English summary: Although it is commonly known that Plato was not the only one to have used Socrates as a literary figure, it is no less the image of his personality and his dialectic deployed through his major works which has made the deepest impression on the public. Socratic Dialogue is thus used by the author to highlight several marginal texts which sometimes have been neglected for centuries by highly respected traditional works, such as the marvellous - and to be honest, somewhat agonising - Euthydemus by Xenophon, ...
Read More
English summary: Although it is commonly known that Plato was not the only one to have used Socrates as a literary figure, it is no less the image of his personality and his dialectic deployed through his major works which has made the deepest impression on the public. Socratic Dialogue is thus used by the author to highlight several marginal texts which sometimes have been neglected for centuries by highly respected traditional works, such as the marvellous - and to be honest, somewhat agonising - Euthydemus by Xenophon, to sketch the portrait of a little-known Socrates by means of precise analyses. Socrates has no doctrine to impart; his only purpose is to push his readers to the limit and press them to the limit in order to show them that their answers to the questions are not necessarily right, and that one must constantly challenge one's own conclusions. French description: S'il est bien connu que Platon n'a pas ete le seul a avoir utilise la figure litteraire de Socrate, c'est bien la vision de sa personnalite et de sa dialectique deployee dans ses oeuvres majeures qui s'est finalement imposee. Le Dialogue socratique s'emploie donc a remettre a l'honneur quelques textes marginaux, delaisses pendant des siecles parfois par la grande tradition, comme le merveilleux - et, a vrai dire, quelque peu angoissant - Euthydeme de Xenophon, pour dessiner au moyen d'analyses precises le portrait d'un Socrate meconnu. Socrate n'a pas de doctrine a delivrer, mais son seul travail est de pousser a bout ses interlocuteurs, les pousser dans leurs retranchements pour monter que les reponses aux questions ne sont pas les bonnes necessairement et qu'il faut sans cesse requestionner.Beaucoup plus proche des sophistes que ne le laisse l'entendre Platon, ce Socrate-la rend egalement plus intelligible la filiation que revendiquaient avec lui les cyniques. Le dernier chapitre de cet ouvrage beneficie des recherches novatrices de l'auteur sur l'invention de la philosophie , qui bouleversera sans doute bien des opinions recues.
Read Less
