Gorgiás 447a-448e aneb Opožděný prolog

doi:10.5507/aither.2009.003

Aither 1/2009:23-41 | DOI: 10.5507/aither.2009.003

Gorgiás 447a-448e or Delayed Prologue

Kryštof Boháček

The paper focuses on the first part of the dialogue (Gor. 447a-448e), usually dismissed by scholars as a mere prelude. However, author shows how essential this part is for the interpretation of the debate between Socrates and Gorgias and moreover for understanding of the dialogue and its structure as a whole. Base of Kryštof Bohaček's methodology is emphasis on the dialogical reading, research of literary form and their relevance for the philosophy.
On the basis of structural analogy with an attic tragedy, role of the prelude is identified first, through which the short debate "with Pol" is presented as another fundamental key to contextual interpretation. This "key" allows us to understand all the rest of the dialogue more precisely as the Plato's quarrel with Rhetorics on the one hand and with Socratics on the other. Along with the new solution there is a new positive teaching established by Plato. Novelty of this teaching is meant to be in strong contrast with approaches from his previous periods and he underlines that by choosing brand new literary form.
Deprived of the correct interpretation of the first part of the dialogue, by which Plato wants to instill a pre-understanding in the reader, there would be no way how to understand key elements and problems of the dialogue properly. In the concrete an ambiguous relationship between the three main characters and furthermore a main theme of the Gorgias.

Published: March 30, 2009 Show citation

Boháček, K. (2009). Gorgiás 447a-448e or Delayed Prologue. Aither, 1(1), 23-41. doi: 10.5507/aither.2009.003

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