Publication Details

Abstract

The following study scrutinizes Platoʼs account of Socratesʼ intellectual biography in the dialogue Phaedo. This account is crucial for the interpretation of Socratesʼ philosophy as an „antropological turn“, that separates Presocratic philosophical tradition from its Socratic counterpart. The first part of this study exposes Platoʼs account in Phaedo as exaggerated and inaccurate treatment of Presocratic – especially Anaxagorean – philosophy. Study then proceeds to pinpoint common features between Platoʼs Socrates and Anaxagoreans. Subsequently, extensive Anaxagorean contaminations are found in Platonic theoretical (metaphysics, cosmology) as well as practical (ethics, philosophy as way of life) philosophy. The study concludes that Socratesʼ anthropological turn is in fact an artificial product of Platoʼs philosophy that calls for further examination.