Диалоги. Протагор, Большой Иппий, Иппий Меньший, Евтидем, Евтифрон, Апология Сократа, Критрон

by Plato, Платон

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[Soloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know nothing about philosophy, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Barring the fact that much of it is artistically embellished by Plato, or that he often speaks of his ideas through the mouth of Socrates, and in one of the dialogues his authorship is questionable, here's what I can say:

It was interesting to see the Socratic method in action. After all, this is the closest source to the original that reflects the completeness and context of the usage. I was not disappointed - not only does Socrates ironically elevate his opponent to full disclosure so that he can eventually either realize his failure on the discussed issue or show it to the audience, but even after all that, he doesn't stop but tries to get to the truth.

I liked the very structure of some of the dialogs. No matter how long the discourse is, everything always comes back to the original subject of conversation, unless the question has been "postponed". Even if there is a departure from the subject, either Socrates draws attention to it, or it is necessary for the sake of reinforcing already existing arguments about the subject, not for the sake of anything else.

The dialog with Euthydemus is anecdotal. The mere conclusion about the father-dog as an illustration of one of the sophisms.

The Apologia of Socrates and Crito evoke involuntary admiration. Plato here very skillfully described the principled worldview of Socrates, crystallizing a certain basis, voiced in Phaedo - "Following me, think less about Socrates, and more about the truth".