Department seminar: Olof Pettersson, "The Hazards of the Voice: On Human Trust in Discursive Proficiency in Plato"

Abstract

The status of language and reason is an important philosophical question. In the dialogue the Protagoras, Plato discusses the status of three modes of discursive reasoning that would seem to be prominent and efficient: Long speeches, interpretation of written text and critical debate in the form of short questions and answers. By arguing that Plato thematizes these three modes of discourse in order to exhibit the hazards of human trust in discursive proficiency, I will claim that Plato does not only articulate a set of reasons to ask ourselves about the ethical consequences of this type of trust, he also show us what happens when we do not.