Plato and the Question of Beauty

This insightful philosophical study examines Plato's complex treatment of beauty across three key dialogues, revealing how the ancient thinker grapples with defining what makes something beautiful. Hyland's close reading of the Hippias Major, Symposium, and Phaedrus demonstrates that Plato ultimately abandons the search for a definitive explanation of beauty, suggesting it resists being captured by rational explanation alone. The exploration moves beyond mere aesthetics to consider beauty's relationship to love, memory, and our pursuit of ideals, making this more than just an academic exercise in Platonic interpretation.

What makes this philosophical investigation particularly compelling is its demonstration that Plato's "failure" to define beauty actually reveals something profound about its nature—that beauty transcends logical formulation. Readers interested in Continental philosophy's approach to classical texts will appreciate Hyland's nuanced reading, while anyone curious about why beauty moves us will find surprising insights about its connection to human experience. The book ultimately suggests that beauty's power lies precisely in its resistance to being pinned down by reason alone, leaving readers with a richer understanding of why beautiful things captivate us.