The Theaetetus of Plato: A Translation With an Introduction (Classic Reprint)

Explore Plato’s thought through a clear, engaging translation and expert introduction.

This edition presents Theaetetus in accessible English, paired with S. W. Dyde’s introduction that explains Plato’s style, the use of dialogue, and the big questions about knowledge. It helps readers see why the dialogue remains a vivid, dramatic way to probe philosophy.

The book frames the dialogue as a product of its time and as a careful art form. It guides newcomers through the pull between Socratic questioning and Plato’s own ideas, while showing how definitions, knowledge, and belief are examined in the text. The introduction connects the philosophical aims to how the conversation unfolds on the page, making the themes approachable without skipping the nuances.

• Understand why Plato chose the dialogue as a method for exploring difficult questions.
• See how the discussion of knowledge unfolds through argument, examples, and definitional analysis.
• Learn how the work fits into the broader history of philosophy and the development of Plato’s thought.
• Discover how the translation and introduction illuminate the text’s structure, style, and aims.

Ideal for students, general readers, and anyone curious about the origins of Western philosophy and the quest to define knowledge.