Christoph Poetsch, "Der Aspekt der Hinsicht. Überlegungen zum Verhältnis von Raum und Wissen im platonischen Bildbegriff", in: Raumwissen und Wissensräume. Beiträge des interdisziplinären Theorie-Workshops für Nachwuchswissenschaftler/innen, eTopoi. Journal for Ancient Studies, Special Volume 5 (2015), 64–85

Abstract

Plato is not said to be a friend of images and fine art. According to him, they are both opposed to true knowledge. Based on the triad of space, knowledge and image this essay demonstrates, that Plato discusses the relation between image and knowledge in several decidedly spatial aspects. This leads to a limitation of Plato‘s critique of the images to skiagraphia. In a second step, this essay relates the concepts of space and knowledge to each other against the background of Plato’s Theory of the Principles, thereby emphasising the structural parallels within the concepts of chôra and image. These two steps demonstrate – as illustrated in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave –, how the image can play an important role in the ascension towards true knowledge. Based on this hypothesis, this essay will furthermore sketch a concept of space which allows one to grasp the notion of space through the category of sense.

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