Plato, Theaetetus

Kelsey Wood (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)

Ed. by Gerhard P. Knapp, University of Utah
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.1: Greek Writing and Culture: Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Imperial, -800--100.
Vol. editors: Jonathan Burgess (University of Toronto), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Vaios Liapis (Open University of Cyprus), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Mali Skotheim (Ashoka University), Laura Swift (The Open University)

Domains

Philosophy (any)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. -350

Places

Ancient Greece (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Dialogue

Resources

Theaitetos [Theaetetus] is one of Plato’s finest works, and it shaped the theories of knowledge from Aristotle to the present. Given Western philosophy’s focus on problems of knowledge in the modern period, one might adapt Whitehead’s dictum on Plato’s significance to say: “European epistemology consists of a series of footnotes to Theaetetus.” Careful study of Theaetetus discloses the limits of empiricism, and reveals that Platonism remains vitally relevant in contemporary philosophy. In contrast to the writings of modern epistemologists, Theaetetus not only sparkles …

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2662 words

Citation: Wood, Kelsey. "Theaetetus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 April 2006 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13442, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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