Philosopher and mathematician A. N. Whitehead once claimed that “the safest general characterization of European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” It is difficult to disagree with him. Plato wrote seminal works on ethics, political theory, morality, epistemology, and metaphysics. His concept of forms went on to have a great influence on Christian theology in the post-Apostolic period. Many of the ideas that form the basis for Western democracy come from his Republic.
Plato’s works are written as a series of dialogues wherein a number of characters (the chief of which is usually Socrates) discuss various philosophical questions. By both their questions and their answers, the characters explain Plato’s various ideas. Plato’s 25-plus dialogues are the best-known use of the Socratic method—that is, the use of dialogue in teaching. The Dialogues of Plato contains all the dialogues commonly attributed to Plato, translated by Benjamin Jowett.
Logos’ powerful search functions make The Dialogues of Plato vastly more accessible. In addition, names and concepts link to the other texts in your digital library, allowing you to cross-reference and compare. See how Plato’s ideas influenced Aristotle by pulling them up side by side and comparing them for yourself.
