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The Myth and What it Achieves

Chapter 4 discusses Statesman 268d5-277c6: why the myth does not fully deliver what it was expected to deliver, and what it achieves instead; in addition, focusing on the notion of kinship (sungeneia), the chapter also suggests how the myth could contribute to the statesman’s efforts to create the fabric of society. The first part of the chapter considers why the Eleatic Visitor in the Statesman switches from dialectic to telling a myth, what he expects from the myth, and why he feels that the myth only partially delivered what he expected. Even the negative results lead to important lessons: a myth cannot be directly subservient to dialectic, and telling good myths requires a distinct skill set. The second part of the chapter shows how the cosmological myth prepares the ground for the central positive outcome of the dialogue. In painting a vivid image of the human condition in the present cosmic age, the myth shows the natural kinship linking all humans, and emphasizes the importance of family ties and of cooperation. It could therefore be used for educational purposes by the true statesman who is tasked with creating the fabric of society by forging and fostering the bonds between citizens.