The visible cosmos of dialogues: some historical and philosophiacal remarks about Plato in the late Antique schools

Abstract

English and Portuguese Between the 5 th and the 6 th centuries A. D., the Neoplatonic school of Alexandria, where the philosophical didactic follows a specific cursus studiorum , is opened also to the Christian students. Despite some divergences of religious (but also of economical and of political) natures, and after some violent events which occur in the Egyptian city, the Alexandrian school is linked to its contemporary Neoplatonic school in Athens. And indeed the Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy, i.e. the introductory lectures discussed by an Anonymous professor in order to present the characteristic of Platonic philosophy, show that the method of teaching Plato is still the same. According to the Neoplatonic exegetical tradition, the text emphasizes that the dialogical artefact fashioned as a cosmos by Plato is a paideutic instrument with a purpose to look away from the sensible and to guide towards the intelligible. Plato, through dialogues, eikones of the invisible, does not create illusions, but contributes to the practice of ‘assimilation’ by filling the writings with greater contents. KEY-WORDS : Plato, Prolegomena , analogy, visible cosmos, invisible cosmos. Entre os seculo V e VI d.C., a escola neoplatonica de Alexandria, onde a didatica filosofica segue um preciso cursus studiorum , e aberta tambem aos estudantes cristaos. Nao obstante algumas diferencas de natureza religiosa (mas tambem economica e politica), e em seguida a alguns violentos acontecimentos que golpeiam a cidade egipcia, a escola de Alexandria permanece ligada a contemporânea escola neoplatonica ateniense. E, de fato, os Prolegomena a filosofia de Platao, isto e as licoes introdutorias dadas por um professor anonimo para apresentar as caracteristicas da filosofia platonica, mostram que o metodo de ensinar Platao e ainda o mesmo. Seguindo a tradicao exegetica neoplatonica, o texto sublinha que o artefato dialogico, plasmado como um cosmo por Platao, e um instrumento paideutico que tem o objetivo desviar o olhar do sensivel e guiar rumo ao inteligivel. Platao, atraves dos dialogos, eikones do invisivel, nao cria ilusoes, mas contribui para a pratica da “assimilacao” preenchendo os escritos de maiores conteudos. PALAVRAS CHAVES: Platao, Prolegomena , analogia, cosmo visivel, cosmo invisivel.