The Rational Enterprise: Logos in Plato's Theaetetus

by Rosemary Desjardins

"Desjardins' conclusion, that the Theaetetus really does point to a particular theory of knowledge, certainly will be controversial, since for many people the idea that the Theaetetus fails to define knowledge is the cornerstone of their interpretation of Plato's later philosophical thought. But whatever one thinks about the conclusion, it must be agreed that the manner in which it is defended is intrinsically important. Desjardins starts from the unassailable premise that the dialogues are internally unified, and that everything in the dialogues is there for a reason. Her method, then, is to show how some of the features of the dialogue that are usually not taken very seriously actually are very important. Of course, she is not the only scholar taking this sort of tack, but what she makes of the various elements of the Theaetetus is a most impressive construction.

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Robert Pinkus]

It's been a long time but I found this book to be the best analysis of Theatetus that has been written, ever! Theatetus is possibly the most difficult of all Platos' texts. I did some searching and at the time, 1990s, no modern works, and there were very few, come close to her in-depth understanding of Platos'theory of knowledge. There were very few attempts in English in the past. This book probes the inner teaching of Plato. It should be required reading for all serious scholars of antiquity.