The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1979

Abstract

In this paper, Havelock argues that the distinction between "early" "middle" and "late" dialogues makes little sense. All of the dialogues are Plato's construction; there is no reason to accept any of them as intended to be accurate representations of the historical Socrates. The Apology, often taken as a faithful representation of the historical Socrates, is rather a genre piece, in the tradition of Gorgias' Palamedes. Compare Isocrates' Antidosis. Havelock takes the movement from the orality of Socrates to the literacy of Plato as critical movement in the Athenian thought.

Preus

Notes

Eric A. Havelock preented “The Socratic Problem: Some Second Thoughts” to the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy at its meeting with the American Philological Association in Boston, 1979. A later version was published in J. P. Anton & A. Preus, eds. 1983. Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy, vol. 2. SUNY, 147-173.

For information about the author, see Wikipedia "Eric A. Havelock."

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