Plato and Platonism

"Plato and Platonism" by Walter Pater is a philosophical examination written in the early 20th century. The text delves into Plato's ideas, exploring the origins and implications of his thoughts on various doctrines, including motion, rest, and the nature of knowledge. Pater presents Plato not just as an original thinker but as a figure deeply rooted in the philosophical debates of his time, influenced by the legacies of earlier philosophers such as Heraclitus and Parmenides. The opening of the work introduces the idea that philosophical knowledge builds upon previous intellectual traditions rather than emerging from a void. Pater emphasizes that even Plato’s most cherished concepts are inextricably linked to earlier thinkers, reflecting a continuum of thought rather than a radical departure. The chapter discusses the doctrine of motion and its associated challenges, particularly Plato's critique of Heraclitus’ notion of perpetual flux. Pater indicates that Plato's inquiry is a search for unchanging truths amidst the chaos of human perceptions—a theme that resonates throughout the text. This introductory portion establishes the groundwork for a deeper exploration of Plato's philosophies and their relevance to contemporary thought. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Walter Horatio Pater was an English essayist, art and literary critic, and fiction writer, regarded as one of the great stylists. His first and most often reprinted book, Studies in the History of the Renaissance (1873), revised as The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry (1877), in which he outlined his approach to art and advocated an ideal of the intense inner life, was taken by many as a manifesto of Aestheticism.