Plato's Caves

In Plato's Caves, Rebecca LeMoine defends the bold thesis that Plato was a friend of cultural diversity, contrary to many contemporary perceptions. LeMoine shows that, across Plato's dialogues, foreigners play a role similar to that of Socrates: liberating citizens from intellectual bondage. Through close readings of four Platonic dialogues--Republic, Menexenus, Laws, and Phaedrus--LeMoine recovers Plato's unique insight into the promise, and risk, of cross-cultural engagement.