Journal article

The jellyfish’s pleasures: philebus 20b-21d

Abstract:: AbstractScholars have characterised the trial of the life of pleasure in Philebus 20b-21d as digressive or pejorative. I argue that it is neither: it is a thought experiment containing an important argument, in the form of a reductio, of the hypothesis that a life could be most pleasant without cognition. It proceeds in a series of steps, culminating in the precisely chosen image of the jellyfish. Understanding the intended resonance of this creature, and the sense in which it is deprived, is critical for reconstructing the argument, and yields new insight into Plato’s views on the minimal conditions for pleasure.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

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APA Style

O’Reilly, K. R. (2019). The jellyfish’s pleasures: philebus 20b-21d. Phronesis, 64(3), 277–291.

MLA Style

O’Reilly, K. R. “The Jellyfish’s Pleasures: Philebus 20b-21d.” Phronesis, vol. 64, no. 3, Brill Academic Publishers, 2019, pp. 277–91.

Chicago Style

O’Reilly, KR. 2019. “The Jellyfish’s Pleasures: Philebus 20b-21d.” Phronesis 64 (3): 277–91.
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Files:: OReillyAAM2019.pdf

(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 242.7KB, Terms of use)

Publisher copy:: 10.1163/15685284-12342044

Authors

+ O’Reilly, KR More by this author

Institution:: University of Oxford
Division:: HUMS
Department:: Philosophy Faculty
Sub department:: Philosophy Faculty
Role:: Author

Publisher:: Brill Academic Publishers
Journal:: Phronesis More from this journal
Volume:: 64
Issue:: 3
Pages:: 277-291
Publication date:: 2019-06-04
Acceptance date:: 2019-03-18
DOI:: 10.1163/15685284-12342044
EISSN:: 1568-5284
ISSN:: 0031-8868

Language:: English
Keywords:: jellyfish

Plato

Philebus

reflexivity

FFR

pleasure
Pubs id:: pubs:1025708
UUID:: uuid:09a9f790-71e5-4cb9-ab2d-ff02e3b7e9db
Local pid:: pubs:1025708
Source identifiers:: 1025708
Deposit date:: 2019-07-02

Terms of use

Copyright holder:: Koninklijke Brill NV
Copyright date:: 2019
Rights statement:: © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2019
Notes:: This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available from Brill at: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685284-12342044

Licence:: Terms and Conditions of Use for Oxford University Research Archive

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