Plato's 'Theaetetus'

What is knowledge? Plato's 'Theaetetus' is the first systematic exploration of this question, and the main themes of this dialogue continue to be debated in philosophy to this day. In the course, we will read and discuss the text in full.

The dialogue ‘Theaetetus’ is Plato’s (427–347 BCE) most detailed attempt to define knowledge. It is truly ground breaking. In other dialogues, Plato has Socrates enquire whether we can know courage, justice, virtue, and so on; in the ‘Theaetetus’ he asks whether we can know knowledge itself. Insofar as this question remains a cornerstone of philosophy, Plato’s themes are ours too: and since his exploration is accessible to a modern audience, its main issues and considerations are recognisable from today’s perspective. Even though the text is not easy, it is both a fascinating introduction to the theory of knowledge (or epistemology) suitable to beginners like Theaetetus himself, and it raises interesting questions about Plato and his philosophy. Puzzlingly, for instance, the ‘Theaetetus’ is not consistent with his discussions of knowledge elsewhere. In the course, we will read the entire dialogue and think it through in discussion; with occasional views to other works, such as the ‘Meno’ and ‘Phaedo’.