It is simply unbelievable -- Examining ideas through a dramatic
confrontation between differing points of view has long been
part of the process of doing philosophy: e.g., Plato's Dialogues,
Zen Buddhist stories, Sophocles's plays. Yes, some examiners
come away from the process convinced that one of those points
of view is superior, and from then on instruct others in the
way of Truth. Others, equally serious and passionate, come to
believe that there are good arguments on many sides, perhaps
something to be said for each and every POV. The whole Truth
is available only to the One who sees into every mind and heart
-- and it is also possible that there is no such One, and only
partial and conflicting, truths.
What the Stanislavsky system of acting refers to as the "magic
if" lies beneath most acting practice: Imagine that X and Y
is the case. Z happens. Respond. X is the external given circumstances,
Y the internal ones. The reponse is the character's behavior.
In the Platonic Dialogues we are working in reverse. We are
given Ion's response, Z, we infer Ion's internal circumstances,
Y, from what the response reveals about him; and from Socrates'
questioning process we deduce X, the nature of reality, and
of value.
Iris Murdoch (the novelist and heroine of the recent Oscar-winning
movie) has written at least one play in the form of a Socratic
dialogue. It is very close to pure philosophy, with the POV's
weighted slightly toward the modern Platonism of Dr. Iris Murdoch
the Anglo-Irish philosophy don. As novelist, she uses the dramatic
confict of characters to test out ideas in action. She entertains
her readers through these encounters, but this play is done
for the serious purpose of intellectual understanding and spiritual
enlightenment. Plato himself, as enlightened despot, would ban
artists and actors from his Republic, condemning them as hustlers
of lies and appearances. But Plato the wrighter of the Dialogues
knows better. His artistic lies are in the service of the search
for truth-- as I believe Shakespeare's are, usually.
BTW, the Sunday NYTimes Arts section had Margo Jefferson's
review of a new play, "Talk", which is a Platonic Dialogue in
the form of a panel discussion of Art and ethics. The characters'
names are from Plato-- Ion, Crito, etc.-- and apparently their
internal circumstances are, too. Not necessarily their gender,
though.
I can't wait to see this play! (04/22/02)
by 
