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Publication Details

Socratic Therapeia: Platoʼs Charmides 153a-158d

(Original title: Sókratovská therapeia: Platónov Charmidés 153a-158d)
Filozofia, 71 (2016), 5, 357-368.
Type of work: Papers
Publication language: Slovak
Abstract

A therapeutic approach to reading the Socratic literature of the 4th century B.C. is based on the assumption that Socrates appears in Socratic dialogues not only as a persistent investigator or as a paradigm of ethical behaviour, but also as a therapist. Socrates cures the souls of his loved companions. Therapeia in Plato’s Charades is a mask which Socrates deploys to force the young Charmides to examine the excellence (aretê). At the same time therapeia is a metaphor for Socratic dialogue as an art of curing through speeches (logo). Reading the prologue 153a-158d of Charades as a dramatic genre the paper tries to outline the possible meaning of Socratic “speech therapy” in the context of a profound examination of excellence (aretê) as the care for the self and the others.

Keywords

Care for the self, Plato’s Charmides, Sôphrosunê, Therapeutic function of Socratic dialogues

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