Plato on the Limits of Human Life

By focusing on the immortal character of the soul in key Platonic dialogues, Sara Brill shows how Plato thought of the soul as remarkably flexible, complex, and indicative of the inner workings of political life and institutions. As she explores the character of the soul, Brill reveals the corrective function that law and myth serve. If the soul is limitless, she claims, then the city must serve a regulatory or prosthetic function and prop up good political institutions against the threat of the soul's excess. Brill's sensitivity to dramatic elements and discursive strategies in Plato's dialogues illuminates the intimate connection between city and soul.

Author: Sara Brill
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 06/03/2013
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d
ISBN: 9780253008824

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2014

About the Author

Sara Brill is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fairfield University.