Method and Politics in Plato's Statesman

This book is a philosophical analysis of Plato's dialogue, the Statesman.

M. S. Lane (Author)

9780521036870, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 May 2007

244 pages
21.6 x 14.3 x 1.5 cm, 0.33 kg

"...this book makes a number of interesting, helpful, profound observations..." Classical World

Among Plato's works, the Statesman is usually seen as transitional between the Republic and the Laws. This book argues that the dialogue deserves a special place of its own. Whereas Plato is usually thought of as defending unchanging knowledge, Dr Lane demonstrates how, by placing change at the heart of political affairs, Plato reconceives the link between knowledge and authority. The statesman is shown to master the timing of affairs of state, and to use this expertise in managing the conflict of opposed civic factions. To this political argument corresponds a methodological approach which is seen to rely not only on the familiar method of 'division', but equally on the unfamiliar centrality of the use of 'example'. The demonstration that method and politics are interrelated transforms our understanding of the Statesman and its fellow dialogues.

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and note on text
Introduction: method and politics in Plato's Statesman
Part I. Method: 1. Introduction
2. The Sophist's use of example and division
3. The Statesman's use of example and division
4. The analysis of example
5. Conclusions
Part II. The Story as a Fulcrum of the Dialogue: 6. Introduction: story-telling and self-criticism
7. Telling the story
8. Criticising the story
Part III. Politics: 9. Introduction
10. Rivalry revisited: subordination of the arts to the mastery of the kairos
11. Rivalry renewed: the challenge and subordination of law
12. Political knowledge as weaving
13. Conclusions
Select bibliography
General index
Index locorum.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500 [HPCA]