Perceiving Plato's Concern

This book focuses mainly on the practical moral poetics in Plato's late masterpiece, the Laws, and applies a comparative approach to Plato's philosophizing and the Chinese way of thinking in the fields of art making, cultivating a good life, and music-poetry education. Plato's main concern is psychic and correct education as the foundation of character building, coupled with the development of ideal guardians or perfect citizens. Such education requires the appropriate use of allegories, myths, and poetry, since it involves not only young people but also non-philosophers. Saturated with poetic wisdom, it effectively enhances philosophical learning and human development, and sheds light on how to live a worthwhile life in practice. What is discussed here will be of interest to students and scholars of ancient Greek philosophy, classical studies, art theory, Chinese thought, and poetic education, among others.