L’origine égyptienne de la doctrine non écrite de Platon

Abstract

Ancient Egypt is mentioned in several platonic dialogues. We suggest focusing on the passages that concern the theme of writing, in order to validate the hypothesis of an influence of Egyptian philosophy on Plato’s conception of the relation between orality and writing. This relation, which manifests itself in the coexistence of both the written dialogues and the non-written doctrine, is a dialectical relation. In fact, its dialectical character is shown through two opposite discourses that originate from Egypt: on the one hand there is the critique of writing in the Phaidros (section 1), and on the other hand we find its praise in the Timaeus (section 2). The analysis of the dialectic of orality and writing (section 3) emphasizes the crucial role of the praxis in Egyptian philosophical thought, which influenced Plato for developing a non-written doctrine as a necessary complement to the written dialogues.