본문 바로가기
  • Home

An Analysis of Plato’s Statesman - Focusing on the Specificity of Division(Diairesis) -

  • Journal of Humanities
  • 2018, (71), pp.273-303
  • DOI : 10.31310/HUM.071.09
  • Publisher : Institute for Humanities
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : October 3, 2018
  • Accepted : November 2, 2018
  • Published : November 30, 2018

Kim Tae Kyung 1

1경희대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Plato’s Statesman shows not only the definition of statesman(politikos) or politics(politikē) but also the performance of the dialectic for its definition, especially the practice of division(diairesis) which is a procedure of dialectic. Plato also notes that the purpose of this dialogue is “to be more skillful in dialectic(dialectikōteros, 284d6)”. However, when reading this dialogue, we should keep in mind that we should not read it only in one way or the other. In this regard, this paper analyzes the Plato’s Statesman and aims to clarify the structure and contents of the dialogue as well as showing the specificity of division performed there. Thus, the specificity of division found from the analysis of Statesman is as follows. First, division before the myth (mythos) is thoroughly dichotomous, but by relying on the process of subjective dianoetic procedure, not only has it created wrong division, but it has also led to failed definition. Because this division does not reveal the way(tropos) in which politics is involved in man. Second, division after the myth is not limited to the dichotomy, but it reveals the way in which politics is involved in the human being by carrying out ‘division according to the form(kat’eidē)”. Particularly, this division, which is not limited only to the dichotomy, has the specificity that only the other part of the division to be eliminated is strictly considered as a form and then removed. Through this procedure, this division not only provides a richer definition of statesman or politics, but also enables us to be more skillful in dialectic.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.