Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Aisthetic Eros And Athenian Political Crisis: An Interpretation Of Plato's Seventh Letter, John Baltes

LSU Master's Theses

This paper investigates Plato's solution to political and social disorder by analyzing his advice and epistemology in the Seventh Letter. The first of three primary divisions provides the historical context of Platonic philosophy. The second discusses the central themes of his metaphysics, with specific attention to the Phaedo and Republic. The third analyzes the importance of aisthetic eros for the ascent to the Agathon, culminating in an interpretation of the relevant sections of the Seventh Letter.