Myth, Metaphysics and Dialectic in Plato's Statesman

Although central to many a foray into political philosophy, ethics, and many other subjects of inquiry, Plato's seminal work is also thought to be diffuse in its structure and disjointed in its transitions. White (philosophy, DePaul U.) finds, however, that Plato's central interpretive focus in The Statesman is the extended myth. Given this proviso, White finds The Statesman to be internally coherent and profound in its implications as well as integrally related to Plato's later dialogues. He offers a very close reading of relevant texts, developing his argument from perceptions of myth to the rule of the cosmos, then into knowledge and reality as paradigms, dialectic as a factor in measurement, and statecraft as an available application as well as a subject. Particularly interesting is White's epilog, in which he relates statecraft and metaphysics to Plato's Laws. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

David A. White is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy, DePaul University, Chicago, USA.