James Patterson’s Reviews > Plato: Complete Works > Status Update

Theaetetus - Glad that Heraclitus got direct and serious treatment. Didn't like that there were so many dead ends in this, I suppose it is demonstrative and educating, but ultimately frustrating. Definitely the most difficult yet. Bit uncertain about this translation. My first time reading this one so will likely have to return. Probably an important one, esp. for epistemology, but would not recommend to newcomers.

Phaedo - the philosophically least robust so far, but literary quality is phenomenal. A great read. Some strange jokes, expressions and allusions, moreso than the preceding three. Starting to see what Socrates does when he puts forward a philosophical position, unlike Euthyphro, which is moreso just socratic questioning. Some arguments emerge here which have better expression in Republic etc. Suprisingly moving.

Crito - very easily misunderstood, and hard to read outside the shadow of Hobbes etc. I think this is one of those dialogues that is greatly benefitted by historical knowledge of Athenian custom (of which I only have enough to know that I am lacking in it). Much less compelling argumentation from Socrates compared to the Apology.

Apology - I remember there being more of a direct rebuttal of the accusations than there actually is. Socrates skips over the charges of making the weaker argument the stronger, and corruptign the youth. Maybe I was confusing the content of this dialogue with Gorgias. Anyhow, just another great exemplar of his method and character. A must.

Euthyphro - Just a classic. I think Derrida makes far too much of a fuss about this, its interesting that piety itself comes up again in the Phaedo as something eternal and taken for granted; while here, it's questioned. Possibly the clearest example of the socratic method, especially nice since someone else is making a lot of the substantial claims.