Plato
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Apology Socrates’ defense at his trial before the Athenian jury, on the charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Republic Socrates constructs the just city in speech to find justice in the soul — the central work of the corpus. Symposium Speeches in praise of Love at Agathon’s victory banquet, crowned by Socrates’ report of Diotima’s teaching. Meno Socrates and Meno ask whether virtue can be taught, and Socrates elicits a geometrical proof from an untutored slave. Phaedo Socrates’ final conversation and death in prison, arguing for the immortality of the soul. Gorgias Socrates confronts Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles on rhetoric, justice, and the good life.
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Euthyphro Socrates and Euthyphro on piety, outside the court of the archon basileus. Apology Socrates’ defense at his trial before the Athenian jury, on the charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Crito Socrates, awaiting execution in prison, explains to Crito why he will not escape. Phaedo Socrates’ final conversation and death in prison, arguing for the immortality of the soul.
Charmides Socrates and the young Charmides seek a definition of sōphrosynē, temperance or self-knowledge. Laches Socrates, Laches, and Nicias examine the nature of courage. Lysis Socrates and two boys, Lysis and Menexenus, inquire into the nature of friendship. Euthydemus Socrates confronts two sophist brothers and their eristic tricks, while defending the value of philosophy. Meno Socrates and Meno ask whether virtue can be taught, and Socrates elicits a geometrical proof from an untutored slave. Hippias Major Socrates presses Hippias for a definition of the beautiful, demolishing one answer after another. Dubious Hippias Minor Socrates and the sophist Hippias debate whether the deliberate wrongdoer is better than the involuntary one. Ion Socrates questions the rhapsode Ion on whether his art rests on knowledge or divine inspiration.
Cratylus Socrates, Hermogenes, and Cratylus debate whether names signify their objects by nature or by convention. Symposium Speeches in praise of Love at Agathon’s victory banquet, crowned by Socrates’ report of Diotima’s teaching. Phaedrus Socrates and Phaedrus on erotic love, the soul, and the art of rhetoric. Protagoras Socrates debates the great sophist on whether virtue can be taught and the unity of the virtues. Gorgias Socrates confronts Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles on rhetoric, justice, and the good life. Menexenus Socrates recites a funeral oration for the Athenian war dead, framed as a parody of civic rhetoric.
Statesman An Eleatic Stranger and the young Socrates seek a definition of the statesman and the nature of political rule. Clitophon Clitophon reproaches Socrates for exhorting others to virtue without teaching what virtue is. Dubious Republic Socrates constructs the just city in speech to find justice in the soul — the central work of the corpus. Critias Critias tells the unfinished story of ancient Athens and the island empire of Atlantis. Minos Socrates and a companion inquire into the nature of law and its relation to Minos, the lawgiver of Crete. Dubious Laws An Athenian stranger, Cleinias, and Megillus frame the laws of a new Cretan city — Plato’s longest and last work.
Theaetetus Socrates and Theaetetus examine and reject three definitions of knowledge. Sophist An Eleatic Stranger and Theaetetus pursue a definition of the sophist through the method of division, and confront the problem of not-being. Parmenides The aged Parmenides examines the young Socrates’ theory of Forms and demonstrates the perplexities of the One. Philebus Socrates and Protarchus weigh the claims of pleasure and knowledge to be the good life. Timaeus Timaeus gives a cosmological account of the origin and structure of the universe.
Alcibiades I Socrates urges the young Alcibiades toward self-knowledge as the basis of political ambition. Dubious Alcibiades II Socrates and Alcibiades on the dangers of praying for what one does not understand. Dubious Hipparchus Socrates and a companion inquire into the nature of love of gain, framed by an account of the tyrant Hipparchus. Dubious Lovers Socrates contrasts philosophy with a rival, more superficial idea of intellectual culture. Dubious Theages Socrates and Demodocus discuss whether wisdom can be taught, and the nature of Socrates’ daimonion. Dubious Epinomis A sequel to the Laws, on the study that makes a man wise, likely by a later hand. Dubious Letters Thirteen letters attributed to Plato; the Seventh, with its philosophical digression, is the most defended. Dubious