• The Role of the Digression on the Man of the Law Courts and the Philosopher (172b-177c) in the Argument of Theaetetus

    Author(s):
    D. Gregory MacIsaac (see profile)
    Date:
    2021
    Group(s):
    Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy
    Subject(s):
    Plato, Philosophy, Ancient
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Theaetetus, Ancient philosophy
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/7w0g-4928
    Abstract:
    Interpretations of the Theaetetus digression fail to see how it functions in Plato’s argument because they have taken its praise of the philosopher at face value. But this is not the philosopher from Republic. His otherworldliness reflects both Theodorus’ mathematical understanding of philosophy as the study of ‘divine’ objects and the judgement of the man of the law courts that philosophy renders a man useless for the city’s business. In spite of how appealing interpreters have found it, Socrates’ mythological language shows that the philosopher is an enigma to the practical man. That is why Socrates must appeal to the practical knowledge of the crafts to refute the relativism of opinion that he had to put forward in Protagoras’ defence.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Journal:
    Dionysius
    Volume:
    38
    Page Range:
    8 - 21
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    3 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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