Full Idea
The purpose of the 'Phaedrus' is to pioneer the notion of philosophical rhetoric.
Gist of Idea
'Phaedrus' pioneers the notion of philosophical rhetoric
Source
comment on Plato (Phaedrus [c.368 BCE], Ch.10) by Hugh Lawson-Tancred - Plato's Republic and Greek Enlightenment
Book Reference
Lawson-Tancred,Hugh: 'Plato's Republic and Greek Enlightenment' [Bristol Classical Press 1998], p.85
A Reaction
This is a wonderfully challenging view of what Plato was up to. One might connect it with Rorty's claim that philosophy should move away from epistemology and analysis, towards hermeneutics, which sounds to me like rhetoric. 'Phaedrus' is beautiful.