The Drama of Ideas : Platonic Provocations in Theater and Philosophy

Most philosophy has rejected the theater, denouncing it as a place of illusion or moral decay; the theater in turn has rejected philosophy, insisting that drama deals in actions, not ideas. Challenging both views, The Drama of Ideas shows that theater and philosophy have been crucially intertwined from the start. Plato is the presiding genius of this alternative history. The Drama of Ideas presents Plato not only as a theorist of drama, but also as a dramatist himself, one who developed a dialogue-based dramaturgy that differs markedly from the standard, Aristotelian view of theater. Puchner discovers scores of dramatic adaptations of Platonic dialogues, the most immediate proof of Plato's hitherto unrecognized influence on theater history. Drawing on these adaptations, Puchner shows that Plato was central to modern drama as well, with figures such as Wilde, Shaw, Pirandello, Brecht, and Stoppard using Plato to create a new drama of ideas. Puchner then considers complementary developments in philosophy, offering a theatrical history of philosophy that includes Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Burke, Sartre, Camus, and Deleuze. These philosophers proceed with constant reference to theater, using theatrical terms, concepts, and even dramatic techniques in their writings. The Drama of Ideas mobilizes this double history of philosophical theater and theatrical philosophy to subject current habits of thought to critical scrutiny. In dialogue with contemporary thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum, Iris Murdoch, and Alain Badiou, Puchner formulates the contours of a "dramatic Platonism." This new Platonism does not seek to return to an idealist theory of forms, but it does point beyond the reigning philosophies of the body, of materialism and of cultural relativism. Most philosophy makes little mention of the theater except to denounce it as a place of illusion and moral decay. The theater has tended to respond in kind by steering away from philosophy, driven by the notion that theater consists of actions, not ideas. The Drama of Ideas argues that despite this mutual evasion, the histories of philosophy and theater have in fact been crucially intertwined. Appointing Plato as a hinge figure, Puchner traces this alternative tradition as well as recounting the long-standing philosophical register in drama and philosophy's more recent theatrical shift. Moving from a consideration of Plato as a dramatist to those Renaissance playwrights who drew on Plato's chief character, Socrates, Puchner articulates an alternative history of the theater which places philosophy front and center. He believes that modern drama should be understood as Platonic, rather than anti-Aristotelian, as it is often labeled. When Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, August Strindberg, Luigi Pirandello, Georg Kaiser and Bertolt Brecht are contextualized in light of this alternative perspective, they emerge as major contributors to a drama of ideas. Philosophy underwent a corresponding theatrical shift in the modern era, most importantly through the work of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Camus. More recently, Kenneth Burke and Gilles Deleuze have used a theatrical models perspective through which to write the history of philosophy, while contemporary descendants of Plato's dramatic imagination include Iris Murdoch, Martha Nussbaum and Alain Badiou Contents......Page 12 Plato, Dramatist......Page 16 Plato’s Genres: Tragedy, Comedy, Satyr Play......Page 22 Plato’s Dramaturgy......Page 33 2 A Brief History of the Socrates Play......Page 50 Socrates on the Stage......Page 53 The Death of Socrates......Page 65 The Comic Stage Philosopher......Page 76 3 The Drama of Ideas......Page 86 The Modern Socrates Play: August Strindberg and Georg Kaiser......Page 88 Oscar Wilde......Page 95 George Bernard Shaw......Page 105 Luigi Pirandello......Page 113 Bertolt Brecht......Page 119 Tom Stoppard......Page 125 4 Dramatic Philosophy......Page 134 Søren Kierkegaard......Page 138 Friedrich Nietzsche......Page 151 Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus......Page 161 Kenneth Burke......Page 175 Gilles Deleuze......Page 179 5 The New Platonists......Page 186 Iris Murdoch......Page 187 Martha Nussbaum......Page 193 Alain Badiou......Page 198 Epilogue: Dramatic Platonism......Page 206 Appendix 1: Socrates Titles......Page 212 Appendix 2: Charting the Socrates Play......Page 222 Notes......Page 224 Bibliography......Page 250 A......Page 258 C......Page 259 D......Page 260 F......Page 261 I......Page 262 M......Page 263 N......Page 264 R......Page 265 S......Page 266 Z......Page 267 Contents 12 1 The Poetics of the Platonic Dialogue 16 Plato, Dramatist 16 Plato’s Genres: Tragedy, Comedy, Satyr Play 22 Plato’s Dramaturgy 33 2 A Brief History of the Socrates Play 50 Socrates on the Stage 53 The Death of Socrates 65 The Comic Stage Philosopher 76 3 The Drama of Ideas 86 The Modern Socrates Play: August Strindberg and Georg Kaiser 88 Oscar Wilde 95 George Bernard Shaw 105 Luigi Pirandello 113 Bertolt Brecht 119 Tom Stoppard 125 4 Dramatic Philosophy 134 Søren Kierkegaard 138 Friedrich Nietzsche 151 Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus 161 Kenneth Burke 175 Gilles Deleuze 179 5 The New Platonists 186 Iris Murdoch 187 Martha Nussbaum 193 Alain Badiou 198 Epilogue: Dramatic Platonism 206 Appendix 1: Socrates Titles 212 Appendix 2: Charting the Socrates Play 222 Notes 224 Bibliography 250 Index 258 A 258 B 259 C 259 D 260 E 261 F 261 G 262 H 262 I 262 J 263 K 263 L 263 M 263 N 264 O 265 P 265 R 265 S 266 T 267 U 267 V 267 W 267 X 267 Z 267 9780199730322 Most philosophy makes little mention of the theatre except to denounce it as a place of illusion and moral decay. The theatre has tended to respond in kind by steering away from philosophy. This book argues that despite this mutual evasion, the histories of philosophy and theatre have in fact been crucially intertwined