Plato, Myth Creator, according to Luc Brisson

Abstract

In what follows, part of a still ongoing research, it is shown Luc Brisson´s essentials ideas about Plato and the myth. One tries to illustrate and examine Brisson´s methodology and analysis as they stand, above all in his book Platón, las palabras y los mitos. As it is well known, there are quite a lot of various aspects about myth in Plato´s writings. Brisson, in this book, tries to demonstrate the importance that the Greek writer ascribes to myth in so many of his dialogues.

Brisson calls one´s attention to the fact that the word myth, mythos, do have the meaning of a fictitious story; and, still more, that Plato was the very first author to use the word mythos with such a meaning. Plato used it to describe the practice of making and telling stories, that is, the oral transmission that is kept in a community memory. Brisson, in such a way, in the first half of his book, recreates the multiple and various description that Athens´ philosopher offers about mythos having in mind the ancient story of Atlantis. In the second half of his book Brisson compares the meaning of mythos, for Plato an unverifiable speech, to another way of speech, which he believes to be superior, that is, lógos or verifiable speech. Such a kind of conclusion, to which Brisson comes to, in his research, is just one of many other possibilities which he delves not. The author of this article agrees with him in the essential. Therefore, further studies should be done; other works and different theories should be explored in depth. That must be so, once such a theme is so complex, though rich, interesting and full of essential philosophical consequences. In what follows it is shown the main steps followed by Brisson in his deep analysis.