The Idea of “Philosophy-as-a-Way-of-Life” in Plato’s Dialogs

Abstract

Werner Jaeger argued that Plato was perhaps the first to use the word mould, πλάττινν, for the act. It follows from Plato’s philosophy that the arete is unable to independently free itself from hiddenness and overcome the boundaries of the physical world to master the “human sophia.” Plato’s philosophy creates a recognizable image of political education: education as the moulding of a certain “correctness of the gaze” on the image of the highest idea. The moulding power of the transcendental ideal is used to establish the focus and limits of self-realization. A specific discourse and way of life are formed that provides the mastering of the “human sophia.” We have designated the method of achieving “human sophia” with the metaphor “philosophy-as-away-of-life.”