The Fire & the Sun: Why Plato Banished the Artists"In this book, based on her 1976 Romanes Lecture, the distinguished novelist and philosopher discusses Plato's view on art and examines sympathetically the reasons for his hostility towards it. She offers a coherent and fully argued account of Plato's theories of art and of beauty and of their metaphysical background, which shows also that Plato was aware of the dangers of his own artistry. The argument more widely concerns the place of art in life, and includes brief discussion of ideas of many other thinkers, including Kant, Tolstoy, Freud and Kierkegaard. The book also comprises in an accessible form a general view of the development of Plato's thought." [Back cover]. |
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absurd aesthetic ambiguity anamnesis appears argument art object artist beauty Cave changeless charm concept connection cosmic cosmos course create creative criticism Critique of Judgement Demiurge described desire dialectic dialogues discern discussion divine egoism eikasia enlightened Epinomis Eros eternal evil explain expressed F. M. Cornford false fantasy Freud gods Greeks harmony Homer human idea imagery imagination imitation impure incarnate inspired intelligence jokes judgement justice Kant knowledge Laws live logical magic mathematics mediator metaphor metaphysical mind moral mysterious myth mythical nature neurosis never Parmenides perfect perhaps Phaedo Phaedrus Philebus philosophy picture Plato Plato says pleasure poets possible problem Protagoras pure rational reality reason relation religion religious Republic role sense experience sensible separate shadows simple Socrates Sophist soul spiritual sublime Symposium Theaetetus theatre theology Theory of Forms things thought Timaeus tion Tolstoy true truth understand virtue vision whole wisdom World Soul writing Zeus