Wilkinson, L: Socratic Charis

This book explores the possibility that Plato's philosophia is influenced by non-agonal practices and values that historically and philosophically antedate the agonal practices of the Athenian ekklesia. The author surveys literature concerning the predominance of agonal in ancient Greek culture, the values associated with oral poetic performance as a religious practice, and the ubiquitous character of the gift practice known as xenia in the ancient world. The author compares the structure of the agon to the structure of other ancient practices, and reasons that while agonistic practices are oppositional and binary, poetic and social practices are narrative and plural and exemplify, alternative to the agonal, the value of charis-grace. Reading Socratic speech and Socratic inquiry in terms of charis illuminates the narrative structure of Plato's portrayal of Socrates and precludes one-dimensional analyses of Plato's writings as philosophically agonistic and demonstrative. Rather the value of Socratic charis illustrates the value of genuine dialogue, and the author suggests how revaluing Socratic dialogue in light of charis can be relevant to current thinking about philosophy, politics, and the agon.

This work offers an evaluation of Platos portrayal of Socrates in relation to models of the ancient Greek agon, oral poetic performance, and the practices of xenia. The author reinterprets the values of the oral tradition andxenia as non-agonistic, and shows how these values can illuminate the dramatic and philosophical import of Platos Socrates in ways potentially relevant to current thinking about demokratia.

Introduction - Gold for BronzeChapter 1: Troubling the AgonThe Myth of the AgonThe Politics of the AgonThe History of the AgonChapter 2: Non-Agonistic PracticesWho and What is Zeus?MusesNon-Agonistic SpeechChapter 3: Xenia: An economy of CharisGift PracticesXeniaGod for BronzeChapter 4: The "Gift" of SocratesInterregnumWho and What is Socrates?Socrates as GiftThe Economy of PhilosophyChapter 5: Socratic CharisPoetic CharisCephalus: A Graceful Head?Socratic CharisEpilogue - Listening for the TyrantBibliographyIndex