Drew A. Hyland, one of Continental philosophy's keenest interpreters of
Plato, takes up the question of beauty in three Platonic dialogues, the
Hippias Major, Symposium, and Phaedrus. What Plato
meant by beauty is not easily characterized, and Hyland's close
readings show that Plato ultimately gives up on the possibility of a
definition. Plato's failure, however, tells us something important
about beauty--that it cannot be reduced to logos. Exploring
questions surrounding love, memory, and ideal form, Hyland draws out
the connections between beauty, the possibility of philosophy, and
philosophical living. This new reading of Plato provides a serious
investigation into the meaning of beauty and places it at the very
heart of philosophy.