Book description
Set immediately prior to the trial and execution of Socrates in 399 BC,
Theaetetus shows the great philosopher considering the nature of
knowledge itself, in a debate with the geometrician Theodorus and his
young follower Theaetetus. Their dialogue covers many questions, such
as: is knowledge purely subjective, composed of the ever-changing flow
of impressions we receive from the outside world? Is it better thought
of as true belief ? Or is it, as many modern philosophers argue,
justified true belief , in which the belief is supported by argument or
evidence? With skill and eloquence, Socrates guides the debate, drawing
out the implications of these theories and subjecting them to merciless
and mesmerising criticism. One of the founding works of epistemology,
this profound discussion of the problem of knowledge continues to
intrigue and inspire. Plato (c. 427-347 BC) was one of the shapers of
the whole intellectual tradition of the West. He was disgusted by the
corruption of Athenian political life, and the execution of his teacher
Socrates. He sought cures for the ills of society in philosophy, and
became convinced that those ills would not cease until philosophers
became rulers, or rulers philosophers. Robin Waterfield has translated
various Greek philosophical texts, and was once a commissioning editor
for Penguin.
