The Advantages of Conversation in the Phaedrus

The aim of this chapter is to see why, and for whom, the Phaedrus recommends conversation. The chapter begins with the discussion of conversation in the critique of writing at the end of the Phaedrus. Robinson’s account of the Phaedrus, according to which Plato explains the importance of conversation for teaching alone, is shown to be a correct account of the critique but not of the dialogue as a whole. The chapter discusses the motivation for the critique of writing and its contribution to fourth-century debates in order to explain why it focuses on teaching and transmitting expertise. The characters and conversation of the dialogue are then considered in broader terms, and it is argued that the dialogue illustrates the advantages of conversation for those trying to get others to commit themselves to philosophy.

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