Banishing the Poet: The Pedagogical Function of Mythology in the Dialogues of Plato
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/emerita.2013.02.1201Keywords:
Myth, Plato’s Republic, Banishing of PoetsAbstract
This text attempts to develop a sound justification for Plato’s pedagogical use of myth in the dialogues. In particular, I seek to resolve a seeming contradiction: why Plato personally made use of myths in spite of his many statements that seem to contradict such a pedagogical approach, especially his edict that poets and myth-makers be banished from his republic for the danger their works pose to the attainment of true philosophical wisdom. An analysis of the centrality of myths to the dialogues is carried out, followed by a discussion of the place of muthos in its Ionian historical context. This establishes the basis for resolving the contradiction through the division of muthos into two distinct modes: the fantastic and the eikastic.
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