Lost in translation: The influence of 20th century literary theory on Plato's texts

Abstract

Close readings of passages addressing “books” and “authors” in 20th Century renditions of Plato's dialogues reveal highly variable translations. These translations track along with the rise and fall of literary! critical movements celebrating and critiquing the figure of the author, and respond to the increasingly dominant understanding of the Fifth Century BCE as a predominantly oral culture. These ultimately contradictory representations of the same Platonic texts illustrate how translators craft texts tailored to their times ‘favored theoretical constructs. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of these variable translations is to suggest the degree to which Plato's treatment of questions of authorship shapes and circumscribes putatively modern discussions of these questions.