Plato's Protagoras

This book presents a thorough study and an up to date anthology of Plato's Protagoras. International authors' papers contribute to the task of understanding how Plato introduced and negotiated a new type of intellectual practice - called philosophy - and the strategies that this involved. They explore Plato's dialogue, looking at questions of how philosophy and sophistry relate, both on a methodological and on a thematic level.

While many of the contributing authors argue for a sharp distinction between sophistry and philosophy, this is contested by others. Readers may consider the distinctions between philosophy and traditional forms of poetry and sophistry through these papers. Questions for readers' attention include: To what extent is Socrates' preferred mode of discourse, and his short questions and answers, superior to Protagoras' method of sophistic teaching? And why does Plato make Socrates and Protagoras reverse positions as it comes to virtue and its teachability?

This book will appeal to graduates and researchers with an interest in the origins of philosophy, classical philosophy and historical philosophy.

Introduction. - Chapter 1. Hallvard Fossheim: " The Question of Methodology in Plato' s
Protagoras
" . - Chapter 2. Knut Ågotnes: Socrates Sophisticated Attack on Protagoras . - Chapter 3. Hayden W. Ausland: The Treatment of Virtue in Plato s
Protagoras . -
Chapter 4. Jens Kristian Larsen: By What Is the Soul Nourished? On the Art of the Physician of Souls in Plato s
Protagoras
. - Chapter 5. Vivil Valvik Haraldsen: Is Pleasure Any Good? Weakness of Will and the Art of Measurement in Plato' s
Protagoras
. - Chapter 6. Cynthia Freeland: The Science of Measuring Pleasure and Pain" . - Chapter 7. Gro Rørstadbotten: " Turning Towards Philosophy. A reading of the
Protagoras
309a1-314e2" . - Chapter 8. Marina McCoy: The
Protagoras
, Writing and the Comedy of
Aporia
" . - Chapter 9. Vigdis Songe-Møller: Socrates Irony: A Voice from Nowhere? On voice (
phone
),
topos
, and
atopos
in Plato' s
Protagoras
" . - Chapter 10. Olof Pettersson: Dangerous Voices: On Written and Spoken Discourse in Plato s
Protagoras
" . - Chapter 11. Kristin Sampson: " Visible and Audible Movement in the
Protagoras
" . - Chapter 12. Paul Woodruff: " Why Did Protagoras Use Poetry in Education? " .