Achilles and Socrates' Teaching

WEI Chao-yong

doi:10.19857/j.cnki.ICL.20203402

Volume 3 Issue 4

Jan. 2021

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WEI Chao-yong. Achilles and Socrates' Teaching[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2020, 3(4): 636-650. doi: 10.19857/j.cnki.ICL.20203402

Citation:

WEI Chao-yong. Achilles and Socrates' Teaching[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2020, 3(4): 636-650. doi: 10.19857/j.cnki.ICL.20203402

WEI Chao-yong. Achilles and Socrates' Teaching[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2020, 3(4): 636-650. doi: 10.19857/j.cnki.ICL.20203402

Citation:

WEI Chao-yong. Achilles and Socrates' Teaching[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2020, 3(4): 636-650. doi: 10.19857/j.cnki.ICL.20203402

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Achilles and Socrates' Teaching

doi: 10.19857/j.cnki.ICL.20203402

WEI Chao-yong^,

Sun Yat-sen University

Received Date: 2020-06-08
Rev Recd Date: 2020-09-02

Abstract

Abstract

Achilles,the hero of Homer’s epic,was always the model of city-state youth in the moral education of ancient Greece.But in Plato’s Republic,Socrates particularly criticizes Homer’s Achilles.The original human nature and erotic passion of Achilles is very disadvantageous to educate the guardians in Socrates’“beautiful city.”It has become the mission of Socrates’teaching to criticize Achilles’own“love”and advocate one’s love for“truth of being.”However,although Socrates fully demonstrated the construction of the“beautiful city”in words,he finally gave up the expectation of realizing it on the earth.This gesture also indicates that Socrates’philosophical transformation for Achilles,the hero of political life,could not be successful in the end.Socrates’philosophical criticism of Achilles reveals the tension between philosophical truth and political humanity,thus warning us from another level that we need to be alert to the great desire of philosophical truth for political life.
- Achilles,
- one’s own love,
- Socrates,
- truth of being,
- beautiful city

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References(31)

References

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