Of Myth, Life, and War in Plato's Republic (Studies in Continental Thought) [Paperback]

Claudia Baracchi (Author)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Continental Thought | Publication Date: December 1, 2001

"Baracchi has identified pivotal points around which the Republic operates; this allows a reading of the entire text to unfold.... a very beautifully written book." —Walter Brogan

"... a work that opens new and timely vistas within the Republic.... Her approach... is thorough and rigorous." —John Sallis

Although Plato's Republic is perhaps the most influential text in the history of Western philosophy, Claudia Baracchi finds that the work remains obscure and enigmatic. To fully understand and appreciate its meaning, she argues, we must attend to what its original language discloses. Through a close reading of the Greek text, attentive to the pervasiveness of story and myth, Baracchi investigates the dialogue's major themes. The first part of the book addresses issues of generation, reproduction, and decay as they apply to the founding of Socrates' just city. The second part takes up the connection between war and the cycle of life, employing a thorough analysis of Plato's rendition of the myth of Er. Baracchi shows that the Republic is concerned throughout with the complex but intertwined issues of life and war, locating the site of this tangled web of growth and destruction in the mythical dimension of the Platonic city.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Baracchi has identified pivotal points around which the Republic operates; this allows a reading of the entire text to unfold... a very beautifully written book." --Walter Brogan, Villanova University " "Dr. Baracchi has produced a work that opens new and timely vistas within the Republic, probably the single most influential text in the history of Western thought. Her approach ... is thorough and rigorous. --John" "Sallis, Pennsylvania State University

About the Author

Claudia Baracchi is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at The New School. Her articles on philosophy, art, and literary theory have appeared in numerous journals in English and Italian.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; 1ST edition (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253214858
• ISBN-13: 978-0253214850
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,155,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest works on Plato,, July 11, 2007

By 

C Hill (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Myth, Life, and War in Plato's Republic (Studies in Continental Thought) (Paperback)

I can't recommend this work enough. If you are tired of mediocre superficial interpretations of Plato or if you are sick of analytic reductions of Plato's genius, then this work will restore your faith in current philosophy.

This work falls within the Continental tradition of philosophy so the aim is not to look where Plato's "arguments" fail or to draw Venn diagrams, but rather Baracchi sets out to do exactly what the title says: to describe and interpret myth, life, and war as they appear in Plato's Republic. At times there surface some Derridarian and feminist influences, but fortunately these are barely noticeable and shouldn't turn anyone off. Luckily, Baracchi is enough of an original scholar to avoid following the disastrous trend of seeing everything in the light (or rather darkness) of Derrida. If one is not used to the writing style of Continental philosophy, then one may be perhaps surprised or annoyed at first. But Baracchi writes beautifully and with such charm that any initial misgivings should be quelled quickly. She truly stands out among the newer scholars and I look forward to reading her future work.

To summarize this work or to try to distill important points would be an enormous task in itself as every page has more to say than entire books on Plato. The interpretation here is so rich and original that no reader will be disappointed or think that he hasn't gotten something out of this text. This is the type of work that lets you see The Republic in a new and fresh light; you will end up making notes on every page because it is a terrific catalyst for one's own thinking on Plato.

This book is a must for fans of John Sallis's work on Plato and for anyone looking for a fascinating, deep, thought-provoking interpration of Plato. Even if you are not familiar with Continental philosophy or you have been trained to avoid or dislike it--don't miss out on this fantastic book.

My only complaint is with the atrocious cover illustration used-- I take it the author is not to be faulted. This great book deserves better than a "work" by an "artist" known for doing hideous baby scribbles on a piece of paper.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New, exciting, rigorous... you don't see THAT very often..., June 19, 2008

By 

Daniel Nascimento (Rio de Janeiro) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Of Myth, Life, and War in Plato's Republic (Studies in Continental Thought) (Paperback)

Baracchi is a former student of professor John Sallis (Being and Logos). Being the Republic at the same time one of the most studied and one of the most forgotten of Plato texts, since we have the tendency of spending more time with the comments than with the actual text, her book is a very impressive effort in the direction of establishing 'one less republic', as she says herself. In a very elegantly written book, Baracchi attempts to get back to Plato's text. In that way, in this confrontation with tradition, her effort could be compared to what Michel Narcy did in Le philosophe et son double. The difference is that she does not attempt here, as Narcy did there, a complete explanation of the dialogue. What she does is indentify some of the most important questions that perpass the whole dialogue, what makes it possible for us to read it in a new light. And that is the most important thing one could do for a platonic text, really. To let it shine again, making it possible for us to read it again.