Views of Ueberweg--attempt to reconcile Schleiermacher and Hermann--admits the preconceived purpose for the later dialogues, composed after the foundation of the school, but not for the earlier 313 His opinions as to authenticity and chronology of the dialogues, He rejects Hippias Major, Erastæ, Theagês, Kleitophon, Parmenidês: he is inclined to reject Euthyphron and Menexenus 314 Other Platonic critics--great dissensions about scheme and order of the dialogues 316 Contrast of different points of view instructive--but no solution has been obtained _ib._ The problem incapable of solution. Extent and novelty of the theory propounded by Schleiermacher--slenderness of his proofs 317 Schleiermacher's hypothesis includes a preconceived scheme, and a peremptory order of interdependence among the dialogues 318 Assumptions of Schleiermacher respecting the Phædrus inadmissible 319 Neither Schleiermacher, nor any other critic, has as yet produced any tolerable proof for an internal theory of the Platonic dialogues _ib._ Munk's theory is the most ambitious, and the most gratuitous, next to Schleiermacher's 320 The age assigned to Sokrates in any dialogue is a circumstance of little moment _ib._ No intentional sequence or interdependence of the dialogues can be made out 322 Principle of arrangement adopted by Hermann is reasonable--successive changes in Plato's point of view: but we cannot explain either the order or the causes of these changes _ib._ Hermann's view more tenable than Schleiermacher's 323 Small number of certainties, or even reasonable presumptions, as to date or order of the dialogues 324 Trilogies indicated by Plato himself 325 Positive dates of all the dialogues--unknown 326 When did Plato begin to compose? Not till after the death of Sokrates _ib._ Reasons for this opinion. Labour of the composition--does not consist with youth of the author 327 Reasons founded on the personality of Sokrates, and his relations with Plato 328 Reasons, founded on the early life, character, and position of Plato 330 Plato's early life--active by necessity, and to some extent ambitious 331 Plato did not retire from political life until after the restoration of the democracy, nor devote himself to philosophy until after the death of Sokrates 333 All Plato's dialogues were composed during the fifty-one years after the death of Sokrates 334 The Thrasyllean Canon is more worthy of trust than the modern critical theories by which it has been condemned 335 Unsafe grounds upon which those theories proceed 336 Opinions of Schleiermacher, tending to show this 337 Any true theory of Plato must recognise all his varieties, and must be based upon all the works in the Canon, not upon some to the exclusion of the rest 339 CHAPTER VIII. Platonic Compositions Generally. Variety and abundance visible in Plato's writings 342 Plato both sceptical and dogmatical _ib._