A very nice survey, thank you. It's no accident that Shelley translated the Symposium (an excellent version, unpublishable in full in 19th-century Britain, for obvious reasons), the Ion, and I think the Phaedrus (his version now lost, unfortunately).
"As a person who thinks the philosophical and artistic approaches offered by Romanticism are in fact true and constitute badly needed resources which can propel us out of the dead ends of our time, this is not merely an academic exercise—the stakes are philosophical, in the broadest sense, political, even existential."
Great stuff Andrew. I always thought Kant was fully of poorly disguised platonic ideas; perhaps the most obvious one being beauty 'as a symbol of the morally good'
Hey, it’s funny you mention that, I happen to be reading the Phaedrus right now! Always down for a hang with you and Michael and whoevs! (When I read the Symposium a few years back, it was also with a group of a few people.)
Extraordinary, I am left wanting an even more thorough investigation. I suppose most folks were once taught that the Enlightenment and Romantic eras were somehow separate, memorizing dates and figures for high school and college quizzes. The Enlightenment, Age of Reason, Dissent, English Jacobinism, and the infancy of Romanticism all occurred together! They are interlaced, not opposites, and the writers, thinkers and artists of the times didn’t always stick to one or the other.
I suppose Platonism has been pigeon-holed in school as well, when Plato can be studied through the lens of so many schools of thought. But are folks really unaware of how classically educated the Romantics were, and how much that pervaded their work? Or how many considered their work as based on the concept of Reason? That makes me so very sad.
I'm right with you wanting more. I feel like this whole realm of New Romanticism resurrecting and transfiguring Plato (or vice versa? both and?) is the soup the philosophy of the next world is getting born out of.
If these are the aspects of Plato you like, read the Ion, Phaedrus, and Symposium. Read some dramatic and lyric poetry at the same time (Aeschylus, Euripides, Sappho). Percy Bysshe Shelley did translations of those three dialogues if you want a direct Romantic experience.
A very nice survey, thank you. It's no accident that Shelley translated the Symposium (an excellent version, unpublishable in full in 19th-century Britain, for obvious reasons), the Ion, and I think the Phaedrus (his version now lost, unfortunately).
"If the Romantics rejected Enlightenment, it was only the name of a Super-Enlightenment."
Wow. Thank you (and Dan Edelstein) for this.
Stealing this. I'm all in for the super enlightenment.
Well done, Andrew!
"As a person who thinks the philosophical and artistic approaches offered by Romanticism are in fact true and constitute badly needed resources which can propel us out of the dead ends of our time, this is not merely an academic exercise—the stakes are philosophical, in the broadest sense, political, even existential."
Amen, brother.
Thank you!
Great stuff Andrew. I always thought Kant was fully of poorly disguised platonic ideas; perhaps the most obvious one being beauty 'as a symbol of the morally good'
No form of Idealism can escape Plato completely. And the status and nature of Anschauung is no exception.
THIS is why I get out of bed in the morning.
Thought the same thing Aaron. You me and Michael for Phaedrus study group.......? 👀
(Or anyone else reading this 👀👀👀👀)
Hey, it’s funny you mention that, I happen to be reading the Phaedrus right now! Always down for a hang with you and Michael and whoevs! (When I read the Symposium a few years back, it was also with a group of a few people.)
Wonderfully good.
Extraordinary, I am left wanting an even more thorough investigation. I suppose most folks were once taught that the Enlightenment and Romantic eras were somehow separate, memorizing dates and figures for high school and college quizzes. The Enlightenment, Age of Reason, Dissent, English Jacobinism, and the infancy of Romanticism all occurred together! They are interlaced, not opposites, and the writers, thinkers and artists of the times didn’t always stick to one or the other.
I suppose Platonism has been pigeon-holed in school as well, when Plato can be studied through the lens of so many schools of thought. But are folks really unaware of how classically educated the Romantics were, and how much that pervaded their work? Or how many considered their work as based on the concept of Reason? That makes me so very sad.
I'm right with you wanting more. I feel like this whole realm of New Romanticism resurrecting and transfiguring Plato (or vice versa? both and?) is the soup the philosophy of the next world is getting born out of.
Wonderful essay!!
What would you recommend for a novice to start reading? Plato's dialogues?
If these are the aspects of Plato you like, read the Ion, Phaedrus, and Symposium. Read some dramatic and lyric poetry at the same time (Aeschylus, Euripides, Sappho). Percy Bysshe Shelley did translations of those three dialogues if you want a direct Romantic experience.
Hello there friend, I hope you’re having a good week.
I’ve been seeing your notes for a while now, you have a unique perspective, thank you for sharing.
I thought you may enjoy the approach I take to history, grounded in historic literature:
https://substack.com/@jordannuttall/note/p-182017962?r=4f55i2&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action