Search engine for discovering works of Art, research articles, and books related to Art and Culture
ShareThis
Javascript must be enabled to continue!

Heidegger’s Reading(s) of the Phaedrus

View through CrossRef
In the 1920s and 30s, Heidegger developed three explicit readings of Plato’s Phaedrus. These readings emphasize different dimensions of Plato’s dialogue and, at times, seem even to contradict one another. Though Heidegger pursues quite different interpretations of the dialogue, he remains steadfast in praising this Platonic dialogue above all others. I argue that these explicit readings provide fertile ground for reconsidering Heidegger’s engagement with Plato and not just with Platonism. I further develop an argument that a fourth, implicit reading of Phaedrus can be found in Heidegger’s own dialogical text from the late 1940s, “das abendländische Gespräch”. I suggest that it is in this conversational text, where Plato’s name is never once mentioned, that Heidegger manages his most authentic engagement with the Platonic dialogue and with Plato himself.
Philosophy Documentation Center
Title: Heidegger’s Reading(s) of the Phaedrus
Description:
In the 1920s and 30s, Heidegger developed three explicit readings of Plato’s Phaedrus.
These readings emphasize different dimensions of Plato’s dialogue and, at times, seem even to contradict one another.
Though Heidegger pursues quite different interpretations of the dialogue, he remains steadfast in praising this Platonic dialogue above all others.
I argue that these explicit readings provide fertile ground for reconsidering Heidegger’s engagement with Plato and not just with Platonism.
I further develop an argument that a fourth, implicit reading of Phaedrus can be found in Heidegger’s own dialogical text from the late 1940s, “das abendländische Gespräch”.
I suggest that it is in this conversational text, where Plato’s name is never once mentioned, that Heidegger manages his most authentic engagement with the Platonic dialogue and with Plato himself.

Related Results

The decline of the Greek myth of man and being
The decline of the Greek myth of man and being
Modern philosophy is forced to return to the question of “what is philosophy?” Does it need to be understood as the science of being or a science about man? M. Heidegger believes t...
Heidegger’s Black Notebooks and the Logic of a History of Being
Heidegger’s Black Notebooks and the Logic of a History of Being
Abstract Interpretations of the so-called Black Notebooks have emphasized the interaction between Heidegger’s philosophy, particularly his notion of a “history of being” (Seinsgesc...
Heidegger’s National-Humanism
Heidegger’s National-Humanism
Abstract This paper is an attempt to think through Derrida’s newly discovered Geschlecht III, the third and missing installment of Derrida’s four part series on Heidegger and Gesch...
Explanations
Explanations
Abstract IN THE Phaedrus, written around 370 B.C.E., Plato sets down a discussion between his mentor Socrates and the eponymous Phaedrus as they walk by the Ilissus ...
Dwelling and Hospitality: Heidegger and Hölderlin
Dwelling and Hospitality: Heidegger and Hölderlin
Abstract In this article, I focus on Heidegger’s conception of hospitality in his first and final lectures on Hölderlin’s Germania (1934/5), Remembrance (1941/2), and The Ister (19...
Depopulation: On the Logic of Heidegger’s Volk
Depopulation: On the Logic of Heidegger’s Volk
Abstract This article provides a detailed analysis of the function of the notion of Volk in Martin Heidegger’s philosophy. At first glance, this term is an appeal to the revolution...
Genre and Stylistic Features of the Modern Audiobook
Genre and Stylistic Features of the Modern Audiobook
Modern technological conditions make it possible to create, quickly replicate and use audio books conveniently. Audio books are one of the fastest growing segments of the global pu...

Recent Results

Molecular Kinetics and Physical Gas Dynamics
Molecular Kinetics and Physical Gas Dynamics
AbstractDetailed analyses of non‐equilibrium effects in hypersonic high‐temperature and high‐altitude phenomena require a clear understanding of the concepts and methods of the kin...
RECONCILING OPPOSING FORCES: THE YOUNG JAMES MACMILLAN – A PERFORMANCE HISTORY
RECONCILING OPPOSING FORCES: THE YOUNG JAMES MACMILLAN – A PERFORMANCE HISTORY
James MacMillan was 50 years old on 16 July 2009 and his birthday was celebrated by musical institutions not just in Britain, but internationally. As a composer and conductor in re...
Avoiding the news to participate in society? The longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement
Avoiding the news to participate in society? The longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement
Abstract Lower levels of news use are generally understood to be associated with less political engagement among citizens. But while some people simply have a low pr...

Back to Top