Thirteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The reference frame of this paper is the concept of philosophical godlikeness in Plato’s Theaetetus, and more specifically in the digression (172c-177c) which presents the personalities of the orator and the philosopher. The digression is articulated in three axes of study: a. ontological, b. anthropological (authenticity of the philosopher’s philosophical experience), and c. moral. The paper focuses on the last axis and my purpose is to argue that philosophical godlikeness is focused on the conception of true knowledge (Theaetetus reviews three definitions of knowledge) and virtue and is perceived only by philosophers. The digression highlights that the knowledge of divine justice provides the social presence of the philosopher and is the measure of human worth and wisdom and prudence (against Protagoras’ theory). The results of this study are intended to show the timeless connection between the moral and the divine in platonic philosophy (ontology, moral philosophy). Our research in terms of the method is bibliographic, historical-interpretive, and integrated into the wider framework of philosophical anthropology.

Presenters

Kerasenia Papalexiou
Lecturing in Ancient Greek Philosophy (Special Theaching Stuff), Social Theology and Religious Studies, School of Theology, NKUA, Greece