Item #232126 On Plato's 'Statesman' (Meridian: Crossing Aesthetics). Cornelius Castoriadis, David Ames Curtis, Werner Hamacher.

On Plato's 'Statesman' (Meridian: Crossing Aesthetics)

Stanford University Press, August 2002. First Edition. Cloth. Used - Very Good / No Jacket. Item #232126
ISBN: 0804741441


This posthumous book represents the first publication of one of the seminars of Cornelius Castoriadis, a renowned and influential figure in twentieth-century thought. A close reading of Plato's Statesman, it is an exemplary instance of Castoriadis's pragmatic, pertinent, and discriminating approach to thinking and reading a great work: "I mean really reading it, by respecting it without respecting it, by going into the recesses and details without having decided in advance that everything it contains is coherent, homogeneous, makes sense, and is true."

Castoriadis brings out what he calls The Statesman's "quirky structure," with its three digressions, its eight incidental points, and its two definitions, neither of which is deemed good. He does not hesitate to differ with the text, to show that what is, in appearance, secondary is really essential, and that the denunciation of the Sophists accommodates itself quite well to the use of sophistical procedures. Castoriadis shows how The Statesman takes us into the heart of what is distinctive in the late Plato: blending, acceptance of the mixed, of the intermediate.

These transcriptions of Cornelius's afford the reader an opportunity to discover his trenchant, convincing, energetic, provocative, and often droll voice. Here is a hitherto unknown Castoriadis, who reflects as he speaks, collects himself, corrects himself, and doesn't hesitate to revisit key points. In short, this is Castoriadis's thinking in action.

Octavo; without dustjacket (I believe) as issued. I purchased this book from a Borders as a new book in or around 2003. This long gone bookseller sold this item without a dustjacket. University press books are issued without jackets often enough that I assumed this was as it was supposed to be. So I did not ask the clerk what became of the dustjacket. Unfortunately the 'stock' images on the internet appear to be dustjacketed, although the descriptions by the 11 dealers listing this title do not mention dust jacket on way or the other. It appears there is a jacket somewhere for this title, but I do not have it, and it is not clear to me if such a thing is available. This copy comes in a stiff mylar jacket, cut to size to fit this book. Cllean, tightly bound, without markings. No discoloration or darkening.

Used Book

Price: $25.00