Mai Oki-Suga, "An Invitation from Plato: A Philosophical Journey to Knowledge", in: Chiara Ferella and Cilliers Breytenbach (Eds.), Paths of Knowledge. Interconnection(s) between Knowledge and Journey in the Greco-Roman World, Berlin: Edition Topoi, 2018, 93–110

Abstract

To trace paths to knowledge or to follow the journey searching for knowledge is to some extent equivalent to reading a philosophical book. Plato, who perceives this relation between journey and philosophy, writes his dialogues as if each of his works were a journey to knowledge. This paper inquires into the ascent and descent motif that is the symbolic motion of a philosophical journey and appears in Plato’s Politeia repeatedly. By means ofthis motif, Plato depicts the journey of the soul in several different ways. This examination will show a possible way to read Plato’s dialogue as a philosophical journey. This journey is undertaken by Plato or the figure Socrates, but at the same time it involves its readers in philosophical inquiries.

Published In

Chiara Ferella and Cilliers Breytenbach (Eds.), Paths of Knowledge. Interconnection(s) between Knowledge and Journey in the Greco-Roman World, Berlin: Edition Topoi, 2018