Document Type : Research Paper
Author
phd of philosophy
Abstract
The Republic and the Laws in the Platonic dialogues are not only the longest, but also the most important of all. Plato plans in these two dialogues the foundation of two cities called Kallipolis and Magnesia and the subject of the article is that way or path Plato has passed in favor of founding two cities. The word road is here the main term with an attention to its metaphoric application in Greek literature and thought, especially in Parmenides’ poem and Heraclitus’ fragments which had a fundamental effect in formation of Platonic thought and philosophy. The ways of truth and opinion in Parmenides’ poem and the ways up and down in Heraclitus’ fragments indicate well to this metaphoric application and have told in Plato's cave allegory in form of the way up ascending to the truth and down descending to the cave of opinion and delusion. At the beginning of the Symposium, the way up or ascending path lays in front of Apollodurus who wants to go up from his home in Phaleron to Athens and then, Diotima at the top of her teaching to young Socrates shows him the ascending way to the beauty. Regarding these two ways, Platonic Socrates walks the descending way to build Kallipolis so that by coming down and dwelling in the house of some leaders of Athenian democracy, releases them from their shady illusions and leads them to Kallipolis. The Plato’s way in the Laws is in contrast to the Republic and instead of Socrates, this is the Athenian Stranger that along with his two comrades walks the ascending way from the city of Cnossos to the cave and temple of Zeus at Mt. Ida and at each part of this pilgrimage route for visiting the truth, a piece of Magnesia is constructed. In such a way, the route of Athenian Stranger in the Laws is in contrast to the Socrates’ way in the Republic and unlike Kallipolis, there is no place for the Philosopher-King and his absolute rule in Magnesia.
Keywords
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