Framing the Dialogues: How to Read Openings and Closures in Plato

We are delighted to give advance notice of the International Conference titled “Framing the Dialogues: How to Read Openings and Closures in Plato” to be held by the Department of Classics and Philosophy, University of Cyprus, on 10-12 December 2015.

 The frames of Plato’s dialogues constitute a vexed and contentious issue and have been variously treated by Platonists throughout centuries.  Proclus in Parmenides 658-659 provides us with an insight into the debates of ancient commentators about Plato’s prologues: some pay little or no attention to the prefatory parts; others, whereas acknowledging their moral aspect, deem them irrelevant to the subject matter under consideration; a third group contends that the proemia should be read in tandem with the philosophical content of the dialogues. A somewhat similar stance has been adopted by modern scholars: some either completely ignore or attribute little philosophical significance to the proemia; others consider them to be an integral part of the central philosophical discourse and not merely ‘trimmings’ or decorative literary devices.
 

The aim of the conference is to put under scrutiny the intricate and multifarious ways in which Plato frames his dialogues with a view to exploring both the association between inner and outer framework and how this relationship contributes to, and sheds light upon, the dialogues.  

 Keynote Speakers
 Luc Brisson (CNRS, Paris)
Stephen Halliwell (St Andrews)

 Registration is free but required. Please visit our website (http://www.platoconferenceucy.weebly.com) in order to register and stay informed. The final programme of the conference will be announced in October.

Feel free to address any enquires to Eleni Kaklamanou ([email protected]) and Maria Pavlou ([email protected])