Why Didn’t Plato Just Write Arguments? The Role of Image-Making in the Dialogues

Several of Plato\u27s dialogues seem to question the moral and epistemic value of image-making. Yet Plato\u27s own word-images are powerful and alluring. I reconsider a conception of Platonic metaphysics in which the visible is denigrated relative to the purely intelligible, and in which only the latter can be an avenue to philosophical enlightenment. Viewing the apparent criticisms of image-making in the context of Plato\u27s own use of images, I argue that his use of images can and does lead to philosophical enlightenment and that images are necessary, in addition to logico-deductive reasoning, because of human limitation