Cesare Simone Astorino

abstract: This paper considers the contentious passage (248e–249d) of the Sophist where the Stranger criticizes the Giants, who associate being with bodies, and the Gods, who identify it with the forms, ultimately providing a third position. There are two prevailing interpretations of this section : “Reading A” has the Stranger argue that being encompasses not only the forms but also other entities, while “Reading B” has the Stranger contend that being, namely, the forms, moves. My strategy is to accept aspects of both interpretations and present a fresh reading by closely examining a passage often underemphasized in the debate (249a4–b3).

This paper provides a detailed analysis of Plato’s account of real astronomy in Book VII of the Republic. It aims to reconcile two seemingly contradictory instructions: to employ visible astral motions as paradigms to learn about the intelligible ones (529d7–e2) while leaving the things in the heavens alone and focusing on problems (530b6–c2). By relying on the image-original relationship between the sensible and the intelligible realms, the paper argues that the real astronomer must interact with celestial entities, but solely for the purpose of using them as paradigms for learning about the intelligible ones.