THE IMAGE OF THE “GARDENS OF ADONIS” AND THE REFLECTION ON WRITING AS A PARADIGM FOR DETERMINING THE LÓGOS IN PLATO’S PHAEDRUS (276B1-277B3)

Abstract

The passage between 276b1 and 277b3 of the dialogue Phaedrus has been used to indicate a dichotomy between orality and writing, as a sign of an irreconcilable relationship between dialectics and writing. Both of them are associated respectively to a serious activity (spoudé) and a game (paidiá). In our reading, we intend to show that it is not possible to subscribe to such association, considering, on the one hand, that the passage must be read as a kind of synthesis of a more comprehensive reflection (the determination of the philosophical lógos, i.e., dialectics) and, on the other hand, that it is possible to see in this context layers of meaning produced by an intertextual dialogue (the debate on writing between Alcidamas and Isocrate). In this sense, we propose an interpretation which takes into account an immanent analysis of the passage, showing that it does not display signifiers for subscribing the dichotomy between orality and writing, followed by a discussion that puts it back in the overall context of the dialogue, by analysing the philosophical meaning of the image of the “Garden of Adonis” and the opposition between paidiá and spoudé.