Profound Ignorance: Plato鈥檚 Charmides and the Saving of Wisdom
In Profound Ignorance Levine brings us to see Plato’s extended apologia or defense of Socrates as “a teacher of tyrants” and his counter-indictment of the city for its unthinking acceptance of its leaders. In this analysis and commentary of Plato’s Charamides, Levine is at pains to situate the specific dialogic issues in their larger significance for the philosophic tradition. Through this work we we are brought to see how such “value judgments” are possible, how Plato conceives the prospects for practical judgment (phron葒sis). In addition we witness the care with which Plato presents his penetrating diagnoses even amidst compromised circutances. Lastly, the author’s inviting style encourages the reader to think along with Socrates and continue the the conversation about sophrosyne (moderation or temperance).
