Listening to the Cicadas A Study of Plato's Phaedrus [Paperback]

How myth and formal argument in the dialogue, Phaedrus, complement and reinforce each other, is the focus of an account written for students of the history of literary theory or rhetoric as well as Plato's thought.How myth and formal argument in the dialogue, Phaedrus, complement and reinforce each other, is the focus of an account written for students of the history of literary theory or rhetoric as well as Plato's thought.The focus of this account is how myth and formal argument in the dialogue Phaedrus complement and reinforce each other in Plato's philosophy. Not only is the dialogue in its formal structure a joining of myth and argument, but the philosophic life that it praises is also shaped by the limitations of argument and the importance of mythical and poetic understanding. The book is written for anyone seriously interested in Plato's thought and in the history of literary theory or of rhetoric. No knowledge of Greek is required. ...a very bold, worthwhile and stimulating experiment in this exciting field...it includes some excellent discussion of particular sections of the dialogue, and the author's method--close reading and sustained attention to the literary and historical context of Plato's words--can only be applauded. Phronesis ...this is a sophisticated and challenging book, which in many ways sets new standards for the treatment of Plato as ironist and literary artist, not least in its scrupulous attention to the text. Classical Review