisimilitude by using artifice and acrobatics, with the sole end of pleasing the crowds by flattery. In other words, they substitute for the scarch for authenticity that of dexterity in creations conceived only for that effect, which means identifying this type of substitution of values with a prostitution of the artist himself with regard to his public. (shrink)

Dans le Phédon, Platon déclare que la philosophie est la musique suprême. C’est donc qu’à ses yeux l’art des sons possède des affinités avec la dialectique. De même, dans le Phèdre, le musicien est rapproché du philosophe, compte tenu de la ressemblance de leurs âmes, ce qui renforce l’hypothèse a priori que Platon conçoit des liens entre ces deux disciplines. Enfin, dans le neuvième livre de la République, il est questions des efforts continus de l’homme raisonnable pour maintenir en lui (...) une sorte d’harmonie. Il faut donc définir les rapports de la musique et de la philosophie selon Platon. La musique et l’harmonique comme disciplines préparant à la dialectique ne sont-elles considérées comme telles qu’en théorie? Ou bien cette conception est-elle fondée sur des faits réels? (shrink)

This article explores how Plato, in his “metaphysical” dialogues, sees the specific properties of motion (and especially of motion in music), which lend themselves to adaptation for the purposes of maintaining or restoring the health of the soul. Plato explores the property of regular or rhythmic motion in particular. The attention has been drawn to the analogy between the calming effect of music, at the human level, and the Demiurge’s achievement in willing the world into existence. The focus of the (...) article lays on the Laws, in which the principle of musical motion plays a central role in resolution of the contradictions between material and spiritual, natural and physiological, medical and educative. (shrink)

Dans la mythologie grecque, les listes généalogiques concourent à la rationalisation de l’univers par le recours aux principes d’identité et de causalité tels qu’ils sont vécus par la mentalité archaïque, chez l’homme désireux de pénétrer le mystère du monde qui l’entoure et dans lequel il ressent le besoin de s’intégrer pour assurer sa survie, avant de tenter de le soumettre à sa volonté par des pratiques magico-religieuses. Ce faisant, l’homme grec, comme tout homme primitif, recourt à une humanisation de l’univers (...) à son image propre, afin de mieux se l’expliquer et de mieux agir sur lui. Cette représentation du monde, qui établit des parallélismes constants, se perpétuera dans la pensée grecque jusqu’à une époque relativement tardive.Genealogies and Kinship Structures in Greek Mythology. Genealogical lists in Greek mythology converge towards rationalising the universe by means of the principles of identity and causality as experienced by archaic mentality and primitive man. He feels eager to penetrate into the mystery of the world that surrounds him and into which he feels the need to integrate himself, in order to assure his survival prior to his attempt to subdue it to his own will by means of magical and religious practices. In so doing, the Greek citizen, just like any primitive human being, resorts to the humanisation of the universe through his own image, in order better to interpret it and more accurately to act upon it. Such an image of the world, establishing constant parallel schemata, was to last up to a relatively late era. (shrink)