The atlantis myth and cultural identity

Timaeus and Critias

pp. 173-203

in: Omid Tofighian, Myth and philosophy in Platonic dialogues, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016

Abstract

Told in parts through the Timaeus and Critias, the Atlantis myth operates as a form of self-reflection and critique for Plato. Tofighian interprets the connection between the story and Plato's arguments for statecraft, epistemology, and metaphysics. The tale is a philosophically potent literary device that uses an apocalyptic fantasy trope and expresses a particular form of Athenian nationalism. Tofighian describes Bruce Lincoln's work on the relationship between myth, mythography, and nationalism. He explores the matrix constituted by nineteenth-century myth studies, racism, and the rise of fascism in Western Europe. Tofighian interprets the patriotic national identity expressed through the story, the narrative's "golden age" plot, and the intertextual references to arguments. He also explains how the dialogue exposes the kinds of mistakes even philosophers make when trying to interpret an "ideal".