Plato's Fable

On the Mortal Condition in Shadowy Times

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book Plato's Fable by Joshua Mitchell, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joshua Mitchell ISBN: 9781400827176
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Joshua Mitchell
ISBN: 9781400827176
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

This book is an exploration of Plato's Republic that bypasses arcane scholarly debates. Plato's Fable provides refreshing insight into what, in Plato's view, is the central problem of life: the mortal propensity to adopt defective ways of answering the question of how to live well.

How, in light of these tendencies, can humankind be saved? Joshua Mitchell discusses the question in unprecedented depth by examining one of the great books of Western civilization.

He draws us beyond the ancients/moderns debate, and beyond the notion that Plato's Republic is best understood as shedding light on the promise of discursive democracy. Instead, Mitchell argues, the question that ought to preoccupy us today is neither "reason" nor "discourse," but rather "imitation." To what extent is man first and foremost an "imitative" being? This, Mitchell asserts, is the subtext of the great political and foreign policy debates of our times.

Plato's Fable is not simply a work of textual exegesis. It is an attempt to move debates within political theory beyond their current location. Mitchell recovers insights about the depth of the problem of mortal imitation from Plato's magnificent work, and seeks to explicate the meaning of Plato's central claim--that "only philosophy can save us."

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book is an exploration of Plato's Republic that bypasses arcane scholarly debates. Plato's Fable provides refreshing insight into what, in Plato's view, is the central problem of life: the mortal propensity to adopt defective ways of answering the question of how to live well.

How, in light of these tendencies, can humankind be saved? Joshua Mitchell discusses the question in unprecedented depth by examining one of the great books of Western civilization.

He draws us beyond the ancients/moderns debate, and beyond the notion that Plato's Republic is best understood as shedding light on the promise of discursive democracy. Instead, Mitchell argues, the question that ought to preoccupy us today is neither "reason" nor "discourse," but rather "imitation." To what extent is man first and foremost an "imitative" being? This, Mitchell asserts, is the subtext of the great political and foreign policy debates of our times.

Plato's Fable is not simply a work of textual exegesis. It is an attempt to move debates within political theory beyond their current location. Mitchell recovers insights about the depth of the problem of mortal imitation from Plato's magnificent work, and seeks to explicate the meaning of Plato's central claim--that "only philosophy can save us."

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Good-Bye Hegemony! by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book The Virtues of Our Vices by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book The Mushroom at the End of the World by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book State Death by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book In Search of the Phoenicians by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book How to Do Things with International Law by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book An Imaginary Tale by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book The Golden Age Shtetl by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book Taxing the Rich by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century, Volume 2 by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book The Blind Spot by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book Torture and Democracy by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book States of Credit by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book Introduction to Mathematical Sociology by Joshua Mitchell
Cover of the book Journeys to the Other Shore by Joshua Mitchell
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy