Skepsis in Ancient Greek Philosophy: From Consideration to Doubt

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02116
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Kanayama Yasuhira 名古屋大学, 人文学研究科, 名誉教授 (00192542)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 探求 / 懐疑 / プラトン / ソクラテス / 文字 / 『パイドン』 / 『饗宴』 / 『ティマイオス』

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plato's inquiry comes from that of Socrates and leads to the skepticism of later Academy.The target of my research was this process, in dealing with which I focused mainly on (1) the succession of inquiry (i.e., philosophy) from Socrates to Plato, which can be recognized in Socrates' last words in the Phaedo, (2) the help Plato obtained from the use of the wax tablet, which was his main tool for inquiry, (3) the role of "eros (love)" Plato recognized in the Symposium as the dynamic power that promotes the inquiry by lovers, (4) the significance that inquiry into the physical world in the Timaeus had for the entire Platonic philosophy, (5) positive value of doubt Greek philosophers saw in doubt and its negativity attributed in Chinese philosophy, in the wide framework of Greek Skepsis and Chinese Way (道）. And in each topic I could produce good results, like international publications and translation.

Free Research Field

古代ギリシア哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「研究成果の概要」で挙げた（１）～（５）のそれぞれにつき、新解釈を提出、また将来の研究の基礎となりうる成果を上げた。（１）刑死を前にしたソクラテスの最後の言葉の新解釈を、孔子とその弟子との関係も考慮に入れて提示、（２）文字の発明と蝋の書き板の利用を軸にして『テアイテトス』における記憶モデルについても新解釈を提出、（３）プラトンが示す恋愛観が利己的なものとする多くの解釈を批判し、親子の愛も考慮に入れ、哲学的愛に関わるプラトンの思想を析出、（４）『ティマイオス』の色彩論に関する新解釈を提出するとともに、新たな翻訳を作成、（５）懐疑を焦点しつつ、中国思想とギリシア思想の根本的な相違を示した。