The collection of essays Virtues of Authenticity captures in the best way the original and significant contribution of Alexandros Nehamas to contemporary Platonic studies. It offers the general reader the opportunity not only to understand the Platonic and Socratic positions but also to realize their deep core and essential relevance.
The essays are self-contained and, as such, can be read independently. However, they are not lacking in unity. From the perspective of content, they are interconnected by the idea that, both in ethics and aesthetics as well as in metaphysics, Plato primarily attempts to distinguish the authentic and genuine from the false, the mere imitation.
From the methodological point of view, they are permeated by Nehamas's unique writing style, which achieves a special balance between analytical precision and sensitivity to literary form and the drama of Platonic dialogues. The unquestionable protagonist of the book is Socrates and how he introduces us to the authenticity of truth, beauty, and goodness.
With Virtues of Authenticity, Nehamas adds his own original voice to the philosophical tradition that seeks to listen to the silence of Socrates.
