Plato's Philebus continues to fascinate us with its reflections on what it means to live a good life by aiming at the right combination of pleasure and knowledge. In this book, Cristina Ionescu argues that mediation is a central theme in the dialogue. Whether we talk about mediating between distinct ontological levels, between steps of reasoning, between pleasure and knowledge, between distinct types of pleasure, or between concrete circumstances and ideals, the steps in between remain essential to a good life. Focusing on ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical aspects of the dialogue, Ionescu occasionally steps beyond the letter of the text, while remaining faithful to its spirit, as she tries to illuminate what is only hinted at.

Cristina Ionescu is Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. She is the author of Plato's Meno: An Interpretation.

Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. The Unity of the Philebus: Metaphysical Assumptions of the Good Human Life

2. The Placement of Pleasure and Knowledge in the Fourfold Articulation of Reality

3. Hybrid Varieties of Pleasure: True Mixed Pleasures and False Pure Pleasures

4. The Nature of Pleasure: Absolute Standards of Replenishment and Due Measure

5. Pleasures of Learning and the Role of Due Measure in Experiencing Them

6. Plato's Conception of Pleasure Confronting Three Aristotelian Critiques

Appendix. The Philebus's Implicit Response to the Aporiai of Participation from the Parmenides

Notes
Bibliography
Index