Ebook: Plato and the question of beauty

The question of beauty in the Hippias major -- The question of beauty in the Symposium -- The question of beauty in the Phaedrus -- The second and seventh letters -- The critique of rhetoric and writing in the Phaedrus.;"Drew A. Hyland, one of continental philosophy's keenest interpreters of Plato, takes up the question of beauty in three Platonic dialogues, th eHippias Major, Symposium and Phaedrus. What Plato meant by beauty is not easily characterized, and Hyland's close readings show that Plato ultimately gives up on the possibility of a definition. Plato's failure, however, tells us something important about beauty-that it cannot be reduced to logos. Exploring questions surrounding love, memory, and ideal form, Hyland draws out the connections between beauty, the possibility of philosophy, and philosophical living. This new reading of Plato provides a serious investigation into the meaning of beauty and places it at the very heart of philosophy."--Back cover.