著者

加来 彰俊

出版者

日本西洋古典学会

雑誌

西洋古典學研究 (ISSN:04479114)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.8, pp.28-42, 1960-03-29

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What was the aim of Plato when he wrote his dialogue Gorgias? -It is the objective of my present article to clarify that aim of his by examining both the construction and content of that dialogue. First, as regards the construction of the dialogue, the questions we deal with here are as follows : What is the true theme of that work? How is the dialogue of three acts unified organically? To attain this unification, how are the interlocutors arranged and directed by the author? Next, as for the content, our problems are : How should we understand the difference of the criticism toward the rhetoric given in the Gorgias from that given in the Phaedrus? What is the real meaning of Plato's statement that Socrates is a politician in the true sense of the word? From my research made from the above viewpoints results the following conclusion concerning Plato's aim now at issue. In this dialogue Plato makes clear that he has given up ultimately his political ambition which has been cherished from his philosophical way of life which Socrates taught him. I. e. this work is Plato's so-called 'manifesto', in which he proclaims his conversion from politics to philosophy. Now Plato's criticism toward the actual politics at the time was founded upon Socrates' doctrine and way of life. It is really in this dialogue that he verifies. the validity of those words and deeds of Socrates reviewing them and thereby offers an apology for his master again, and at the same time he uses it as such for his own new life as well. Thus it is that we could call this dialogue the second 'Apologia Socratis' -nay, we should rather call it "Apologia Platonis (s. pro vita sua) " as its more appropriate byname. Having found the principle of the ideal politics in Socrates' philosophy, he has come to postulate that famous thesis in this dialogue for the first time, the thesis of the identification of philosophy with politics, which is afterwards to. be developed in the Respublica and the Epistula VII.