Sisyphus (dialogue): Difference between revisions
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'''Sisyphus''' is purported to be one of the [[Socratic dialogue|dialogues of Plato]]. The dialogue is extant and was included in the [[Henri Estienne|Stephanus]] edition published in Geneva in 1578. It is now generally acknowledged to be spurious. The work dates from the |
'''Sisyphus''' is purported to be one of the [[Socratic dialogue|dialogues of Plato]]. The dialogue is extant and was included in the [[Henri Estienne|Stephanus]] edition published in Geneva in 1578. It is now generally acknowledged to be spurious. The work dates from the fourth century BC, and the author was presumably a pupil of [[Plato]].<ref name="DSH">D.S. Hutchinson, introduction to "Sisyphus," in John M. Cooper and D. S. Hutchinson (eds.), ''Plato, Complete works'', Indianapolis: Hackett, 1997, pp. 1707-8.</ref> |
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It is a dialogue between [[Socrates]] and Sisyphus. Sisyphus believes that deliberation allows one to find the best course of action, but Socrates is puzzled by what deliberation is, and why it is supposed to be different from guesswork. By the end of the dialogue, it becomes clear that Sisyphus does not know what deliberation is.<ref name=" |
It is a dialogue between [[Socrates]] and Sisyphus. Sisyphus believes that deliberation allows one to find the best course of action, but Socrates is puzzled by what deliberation is, and why it is supposed to be different from guesswork. By the end of the dialogue, it becomes clear that Sisyphus does not know what deliberation is.<ref name="DSH"/> The dialogue seems to engage with an idea of good deliberation (''euboulia'') for which [[Isocrates]] was a noted exponent.<ref name="DSH"/><ref>Carl Werner Müller, ''Die Kurzdialoge der Appendix Platonica'', Munich: Wilhelm Fink, 1975, pp. 79-82.</ref> The author uses the term ''dialegesthai'' (338d8, 390b6) in an un-Platonic fashion to refer, not to [[dialectic]], but to what Plato considered [[eristic]].<ref>Müller 1975, p. 104</ref> |
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{{ill|de|Carl Werner Müller}} argues that the ''Sisyphus'' can be dated securely to the middle third of the fourth century BC, and, assuming that the reference to "Callistratus" at 388c is to [[Callistratus of Aphidnae]], to the period between Callistratus' death sentence in 361 and his execution (by 350), when no one needed to ask "Who is Callistratus?" but Callistratus' constantly changing location in exile made "Where is Callistratus?" a real question.<ref>Müller 1975, p. 103</ref> Francesco Aronadio also dates the work to Plato's lifetime and places it within the circle of the [[Platonic Academy|Academy]].<ref>[[John M. Dillon]], review of F. Aronadio, ''Dialoghi spuri di Platone'' (Turin, 2008), in ''Bryn Mawr Classical Review'' [http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2010/2010-03-05.html 2010.03.05].</ref> [[Schleiermacher]] had opined that the ''Sisyphus'' could perhaps have been produced in the [[Megarian school]].<ref>Friedrich Schleiermacher, ''Kritische Gesamtausgabe'', Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1988, part 1 (Schriften und Entwürfe), vol. 3 (Schriften aus der Berliner Zeit, 1800-1802), p. 366.</ref> |
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==References== |
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The dialogue is freely paraphrased in [[Dio Chrysostom]]'s [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Dio_Chrysostom/Discourses/26*.html ''On Deliberation'' (oration 26)], the earliest instance of a famous author making reference to a work of the ''Appendix Platonica'' (''[[Plato#Works|notheuomenoi]]'').<ref>C.W. Müller, "''Appendix Platonica'' und Neue Akademie: Die pseudoplatonischen Dialoge ''Über die Tugend'' und ''Alkyon''," in Döring, Erler, and Schorn (eds.), ''Pseudoplatonica'' (Stuttgart, 2005), p. 155.</ref> |
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==Notes== |
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Revision as of 18:54, 8 June 2010
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| Appendix (Spuria) |
Sisyphus is purported to be one of the dialogues of Plato. The dialogue is extant and was included in the Stephanus edition published in Geneva in 1578. It is now generally acknowledged to be spurious. The work dates from the fourth century BC, and the author was presumably a pupil of Plato.[1]
It is a dialogue between Socrates and Sisyphus. Sisyphus believes that deliberation allows one to find the best course of action, but Socrates is puzzled by what deliberation is, and why it is supposed to be different from guesswork. By the end of the dialogue, it becomes clear that Sisyphus does not know what deliberation is.[1] The dialogue seems to engage with an idea of good deliberation (euboulia) for which Isocrates was a noted exponent.[1][2] The author uses the term dialegesthai (338d8, 390b6) in an un-Platonic fashion to refer, not to dialectic, but to what Plato considered eristic.[3]
de argues that the Sisyphus can be dated securely to the middle third of the fourth century BC, and, assuming that the reference to "Callistratus" at 388c is to Callistratus of Aphidnae, to the period between Callistratus' death sentence in 361 and his execution (by 350), when no one needed to ask "Who is Callistratus?" but Callistratus' constantly changing location in exile made "Where is Callistratus?" a real question.[4] Francesco Aronadio also dates the work to Plato's lifetime and places it within the circle of the Academy.[5] Schleiermacher had opined that the Sisyphus could perhaps have been produced in the Megarian school.[6]
The dialogue is freely paraphrased in Dio Chrysostom's On Deliberation (oration 26), the earliest instance of a famous author making reference to a work of the Appendix Platonica (notheuomenoi).[7]
Notes
- ^ a b c D.S. Hutchinson, introduction to "Sisyphus," in John M. Cooper and D. S. Hutchinson (eds.), Plato, Complete works, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1997, pp. 1707-8.
- ^ Carl Werner Müller, Die Kurzdialoge der Appendix Platonica, Munich: Wilhelm Fink, 1975, pp. 79-82.
- ^ Müller 1975, p. 104
- ^ Müller 1975, p. 103
- ^ John M. Dillon, review of F. Aronadio, Dialoghi spuri di Platone (Turin, 2008), in Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2010.03.05.
- ^ Friedrich Schleiermacher, Kritische Gesamtausgabe, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1988, part 1 (Schriften und Entwürfe), vol. 3 (Schriften aus der Berliner Zeit, 1800-1802), p. 366.
- ^ C.W. Müller, "Appendix Platonica und Neue Akademie: Die pseudoplatonischen Dialoge Über die Tugend und Alkyon," in Döring, Erler, and Schorn (eds.), Pseudoplatonica (Stuttgart, 2005), p. 155.
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