Phaedrus

Resource Information

The work Phaedrus represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in DC Public Library System. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Phaedrus

Statement of responsibility

Plato ; translated with an introduction and notes by Robin Waterfield

Creator

• Plato

Contributor

• Waterfield, Robin, 1952-

Subject

• Early works
• Love
• Love -- Early works to 1800
• Rhetoric
• Rhetoric -- Early works to 1800

Genre

• Early works
• Early works to 1800

Language

• eng
• grc
• eng

Summary

"Phaedrus is widely recognized as one of Plato's most profound and beautiful works. It takes the form of a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus and its ostensible subject is love, especially homoerotic love. Socrates reveals it to be a kind of divine madness that can allow our souls to grow wings and soar to their greatest heights. Then the conversation changes direction and turns to a discussion of rhetoric, which must be based on truth passionately sought, thus allying it to philosophy. The dialogue closes by denigrating the value of the written word in any context, compared to the living teaching of a Socratic philosopher." "The shifts of topic and register have given rise to doubts about the unity of the dialogue, doubts which are addressed in the introduction to this volume. Full explanatory notes also elucidate issues throughout the dialogue that might puzzle a modern reader."--Jacket

Member of

• Oxford world's classics (Oxford University Press)
• Phaedrus

Cataloging source

DLC

Dewey number

184

Index

no index present

Language note

Translated from the Ancient Greek

LC call number

B380.A5

LC item number

W38 2002

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography

Series statement

Oxford world's classics