Name: Protagoras
Author: Plato
ISBN: 9780192804013

Protagoras

Plato

As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Menrva Books earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more

Author Description

Product Description 'You are going to entrust your soul to the care of a sophist. But I should be surprised if you even know what a sophist is.' In the fifth century BC professional educators, the sophists, travelled the Greek world claiming to teach success in public and private life. In this dialogue Plato shows the pretensions of the leading sophist, Protagoras, challenged by the critical arguments of Socrates. From criticism of the educational aims and methods of the sophists the dialogue broadens out to consider the nature of the good life, and the role of pleasure and intellect in the context of that life. The dialogue combines subtlety of argument with intricacy of dramatic construction and brilliant characterization. This translation achieves both precision and colloquial naturalness while the notes and introduction set the arguments in their historical and philosophical context. About the Author Plato (c. 427-c. 347 BC) was an immensely influential ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens where Aristotle studied. C. C. W. Taylor is a Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Menrva's Summary

THE THESIS

This dialogue investigates the nature of virtue and whether it can be taught, while simultaneously questioning the legitimacy of the sophists as educators. Plato utilizes the character of Socrates to interrogate Protagoras, a prominent sophist, regarding the definition of excellence and the relationship between knowledge, pleasure, and the good life. The text serves as a critical examination of the educational landscape in fifth-century BC Greece, contrasting the rhetorical methods of the sophists with the dialectical rigor of Socratic inquiry.

THE SCOPE MAP

What You Will Find

A detailed examination of the Socratic method of elenchus.
Philosophical arguments regarding the unity of virtue.
An analysis of the role of pleasure and intellect in human decision-making.

Scope Limits

The text does not provide a definitive, singular answer to the question of whether virtue is teachable.
It does not offer a comprehensive history of all sophists, focusing primarily on the interaction between Socrates and Protagoras.

THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE

Scholars frequently cite this dialogue as a foundational text for understanding the tension between rhetoric and philosophy in the ancient world. Readers often note the intellectual density of the arguments, which require careful attention to the shifting definitions of virtue throughout the exchange.

Page Count:
128

Publication Date:
2002-10-24

Publisher:
Oxford University Press

ISBN-10:
0192804014

ISBN-13:
9780192804013

Philosophy

Dialogues

Ethics

Epistemology