Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 2 — Plato — John Shaqi
Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 2
Plato · en
The talk of the two Sophists, though ironically admired
while it is going on, is shown at the end to produce no real
admiration, but the contrary _ib._
Mistaken representations about the Sophists--Aristotle's
definition--no distinguishable line can be drawn between the Sophist
and the Dialectician 210
Philosophical purpose of the Euthydêmus--exposure of
fallacies, in Plato's dramatic manner, by multiplication of
particular examples 211
Aristotle (Soph. Elench.) attempts a classification of
fallacies: Plato enumerates them without classification 212
Fallacies of equivocation propounded by the two Sophists
in the Euthydêmus _ib._
Fallacies--_à dicto secundum quid, ad dictum
simpliciter_--in the Euthydêmus 213
Obstinacy shown by the two Sophists in their
replies--determination not to contradict themselves 214
Farther verbal equivocations _ib._
Fallacies involving deeper logical principles--contradiction
is impossible.--To speak falsely is impossible 215
Plato's Euthydêmus is the earliest known attempt to set
out and expose fallacies--the only way of exposing fallacies is to
exemplify the fallacy by particular cases, in which the conclusion
proved is known _aliunde_ to be false and absurd 216
Mistake of supposing fallacies to have been invented and
propagated by Athenian Sophists--they are inherent inadvertencies and
liabilities to error, in the ordinary process of thinking. Formal
debate affords the best means of correcting them 217
Wide-spread prevalence of erroneous belief, misguided by
one or other of these fallacies, attested by Sokrates, Plato, Bacon,
&c.,--complete enumeration of heads of fallacies by Mill 218
Value of formal debate as a means for testing and
confuting fallacies 221
Without the habit of formal debate, Plato could not have
composed his Euthydêmus, nor Aristotle the treatise De Sophisticis
Elenchis _ib._
Probable popularity of the Euthydêmus at Athens--welcomed
by all the enemies of Dialectic 222
Epilogue of Plato to the Dialogue, trying to obviate this
inference by opponents--Conversation between Sokrates and Kriton 223
Altered tone in speaking of Euthydêmus--Disparagement of
persons half-philosophers, half-politicians 224
Kriton asks Sokrates for advice about the education of his
sons--Sokrates cannot recommend a teacher--tells him to search for
himself 225
Euthydêmus is here cited as representative of Dialectic
and philosophy 226
Who is the person here intended by Plato,
half-philosopher, half-politician? Is it Isokrates? 227
Variable feeling at different times, between Plato and
Isokrates 228
CHAPTER XXII.
MENON.
Persons of the Dialogue 232
Question put by Menon--Is virtue teachable? Sokrates confesses that
he does not know what virtue is. Surprise of Menon _ib._
Sokrates stands alone in this confession. Unpopularity
entailed by it 233