Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Szaif, Jan
Data de Publicação: 2023
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Revista Archai (Online)
Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/article/view/48149
Resumo: In the Lysis, Socrates claims to be looking for an account of what kind of quality in another person or object stimulates friendship or love (philia). He goes through a series of proposals, refuting each in turn. In the end, he throws us back to the point from where the arguments started, declaring an aporetic outcome. What is the purpose of this apparently futile and circular inquiry? Most interpreters try to reconstruct a theory of friendship or love from the arguments of this dialogue. Against such a doctrinal reading, this essay defends an “aporetic reading” of the dialogue and connects it to its protreptic function. Starting with a preliminary discussion of what defines an aporetic dialogue and what distinguishes indirect protreptic from explicit protreptic discourse, the essay then analyzes the aporetic method of the Lysis, distinguishing it from aporetic discourse in some of his earlier dialogues. Finally, it analyzes how, and for what kind of audience, the Lysisfunctions as an indirect protreptic. This includes a comparison with the protreptic use of aporetic argumentation in the Euthydemus.
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spelling Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s LysisaporiaprotrepticPlatofriendshipdialogueIn the Lysis, Socrates claims to be looking for an account of what kind of quality in another person or object stimulates friendship or love (philia). He goes through a series of proposals, refuting each in turn. In the end, he throws us back to the point from where the arguments started, declaring an aporetic outcome. What is the purpose of this apparently futile and circular inquiry? Most interpreters try to reconstruct a theory of friendship or love from the arguments of this dialogue. Against such a doctrinal reading, this essay defends an “aporetic reading” of the dialogue and connects it to its protreptic function. Starting with a preliminary discussion of what defines an aporetic dialogue and what distinguishes indirect protreptic from explicit protreptic discourse, the essay then analyzes the aporetic method of the Lysis, distinguishing it from aporetic discourse in some of his earlier dialogues. Finally, it analyzes how, and for what kind of audience, the Lysisfunctions as an indirect protreptic. This includes a comparison with the protreptic use of aporetic argumentation in the Euthydemus.Cátedra UNESCO Archai (Universidade de Brasília); Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal; Annablume Editora, São Paulo, Brasil2023-01-23info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/article/view/4814910.14195/1984-249X_32_37Revista Archai; No. 32 (2022): Archai 32 (2022): Supplementum; e03237Archai Journal; n. 32 (2022): Archai 32 (2022): Supplementum; e032371984-249X2179-4960reponame:Revista Archai (Online)instname:Universidade de Brasília (UnB)instacron:UNBenghttps://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/article/view/48149/36761Copyright (c) 2023 Jan Szaifhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessSzaif, Jan2023-05-02T22:06:07Zoai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/48149Revistahttps://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archaiPUBhttps://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/oai||archaijournal@unb.br|| cornelli@unb.br1984-249X1984-249Xopendoar:2023-05-02T22:06:07Revista Archai (Online) - Universidade de Brasília (UnB)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
title Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
spellingShingle Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
Szaif, Jan
aporia
protreptic
Plato
friendship
dialogue
title_short Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
title_full Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
title_fullStr Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
title_full_unstemmed Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
title_sort Aporetic Discourse and Protreptic in Plato’s Lysis
author Szaif, Jan
author_facet Szaif, Jan
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Szaif, Jan
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv aporia
protreptic
Plato
friendship
dialogue
topic aporia
protreptic
Plato
friendship
dialogue
description In the Lysis, Socrates claims to be looking for an account of what kind of quality in another person or object stimulates friendship or love (philia). He goes through a series of proposals, refuting each in turn. In the end, he throws us back to the point from where the arguments started, declaring an aporetic outcome. What is the purpose of this apparently futile and circular inquiry? Most interpreters try to reconstruct a theory of friendship or love from the arguments of this dialogue. Against such a doctrinal reading, this essay defends an “aporetic reading” of the dialogue and connects it to its protreptic function. Starting with a preliminary discussion of what defines an aporetic dialogue and what distinguishes indirect protreptic from explicit protreptic discourse, the essay then analyzes the aporetic method of the Lysis, distinguishing it from aporetic discourse in some of his earlier dialogues. Finally, it analyzes how, and for what kind of audience, the Lysisfunctions as an indirect protreptic. This includes a comparison with the protreptic use of aporetic argumentation in the Euthydemus.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023-01-23
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/article/view/48149
10.14195/1984-249X_32_37
url https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/article/view/48149
identifier_str_mv 10.14195/1984-249X_32_37
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/archai/article/view/48149/36761
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Copyright (c) 2023 Jan Szaif
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Copyright (c) 2023 Jan Szaif
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cátedra UNESCO Archai (Universidade de Brasília); Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal; Annablume Editora, São Paulo, Brasil
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cátedra UNESCO Archai (Universidade de Brasília); Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal; Annablume Editora, São Paulo, Brasil
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Revista Archai; No. 32 (2022): Archai 32 (2022): Supplementum; e03237
Archai Journal; n. 32 (2022): Archai 32 (2022): Supplementum; e03237
1984-249X
2179-4960
reponame:Revista Archai (Online)
instname:Universidade de Brasília (UnB)
instacron:UNB
instname_str Universidade de Brasília (UnB)
instacron_str UNB
institution UNB
reponame_str Revista Archai (Online)
collection Revista Archai (Online)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Revista Archai (Online) - Universidade de Brasília (UnB)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv ||archaijournal@unb.br|| cornelli@unb.br
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