THEAETETUS

Theaetetus

Theaetetus

Introduction

The Theaeteus, by clearing away numerous untrue attitudes, permits Plato to insert his own full-blown idea, a idea which connects the difficulty of information with the realm of the Forms. Because of this interconnection between the two dialogues, and because the analyses of the Sophist presuppose the contradictory critiques of the Theaeteus, we will begin our route of information with the Socratic problem.

Discussion

The view undoes with Socrates enquiring of the travelling to geometer, Theodorus of Cyrene, if there were any juvenile men in Athens who had influenced him. Theodorus responds by saying that there was a juvenile man, very similar in look to Socrates himself, whose name was Theaetetus. At this instant, three well-oiled boys are seen strolling down the street, and Theodorus points out Theaetetus as the one in the middle. He signs to the youth to arrive and rendezvous Socrates.

At first, Socrates compares their personal likeness, noting that both he and Theaetetus are short, stout, and snubnosed. The conversation, however. moves quickly from the likeness of their bodies to the similarity of their souls. Are they alike in intellect as well? To test this, Socrates inquires Theaetetus to connect him in solving a problem. The problem's general pattern anxieties the relative of knowledge to wisdom. But before enquiring the connection of the two, one must have a clear concept of each. At present, Socrates is involved in the problem of knowledge. This, then, will form the centered topic of the dialogue. Theaetetus' adeptness will be put to the check" through his attempts to response the inquiry: "What, accurately, is knowledge?" (145e).

Theaetetus at first responds to Socrates' question by simply giving instances of knowledge,But Socrates notes that this first answer does not so much address knowledge as it does the particular objects of knowledge.Yet the question was not "What are ...