Plato's Pragmatism: Rethinking the Relationship between Ethics and Epistemology

Plato's Pragmatism offers a comprehensive defense of a pragmatist reading of Plato, arguing that the ultimate rational goal is to live an excellent human life and that cultivating ethical commitments requires violating epistemic norms. It presents a Platonic argument for the conclusion that the value of truth has its limits and that what matters most are ethical commitments and the courage to live up to them.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2022
Publisher: Routledge

Platos Pragmatism presents a comprehensive defense of a pragmatist interpretation of Plato's philosophy. According to Plato, the ultimate rational goal is not merely the accumulation of knowledge and the avoidance of falsehood, but rather the cultivation of an excellent human life. The book argues that a pragmatic outlook permeates throughout the Platonic corpus. The authors contend that the successful pursuit of a good life necessitates the cultivation of certain ethical commitments, and that maintaining these commitments often necessitates violating epistemic norms. In the course of defending the pragmatist interpretation, the authors present a compelling Platonic argument for the conclusion that the value of truth has its limits, and that what truly matters is one's ethical commitments and the courage to live up to them. Their interpretation has far-reaching consequences, reshaping how we understand the relationship between Plato's ethics and epistemology.

Platos Pragmatism will appeal to scholars and advanced students of Plato and ancient philosophy. It will also be of interest to those working on current controversies in ethics and epistemology.

Weight: 340g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367820275