26 September 2022
For a long time I have thought about writing an online blog about Platonism as it is lived by those who self-identify as Platonists in the 21st century. A full life of work, poetry, friends, and other commitments meant that I was unable to bring such a project to fruition. A recent retirement which has given me more time for continued studies of the Platonic tradition, and an ongoing deepening appreciation of the Platonic tradition, has led me to start this blog at this time. I see this blog as having several purposes:
1. Most of the material written about Platonism at this time comes to us from the communities of dedicated scholars who take an interest in Platonism, whether that is their main focus or one of several. I am not a scholar and I don’t know Greek. I am, therefore, unable to enter into issues that depend on that kind of knowledge and background. Instead, I will be writing about what it means to be a Platonist from the point of view of someone inspired by Platonism who, we might say, is a dedicated layperson; someone who finds the Platonic tradition uplifting, inspiring, and a good guide for a life well lived.
2. I think that modernity possesses a number of unique obstacles to accessing Platonism and I hope, now and then, to focus on these obstacles and how they impact Platonism at this time.
3. I see Platonism as a way of life and not only a way of thought. Therefore, issues of Platonic practices and commitments, what are often called ‘purifications’, will be an ongoing topic of discussion. These include abstaining from alcohol, vegetarianism/veganism, and sexual restraint.
4. I see Platonism as primarily what we would today call a ‘spiritual’ tradition; that is to say I see Platonism as having a soteriological purpose, the purpose of guiding its practitioners to the transcendental, what the Platonic tradition calls ‘The Good, The Beautiful, and The One’. How Platonism works as a spiritual tradition, and how it contrasts with other spiritual traditions, will be another topic for this blog.
5. I am intrigued by the prospects for Platonism in the future. Accordingly, I am likely to indulge in some speculations as to how Platonism might continue to flourish.
There are, no doubt, other topics that will appear. I plan to post irregularly, when I feel that I have something to share with others.
I have chosen the pen-name ‘Xenocrates’ for this blog. Xenocrates was the third head of the Platonic Academy, following Plato himself, and Speusippus. Over time I have developed a special fondness for Xenocrates and felt inspired by his example.
Best wishes,
Xenocrates
Sorry for responding to something posted so long ago but I felt that going back and starting with the initial posts provided the context I needed. I just wanted to say that to some degree I also consider my self a Platonist (though also not a scholar) in that an early discovery of Plato in used bookstore before I attended college really set the intellectual path for the rest of my life. And I agree that to the best of my understanding Plato should be acknowledged as a mystic. But an issue I still have with him, no doubt based on my extremely limited knowledge, is that I take his view to be that the path to the transcendental is through reasoned analysis (as Socrates engages in in the dialogues). I.e. for me Plato seems to leave no room for the ineffable, Bas I said that could well be based on my misunderstanding of what Plato means by reason, the transcendental, etc. and I look forward to deepening my understanding in part via this blog and external reading suggested by it. Many thanks for providing it,
ReplyDeleteHi Karl. The question you raised about Plato and his use of reason is one I have grappled with for many years. I can't say that I have resolved it, though my thoughts on the topic have developed. Here are some observations: 1) There is an Ennead where Plotinus lists the methods Platonism uses; the first one Plotinus lists is 'comparison'. What I think Plotinus refers to is things like metaphor and allegory. This got me to thinking of the prominent place that allegory holds in Plato's Dialogues; e.g. the allegory of the cave, and the use of allegory in Timaeus, etc. This got me to thinking that in Plato reason and analysis are at the service of allegory, metaphor, and other types of 'comparisons'. Plato's allegories are expressions of intuition; he doesn't start from 'self-evident' truths. Rather his starting point is through comparisons, usually allegories. Reason as a tool to unpack the meaning of an allegory serves to keep the unpacking focused rather than just becoming a kind of free associating meander. In other words the implications of the allegory are discovered through reason and analysis, but reason and analysis are not the starting point. // Perhaps this is helpful. Thanks for the question. // Xenocrates
DeleteHi Jim. Yes, thanks; that’s a useful clue. I tend to forget that reason didn’t start to become formalized in the way we think of it today (syllogism, “valid” and “sound” reasoning, axioms,…) until Aristotle, so reason as a way of keeping allegories on track is at the very least a helpful heuristic re. not getting stuck using modern assumptions to discern Plato’s meaning, and could help to open up that reason/ineffable roadblock.
DeleteSorry for the excessive posting but I don’t like to post anonymously. The previous was mine but I hit the post button before realizing I had to fill in the personal info. first.
ReplyDelete