The realm of mimesis : a contemporary interpretation of the orality/writing issue in relation to the ontology of the image in Plato

Abstract

This thesis enquires into the vexed issue of the relation between the criticism of orality and the criticism of writing in Plato’s works. The main aim is to argue that this relation, often read as an opposition, is grounded on a more ontological level of analysis which is exemplified by the ontology of the image as it is expressed throughout the entire platonic production. Analysing the structure of the ontology of the image it emerges that both the criticism of orality and the criticism of writing are inessential and have more points of convergence than divergences. The theme of mimesis is the leading thread of this work and it is addressed as a “mechanism” which progressively reveals the continuity and co-dependency between the opposition orality/writing and the ontology of the image (itself based on the relation and co-dependency between eidos and eidolon). The work engages with an open-ended conclusion which suggests the possibility of further enquiring. The conclusive theme dealt with is the platonic conception of beauty. The occurrences of beauty in Plato’s works exhibit a singular relation between eidos and eidolon, a relation that overcome the mimetic mechanism and points to an erotic conception of life and philosophy. The afterword which closes the dissertation aims to show the relevance of this study for a more aware understanding of some of the contemporary phenomena which challenge our way to analyse, communicate and elaborate the visual world in which we have anthropologically shifted.