Nights of Insight: Plato on the Philosophical Qualities of the Night

L.A. Joosse

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter surveys the different roles which the night plays in Plato. Among these there are two main roles. First, in different places in the corpus the night appears as a structural factor: in the cosmos, but also in the narrative dimension of the dialogues. Second, the night allows for privileged cognitive access. This concerns passages that feature the night as a period during which good and bad deeds are done, but also the more technical discussions in the Timaeus (the discussion of divination) and the Laws (about the Nocturnal Council).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Values of Nighttime in Classical Antiquity
Subtitle of host publicationBetween Dusk and Dawn
EditorsJames Ker, Antje Wessels
Place of PublicationLeiden
PublisherBrill
Chapter4
Pages93-111
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9789004436367
ISBN (Print)9789004435575
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Publication series

NameMnemosyne Supplements
Volume434

Keywords

  • plato
  • night
  • cognition
  • philosophy
  • narratology

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