Plato’s Conception of Pleonexia as Structural Excess

This paper reconstructs Plato’s conception of pleonexia as a flaw. Drawing on material from the Laws, Timaeus, Symposium, and Republic, it argues that Plato understands pleonexia as an excess that disrupts proportion and undermines natural order—whether in bodies, seasonal cycles, cities, or souls. The paper concludes that Plato’s account offers conceptual resources for countering the pleonectic worldview defended by figures like Callicles in the Gorgias.