Theaetetus
by Plato · Θεαίτητος
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 365 BCE
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Short · 110 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Difficult4 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendTheaetetus, translated by M. J. Levett, revised by Myles BurnyeatHackett, 1992Levett's translation is still the best, and Burnyeat's long introduction is a classic guide to the argument.
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Socrates, describing himself as a midwife of ideas, asks the gifted young Theaetetus what knowledge is. Three answers are tested and rejected in turn, that knowledge is perception, which draws in Protagoras' claim that man is the measure of all things and Heraclitus' doctrine of flux; that it is true judgement, which raises the problem of how false judgement is possible; and that it is true judgement with an account. The dialogue ends without a definition, and Socrates leaves for his trial.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Theaetetus are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
