Cosmology, teleology, and politics in Plato's Timaeus
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Plato’s Timaeus is generally considered as Plato’s cosmological dialogue. Interpretations often
disregard the political context in which the cosmology is presented. In this thesis, I approach
the Timaeusfrom a literary theoretical point of view. Such an approach implies that the dialogue
is read as a whole in its historical context, and also any mentioned time and place, name or
event of the frame story bears meaning. The dramatic event takes place at the time of
Panathenaea, the biggest political festival in Athens. On the previous day, Socrates had given
an account of the ideal state. On the next day, Socrates asks to hear speeches about what the
philosophically trained guards of the ideal state would do and say in the case of war. Critias
tells a story about Proto-Athens and its war against Atlantis. However, he only gives a summary
of the story as Timaeus is given priority. The Timaeus thus consists of a summary of Socrates’
ideal state, a summary of Proto-Athens, and Timaeus’ cosmology. In this thesis, I set out to
answer the following questions: Why does Plato present the cosmology in a political context
along with two political accounts? How are the three accounts related to each other?
I argue that the cosmology should not be read historically, as Critias does, but axiologically.
The axiological reading enables political and ethical interpretation of cosmology. Timaeus’
teleological cosmology presents a paradigm for human behavior and ethical norms objectively
realised in nature. I also argue that the cosmology offers interpretative tools to interpret the
dialogue as a whole. Critias’ story presents a similarly structured, task-based constitution to
Socrates’ ideal constitution. Proto-Athens set in the past and Socrates’ ideal state, projected in
the future as a desired end, constitutes a teleological order.