The objective of my paper is to examine the role of syngeneia and koinonia in Plato’s dialogues. Although these notions have never been given much attention by Plato’s scholars, particularly when it comes to their relationship, this issue is likely to be crucial in philosophical terms. As I set out to demonstrate, the function of syngeneia and koinonia can be either “vertical” or “horizontal”: in the first case, it turns out to put human intellect in touch with the ideal and divine dimension, so that this proves knowable and imitable; whereas, in the second sense, syngeneia and koinonia should be considered as referring to both the inner interdependence of the intelligibles, and to our being “tied” both to one another and to the kosmos. Moreover, by means of an accurate research for all the occurrences of syngeneia and koinonia (along with the cognate terms) in Plato’s works, I set out to elicit from them all the philosophical assumptions which lie behind, and follow from, the exploitation of these notions. What I will show is that syngeneia and koinonia play a remarkable role in any kind of philosophically relevant affinity or similarity, for they prove to be the reasons for these similitudes to occur.
Carlo Delle Donne (Sapienza-Università di Roma)
Lyceum Classics Community Seminar 