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

Inspiration and Technē : Divination in Plato’s Ion

View through CrossRef
In Plato’s Ion, inspiration functions in contradistinction to technē. Yet, paradoxically, in both cases, there is an appeal to divination. I interrogate this in order to show how these two disparate accounts can be accommodated. Specifically, I argue that Socrates’ appeal to Theoclymenus at Ion 539a-b demonstrates that Plato recognizes the existence of intuitive seers who defy his own distinction between possession and technical divination. Such seers provide an epistemic model for Ion; that he does not notice this confirms he is not an exemplary rhapsode.
Coimbra University Press
Title: Inspiration and Technē : Divination in Plato’s Ion
Description:
In Plato’s Ion, inspiration functions in contradistinction to technē.
Yet, paradoxically, in both cases, there is an appeal to divination.
I interrogate this in order to show how these two disparate accounts can be accommodated.
Specifically, I argue that Socrates’ appeal to Theoclymenus at Ion 539a-b demonstrates that Plato recognizes the existence of intuitive seers who defy his own distinction between possession and technical divination.
Such seers provide an epistemic model for Ion; that he does not notice this confirms he is not an exemplary rhapsode.

Related Results

Divination and Ontologies
Divination and Ontologies
The way types of divination move round the planet means it is not helpful to simply attribute one unitary ontology to specific techniques or to groups of practitioners. Explaining ...
Formulaic Structure of Chu Divinatory Bamboo Slips
Formulaic Structure of Chu Divinatory Bamboo Slips
In recent decades, divination records written on bamboo slips have been discovered at such sites as Wangshan, Tianxingguan and Baoshan, all in Hubei province. These slips derive fr...
Imaginal research for unlearning mastery: Divination with tarot as decolonizing methodology
Imaginal research for unlearning mastery: Divination with tarot as decolonizing methodology
AbstractTarot use has become increasingly popular in contemporary society. However, unlike the position afforded divination in some cultures, it is not culturally consecrated as a ...
Heidegger’s Reading(s) of the Phaedrus
Heidegger’s Reading(s) of the Phaedrus
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...
Husserl’s Timaeus. Plato’s Creation Myth and the Phenomenological Concept of Metaphysics as the Teleological Science of the World
Husserl’s Timaeus. Plato’s Creation Myth and the Phenomenological Concept of Metaphysics as the Teleological Science of the World
According to Husserl, Plato played a fundamental role in the development of the notion of teleology, so much so that Husserl viewed the myth narrated in the Timaeus as a fundamenta...
Cicero Defining the Stoic Science of Divination
Cicero Defining the Stoic Science of Divination
AbstractThis paper is devoted to the Stoic definition of divination as reported by Cicero. It proposes a novel reading that coherently combines the distinct versions offered inDe d...
ION Orchard: atmosphere and consumption in Singapore
ION Orchard: atmosphere and consumption in Singapore
Every major shopping mall in Singapore is pervaded by atmospheres designed to attract consumers, but recent innovations in the production of atmosphere at ION Orchard make it a key...
ROMAN OMENS, ROMAN AUDIENCES, AND ROMAN HISTORY
ROMAN OMENS, ROMAN AUDIENCES, AND ROMAN HISTORY
The role divination played in allocating, maintaining, and justifying the authority of the senatorial élite in the Republic has been well established. Attention has also been paid ...

Back to Top