The Atlantis Myth: Plato’s Case Against Political Idealism
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| The Atlantis Myth: Plato’s Case Against Political Idealism
Having abandoned the search for any geographic truth in Plato’s myth of Atlantis, most agree that the elaborate fiction was fabricated to make a political point. However, studies have as yet failed to take sufficient account of the dramatic elements of the Timaeus-Critias which are meant to guide our interpretation. Several scholars have concluded that Plato, in contrasting the character and constitution of prehistoric Athens to imperialistic maritime Atlantis, is endorsing a certain kind of political structure and policy, one notably similar to the classes in the Republic.1 But the fact that the myth is related by Critias, future member of the Thirty, means that whatever his point was in telling the story, it cannot have been Plato’s for whom no good could have come of associating himself or his (political) philosophy with the oligarch. In my paper I argue that Plato uses Critias’ eager exposition of the Atlantis myth not to argue for some specific political ideal but rather against political idealism as such. Haunted by the Republic’s discussion of philosopher-kings and strictly enforced divisions in social class, many mistakenly believe that Plato is an advocate of such policies, even when we find the violent extremist Critias endorsing them. The remarkable coincidence of similarities between prehistoric Athens and Kallipolis is not Plato’s attempt to showcase a Noble Lie in action, but rather an attempt on the part of Critias to appropriate echoes of Socratic philosophy for his own purposes. Indeed, Aeschines2 assumes that Athenians associate Critias’ brutal regime with Socrates’ philosophy; Xenophon does as well, but works to disassociate the two. Why would Plato want to highlight parallels between them? What he must do, if he is not to condemn his own teacher, is acknowledge the influence Socrates’ teachings had on Critias, while showing how Critias got it all wrong. Following the work of Welliver (1977) I will show that in the dialogue Critias is not portrayed positively. This serves to further distance Plato from the arrogant, sophistic oligarch. Then I will compare the political idealism of Critias’ Atlantis story to another ideal city discussed in the Charmides where, significantly, Critias is also present (Ch.171d). In this thought experiment everyone only acts according to his knowledge. Thus the ignorant cede governance to those who have perfect knowledge of the past, present, and future. One might think this certainly sounds like a Platonic ideal. But Socrates has baited the elitist Critias to praise the city, only to then strongly deny that the city can in fact be temperate or happy. 3 Such a city is not an ‘ideal’ of Plato’s but rather a fantasy of Critias’, one he briefly realized in 404 BC. The lesson learned from the city in the Charmides can be applied to prehistoric Athens. This ‘ideal’ city reveals Critias’ desire to take his (mis)understanding of Socrates’ philosophy and instantiate it in reality, first by rewriting Athens’ past and, soon after, by violently commandeering its future. Whatever the truth about the historical Socrates, this is precisely the sort of political idealism Plato never endorsed. He uses both the Charmides and the Atlantis myth to show how dangerous the pretense of philosophy in someone like Critias with extreme political ideals can be. Selected Bibliography Brisson, L. “De la philosophie politique à l’épopée. Le ‘Critias’ de Platon.” Revue de métaphysique et de morale. Vol.75 (1970): 402-438. Morgan, Kathryn. “Designer History: Plato’s Atlantis Story and Fourth-Century Ideology” The Journal of Hellenic Studies. Vol.118 (1998): 101-118 Schmid, W. Plato’s Charmides and the Socratic Ideal of Rationality. (1998) State University of New York Press. Vidal-Naquet “Athènes et l’Atlantide. Structure et Signification d’un Mythe Platonicien.” Revue des Études Grecques. Vol.77 (1964): 420-444. Welliver, Warman. Character, Plot, and Thought in Plato’s Timaeus-Critias. (1977) Brill. 1 Vidal-Naquet (1964); Brisson (1970); Morgan (1998) 2 Against Timarchus (1.173) 3 cf. Schmid (1998) Directory: meeting meeting -> Program description meeting -> Iea shcp/pvps working Group on pv/t solar Systems meeting -> Office of the collector: jagatsinghpur (st & sc development Section) meeting -> World meteorological organization meeting -> WG/hwsor action item summary (Current as of 28 Feb 2013) meeting -> Review of the past hurricane season meeting -> Review of the past hurricane season reports of hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical disturbances and related flooding during meeting -> Town of seabrook island meeting -> World meteorological organization Download 8.42 Kb. Share with your friends:
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