Who is Robert Redford from Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals and what is their importance?

Robert Redford's appearance is a bit of a surprise, as is the knowledge that Phaedrus sailed to Manhattan partly for the purpose of meeting with the celebrity. Redford meets with Phaedrus to negotiate the movie rights for his first book. Phaedrus is star struck. For Phaedrus, Robert Redford is a symbol of the celebrity A-list. His reaction to Redford makes him think about "celebrity" and how it effects our society.