Plato's Charmides

Abstract

The Charmides is a difficult and enigmatic dialogue traditionally considered one of Plato's Socratic dialogues. This book provides a close text commentary on the dialogue which tracks particular motifs throughout. These notably include the characterization of Critias, Charmides, and Socrates; the historical context and subtext, literary features such as irony and foreshadowing; the philosophical context and especially how the dialogue looks back to more traditional Socratic dialogues and forward to dialogues traditionally placed in Plato's middle and late period; and most importantly the philosophical and logical details of the arguments and their dialectical function. A new translation of the dialogue is included in an appendix. This will be essential reading for all scholars and students of Plato and of ancient philosophy.

Soul as Principle in Plato’s Charmides: A Reading of Plato’s Anthropological Ontology Based on Hermias Alexandrinus on Plato’s Phaedrus

“…This intention to reveal the truth is reinforced when Socrates, who confesses that some minutes ago he had no idea how to do it, now makes the decision to show Charmides the power (δύναµιν) of the incantation. In my reading, the word δύναµις 2 [2] here has the meaning of "that through which the ousia or the nature of a thing manifests itself", and the verb ἐνδειξαίµην rather operates in the sense of "undertaking to make a revelation" 3 .…”

“…The Thracian doctor praises the Greek doctors, as they are right to say the things Socrates has just mentioned (156d6-7). The Thracian doctor's praise of the method of the Greek doctors is a distinct third reference which approves of the principle that one must always attempt to treat and heal the part together with the whole (µετὰ τoῦ ὅλoυ τὸ µέρoς) 4 [3]. Fourthly, the Thracian doctor invokes the figure of the king of the Thracians Zalmoxis, who is acknowledged to be a god, and exposes his radically holistic medical theory (156d8-157a3).…”

“…[28] (p. 30), [27] (pp. [3][4]. Since his predecessors already interconnected these conceptions, Plato merely highlights one or the other according to the argument in each dialogue 25 [53].…”