[Buddha-l] Re: Theories of the self

[Katherine Masis]

Curt wrote:

"I am wondering what kind of basis you have for saying
this? Socrates, for example, encourages Meno [76c] to
receive initiation in the Eleusinian Mysteries (not to
be confused, of course, with Apollo's cult) in order
to better undertand his (Socrates') ideas concerning
the soul
In the Alcibiades Socrates states clearly "harken,
therefore, to the advice I give you in agreement with
the Delphic inscription, Know Thyself." [124a-b]
Socrates also informs Alcibiades that "a God" has 
instructed him (Socrates) to speak to Alcibiades about
this matter.

I would go so far as to say that there is no evidence
that Soctates/Plato "changed" the meaning of "gnothi
seauton", or that their teachings concerning the soul
and self-knowledge represented a "break with the
past".

*-*-*

Regarding the "break with the past", perhaps I made it
sound larger than it really was.  Socrates initiates a
tradition of introspection in that "knowing himself"
is having a relationship with himself:  the subject
has a relationship with the internal "object," to use
psychoanalytic jargon.

Regarding "on what basis" I claim that there was a
change between how oracle-seekers Vs. how Socrates
might have approached Delphi, I believe I read that
several years ago somewhere in Foucault or maybe it
was Jaeger's *Paideia* or who knows where.  It was
long ago, but it stuck in my mind, because I actually
felt a little disappointed at the oracle having such a
profane meaning before Socrates.  Give me several days
and I'll check the source.  So no, it's not my
original idea, I'm sorry to say.

Katherine Masis




       
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