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Plato's Analogical Thought, Holly G. Moore

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The philosophical concept of analogy is fundamental to the theory of imaging that characterizes Plato’s metaphysics, cosmology, and methodology. While Plato never explicitly conceptualizes the philosophical role of analogy, his dialogues are rife with analogies and images that are often pivotal to the thought expressed there. An analysis of celebrated analogies such as the sun and the good in the Republic, the “second sailing” in the Phaedo, the “receptacle” (chōra) in the Timaeus, and the example of weaving in the Statesman reveals that even if the theory each elucidates is not explicitly concerned with analogy, the theories these images enable …