The Ideas of Socrates

(Hardback)

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The Ideas of Socrates offers a unique interpretation of the ideas (forms, eide) in Plato's writings.In this concise and accessiblestudy, Matthew S. Linck makes four major claims. Firstly, the ideas as Socrates discusses them in the Phaedo, Parmenides, and Symposium are shown to be integral to the person of Socrates as presented in Plato's dialogues. Secondly, Linck argues that if we take Plato's dialogues as an integrated set of writings, then we must acknowledge that the mature Socrates is perfectly aware of the difficulties entailed in the positing of ideas. Thirdly, the book shows that Socrates' recourse to the ideas is not simply an epistemological issue but one of self-transformation. And finally Linck examines howSocrates relates to the ideas in two ways, one practical, the other speculative. As the only group of Plato's narrated dialogues that are not narrated by Socrates, the Phaedo, Parmenides, and Symposium constitute a unique collection. These three dialogues also contain accounts of Socrates as a young man, and all of these accounts explicitly discuss the ideas. The Ideas of Socrates serves as a commentary on the relevant passages of these dialogues and goes on to build up an explicit series of arguments about the ideas that will transform the way in which we approach these key texts.
This important new book will be of interest to anyone involved in the study of Ancient Philosophy.

Reviews

'This is a beautifully written book that offers a powerful picture of the education of Socrates by creatively bringing together three dialogues that are not often associated with one another--the Phaedo, the Parmenides, andthe Symposium.' -- Blurb from Christopher P. Long, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Pennsylvania State University
"L's work has some interesting, original threads that merit serious consideration." -Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Philosophy in Review
'Linck's study provides a reading of Plato's dialogues that combines exegetical care with attentiveness to broad philosophical horizons.' The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition, 2008

Author Bio

Matthew S. Linck is Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Purchase College, SUNY. He has written and taught widely on Ancient Philosophy.