What is the nature of norms and values for the constitution of human society and culture? In this groundbreaking work, T. K. Seung shows that this was the ultimate question for Plato throughout his life, and that he gave not one but two answers, thus twice inventing political philosophy as the science of all sciences. Providing a thematically unified interpretation of his dialogues on the grand scale, Seung retraces Plato's journey of invention. Plato Rediscovered extends the project Seung began in Intuition and Construction (1993) and Kant's Platonic Revolution (1994). A work that will radically alter our understanding of the philosopher.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
. . . dramatically new accounts of central aspects of Plato's thought. (Klosko, George )
. . . an invitation to those in the social sciences to take Plato more seriously. (Phronesis )
It is not necessary to agree with Professor Seung to be stimulated by his keen intelligence and lively imagination. This book is controversial in the best sense of the term: it forces us to rethink Plato. (Rosen, Stanley )
A breath of fresh air in the study of Plato, this highly original book weaves together themes from virtually all of Plato's work. Seung rightly finds Plato's career a journey in which the Republic represents an early stage, and less-known later dialogues are the summit of his achievement in political philosophy. This is Plato for thinkers of our own time to appreciate, not as a stratum in the archaeology of European thought, but as its most brilliant political thinker. Only a political philosopher of Seung's range could have brought out the main issues so clearly. (Paul Woodruff )
In this book, T. K. Seung shows the continuing relevance of Plato's philosophy to our own time. Seung's theory of platonic constructivism, derived not from the Republic but from the late dialogues, is an admirable challenge to non-cognitivist ethics and theories of cultural relativism. His argument that transcendent values are necessary preconditions for the construction of our positive cultural norms has great significance for contemporary debates in Philosophy, political theory, and law. (J.M. Balkin )
No review this short can do justice to the wealth of challenging claims in this book . . . Recommended for libraries serving graduate programs in philosophy and political theory. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. (Choice )
The argument of this book is subtle and sustained. It is a scholarly tour de force. (Canadian Journal Of Political Science )
. . . an invitation to those in the social sciences to take Plato more seriously. (Phronesis )
It is not necessary to agree with Professor Seung to be stimulated by his keen intelligence and lively imagination. This book is controversial in the best sense of the term: it forces us to rethink Plato. (Rosen, Stanley )
A breath of fresh air in the study of Plato, this highly original book weaves together themes from virtually all of Plato's work. Seung rightly finds Plato's career a journey in which the Republic represents an early stage, and less-known later dialogues are the summit of his achievement in political philosophy. This is Plato for thinkers of our own time to appreciate, not as a stratum in the archaeology of European thought, but as its most brilliant political thinker. Only a political philosopher of Seung's range could have brought out the main issues so clearly. (Paul Woodruff )
In this book, T. K. Seung shows the continuing relevance of Plato's philosophy to our own time. Seung's theory of platonic constructivism, derived not from the Republic but from the late dialogues, is an admirable challenge to non-cognitivist ethics and theories of cultural relativism. His argument that transcendent values are necessary preconditions for the construction of our positive cultural norms has great significance for contemporary debates in Philosophy, political theory, and law. (J.M. Balkin )
No review this short can do justice to the wealth of challenging claims in this book . . . Recommended for libraries serving graduate programs in philosophy and political theory. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. (Choice )
The argument of this book is subtle and sustained. It is a scholarly tour de force. (Canadian Journal Of Political Science )
About the Author
T. K. Seung is Jesse H. Jones Regents Professor in liberal arts, professor of philosophy, professor of government, and professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the Best Book Every Written on Plato,
By Publius (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Plato Rediscovered: Human Value and Social Order (Paperback)
I realize that the headline above will strike many as hyperbole, but this is all I have in my power to persuade others to read this extraordinary account of how Plato arrived at the invention of political philosophy. The book is wildly original in its approach. Seung is guided by no fashions or masters other than Plato himself. He uncovers the centrality of the problems of metaphysics to Plato's program of politics in a manner that no one, to my knowledge, has ever conceived. If you ever plan on seriously grappling with the big picture in Plato's corpus, this is quite clearly the place to start. Seung answers all the big questions in Plato's work (such as the function of the characters in each dialogue and the relationship of each dialogue to one another). Plato Rediscovered is ambitious and successful on every possible level.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lucid and Coomprehensive,
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This review is from: Plato Rediscovered (Hardcover)
Dr. Seung spent many years synthesizing this view. He has a special gift for finding the core theme that runs through poetic and philosophical works. Most philosophers criticize and analyze. This book gives a plausible and coherent synthesis.
By way of full disclosure I was a student of Dr. Seung in 1985-1986. This book puts together many of the philosophical issues that we talked about in those years. It is very refreshing to see the fragmented issues drawn together so beautifully.
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