The dialectic of essence : a study of Plato's metaphysics / Allan Silverman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Silverman, Allan Jay.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plato.

Metaphysics--History.

Metaphysics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (407 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2002.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

The Dialectic of Essence offers a systematic new account of Plato's metaphysics. Allan Silverman argues that the best way to make sense of the metaphysics as a whole is to examine carefully what Plato says about ousia (essence) from the Meno through the middle period dialogues, the Phaedo and the Republic, and into several late dialogues including the Parmenides, the Sophist, the Philebus, and the Timaeus. This book focuses on three fundamental facets of the metaphysics: the theory of Forms; the nature of particulars; and Plato's understanding of the nature of metaphysical inquiry. Silverman seeks to show how Plato conceives of "Being" as a unique way in which an essence is related to a Form. Conversely, partaking ("having") is the way in which a material particular is related to its properties: Particulars, thus, in an important sense lack essence. Additionally, the author closely analyzes Plato's idea that the relation between Forms and particulars is mediated by form-copies. Even when some late dialogues provide a richer account of particulars, Silverman maintains that particulars are still denied essence. Indeed, with the Timaeus's introduction of the receptacle, there are no particulars of the traditional variety. This book cogently demonstrates that when we understand that Plato's concern with essence lies at the root of his metaphysics, we are better equipped to find our way through the labyrinth of his dialogues and to better appreciate how they form a coherent theory.

Contents:

Introduction : The dialectic of essence ; Precis of the chapters

1. An overview of Platonic metaphysics : The philosophical background ; Forms ; Particulars ; Metaphysics and epistemology

2. Socratic metaphysics? : Socrates ; The craft analogy ; Socratic properties ; Metaphysical conjectures ; The Meno

3. The emergence of forms : The Phaedo ; The final argument ; The Republic ; Book VII ; Being and participation

4. Refining the theory of forms : Overview ; The Parmenides ; The first part ; The first two hypotheses ; Separation

5. Forms and language : Overview ; Background to the argument of the Sophist ; The Sophist ; The interweaving of forms

6. Not-beings : Overview ; Not-being in the Sophist: the background to 255e ; Sophist 255e8-257a7 ; Sophist 257a8-259b5 ; Sophist 263a-s63b4 ; Collection and division

7. The nature of material particulars : Overview ; The Philebus ; The mixed life ; The fourfold ontology (23c-27c) ; The end of Philebus ; The Timaeus ' Talk of phenomena in flux ; Necessity and matter ; The two theories ; Conclusion

Conclusion

Appendix.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [367]-377) and index.

ISBN:

9786612158391

9781282158399

1282158392

9781400825349

1400825342

OCLC:

436057798