Plato's Dialectical Ethics: Phenomenological Interpretations Relating to the Philebus

by Hans-Georg Gadamer, Robert M. Wallace (Translator)

This classic work by Hans-Georg Gadamer-now translated into English for the first time-offers an extensive and imaginative interpretation of Plato's Philebus. Gadamer's earliest book, it also provides an ideal introduction to his thinking, showing how his influential hermeneutics emerged from his application of his teacher Martin Heidegger's phenomenological method to classical texts and problems.

Genres: Philosophy

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Hans-Georg Gadamer was born February 11, 1900 in Marburg, Germany.
(Arabic: هانز جورج غادامير)

Gadamer showed an early aptitude for studies in philosophy and after receiving his doctoral degree in 1922 he went on to work directly under Martin Heidegger for a period of five years. This had a profound and lasting effect on Gadamer's philosophical progression.

Gadamer was a teacher for most of his life, and published several important works: Truth and Method is considered his magnum opus. In this work Heidegger's notion of hermeneutics is seen clearly: hermeneutics is not something abstract that one can pick up and leave at will, but rather is something that one does at all times. To both Heidegger and to Gadamer, hermeneutics is not restricted to texts but to everything encountered in one's life.

Gadamer is most well-known for the notion of a horizon of interpretation, which states that one does not simply interpret something, but that in the act of interpretation one becomes changed as well. In this way, he takes some of the notions from Heidegger's Being and Time, notably that which Heidegger had to say about prejudgements and their role in interpreting and he turns them into a more positive notion: Gadamer sees every act and experience (which is a hermeneutical experience to a Gadamerian) as a chance to call into question and to change those prejudgements, for in the horizon of interpretation those prejudgements are not forever fixed.

Gadamer is considered the most important writer on the nature and task of hermeneutics of the 20th century, which was still widely considered a niche within Biblical studies until Truth and Method was widely read and discussed.

He died at the age of 102 in Heidelberg (March, 2002).

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Gadamer dives into Plato and hermeneutics, using his method, and giving credit to Plato for the ideas he's indebted to him for. A large focus of the book is Authentic Dialectic, basically trying to help an opponents argument along, to truly understand them, and then if there's an issue with the reasoning address it as needed. What Plato, and the character of Socrates really want is a genuine discussion but the ever threatening Sophists have inauthentic dialogue, which only cares about winning the discussion and their standing to the audience. To contrast, Authentic Dialogue cares about coming to the truth.
The book takes Plato's Philebus as its case study. I'd highly recommend reading that a few times before, during, and after Gadamer.

[ζανλίκ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Τον Φίληβο μπορεί επουδενί να μην τον χώνεψα, αλλά νομίζω αυτό εδώ σχεδόν το αγάπησα. Βοηθητικό για την εργασία μου και γενικότερα ευανάγνωστο, ελπίζω να το ξαναβρώ κάποτε για να το ξαναδιαβάσω. Σπάνια το λέω αυτό για βιβλιογραφία μαθήματος, αλλά παιδιά συνέβη... Και ναι, λυπάμαι που δεν το είχα ανακαλύψει νωρίτερα.