Socratic Charis

Zusatztext

<span><span><span>This book explores the possibility that Platos</span><span>philosophia</span><span> is influenced by non-</span><span>agonal</span><span>practices and values that historically and philosophically antedate the</span><span>agonal</span><span>practices of the Athenian</span><span>ekklesia</span><span>. The author surveys literature concerning the predominance of</span><span>agonal</span><span> in ancient Greek culture, the values associated with oral poetic performance as a</span><span>religious</span><span> practice, and the ubiquitous character of the gift practice known as</span><span>xenia</span><span> in the ancient world. The author compares the structure of the</span><span>agon</span><span> to the structure of other ancient practices, and reasons that while agonistic practices are oppositional and binary, poetic and social practices are narrative and plural and exemplify, alternative to the</span><span>agonal</span><span>, the value of</span><span>charis</span><span></span><span>grace</span><span>. Reading Socratic speech and Socratic inquiry in terms of</span><span>charis</span><span> illuminates the narrative structure of Platos portrayal of</span><span>Socrates</span><span> and precludes one-dimensional analyses of Platos writings as philosophically agonistic and</span><span>demonstrative</span><span>. Rather the value of Socratic</span><span>charis</span><span> illustrates the value of genuine dialogue, and the author suggests how revaluing Socratic dialogue in light of</span><span>charis</span><span> can be relevant to current thinking about philosophy, politics, and the</span><span>agon</span><span>.</span></span></span>

Autorenportrait

<span><span><span>Lisa A. Wilkinson is associate professor of philosophy at Nebraska Wesleyan University and author of Parmenides and To Eon: Reconsidering Muthos and Logos.</span></span></span>

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