The Problem Of The Rhapsode's Status In Ion

The discussion between Socrates and Ion in Plato's Ion is about poetry and art.As far as its content,Ion does not offer any real discussion of poetry or art.More entitative,Plato was confronted with the interpretation of Homer for the time.As the subject of dialogue,Ion is a rhapsode with many ways of understanding.In one detail of the text,Plato's Socrates and Ion are fundamentally divided on the question of understanding.From this "conflict",Plato's writings of Socrates either implicitly or explicitly narrate three ways of understanding:the way of understanding leaded by "divine meaning"",the way of understanding based on "universal rationality",and the way of understanding based on"knowledge".The second way of understanding was accepted by Ion which led to the degenerate of Homer's words.The third way of understanding was put forward by Socrates in the process of refuting Ion,which is characterized by the power of understanding with special knowledge.The first was Socrates' attempt which lead Ion to one understanding mode that can connect God and man.In these three ways of understanding,"status" plays a decisive role.In particular,Socrates clearly associated "understanding" with "status"through the narration of the divine possession.The meaning of "status" lies in the demarcation.The "perversion of man and God" caused by "universal rationality" is the product of man's immoderation.Socrates's understanding is based on "knowledge",which requires the understanding to have a expert knowledge.In the understanding of deity,Socrates' demarcation of rhapsodes is an attempt to place them the status of"communicating God and Man".In other words,"status" is essentially the restraint of reason itself.The main content of this study consists of three parts:one is to discuss the conflict between Socrates and Ion in the beginning and in the details of the conflict of understanding.The second is the discussion about "divine possession" which Socrates narrated firstly,in order to clarify the way of understanding which put forward by Socrates and the content of Socrates' guiding attempt.The third part deals with the content related to the second narration,and discusses the significance of "status" as a demarcation more clearly.