Eryxias

by Plato

Plato 424/423 BC[a] - 348/347 BC), was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science -wikipedia

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, Audiobook, Poetry

40 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[Diya]

Interesting dialogue but the narrator's voice was incredibly annoying...

[:3]

MY GOD PLATO GET TO THE FUCKING POINT! THERE'S ALWAYS SO MUCH DRIVEL BEFORE MAKING AN ACTUAL POINT, IT'S EXHAUSTING.

[Marco De La O]

Benjamin Jowett's translation of Plato's 'Eryxias' is a commendable work. It effectively captures Plato's ideas and presents them in a clear and accessible manner. The translation stays true to the original text while maintaining a conversational tone. Although there are occasional moments of archaic language that may slightly disrupt the reading experience, overall, Jowett's translation is a valuable addition to the collection of Plato's works.

[Aaron Schuschu]

Socrates argues with Critias and Eryxias about whether or not wealth is useful and whether or not rich people are good. According to Socrates, rich people are bad because they’re sick because they feel they’re in need of money because they’re in need; and Critias is the least willing to hear about it. Apparently the dialogue is of questionable authenticity.

[Santiago González (puntoartica)]

Un diálogo apócrifo que habla sobre la riqueza y defiende una tesis cínica, aunque tiene elementos escépticos y estoicos. Está más o menos bien, por lo menos no es un refrito mal hecho como otros apócrifos

[Joshua Dew]

A sparse exploration of value, utility, and wealth that concludes with the maxim "mo money mo problems." I felt like the ideas could have been fleshed out a bit or more profound.

[Cristina Gabriela]

sure, it's a good book. but this man reading it, man does he need to find another job. >_<

[for-much-deliberation ...]

In this dialogue which includes Socrates, Critias, Eryxias and Erasistratus, the topics of wealth and virtue are brought up, after brief discourses on the conventional value of money the conclusion is that despite the apparent benefits of wealth, those who are most wealthy among us always want more thus they are most wretched. This dialogue is only attributed to Plato...

[Maro]

Interesting! :)