The Works of Plato

by Plato, Irwin Edman (Editor)

Introduction, by Irwin Edman, The Jowett Translation

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Literature, Classics, Greece, Ancient, Classic Literature

577 pages, paper

First published January 1, 1804

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

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted my copy of this book by my Philosophy professor back in college. He was a character: he'd ride a bike to work, could discuss theories for hours and he would go to used bookstores to pick up the great journals for less than a dollar and give them the students based on the type of beliefs they exhibited in class. If you were a Utilitarian he gave you a book by Bentham or Mill, if you expressed a Libertarian outlook, he'd present you with Thoreau or Nietzsche. When he handed me my book I thought he was just loaning me his copy to read for class.



"No, Shelley--it's for you to keep--it was only 50 cents."



I smiled when I read the cover. "The Works of Plato," I read out loud.



"Yes, I think that is what you should explore."



I don't think I've ever received higher praise since, and I've never forgotten any of my ethics teachers. Thier instruction led me out of the cave of shadows and into the realm of ideas. For that, I am eternally grateful, and I will never forget what I learned.

[Marc Lamot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated especially part II. Contains Protagoras, Symposion and Phaido. Especially the latter is the most beautiful dialogue. The Socratic dialogue on its best.

[J.D. Steens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is of Jowett’s book length (Volume I) summary of Plato’s life, writing and philosophy and his 302-page introduction to Plato.

Jowett (1817-1893), a theologian, equates Plato’s Good with the Christian God (“The Idea of Good is God”). The former is abstract; the latter is not.

For Jowett, there is no distinction, as argued by some (e.g., Popper), between Socrates and Plato. Socrates’ conceptual philosophy “had given him a glance at another world," Jowett writes. This was the “higher, super-sensuous world” of Plato’s doctrine of Forms. Plato completes Socrates and extends his thoughts. For Jowett, religion, philosophy and science are the same thing. Jowett calls these “the Socratic Science.” This is the science of dialectics, or the “pure science of ideas” (and “myth fills in the scientific gaps”). Each of the Dialogues (yes, capitalized) is to be read as part of a whole. Plato articulated a comprehensive system and each part is “explicable only in its relation to others.”

Plato was not into the material world of particulars and there’s no explanation of the phenomenal world other than its origins in the eternal world of Forms and its World Soul. The polity was not to be of this world but to mirror “the divine government of the universe.” It is the kingdom of the Good on Earth. Its function is not government per se, but to save all of humankind. Happiness is the other world. This makes a life of pain in this world and voluntary death possible. This world is God’s will.

Jowett anchors Plato in the clouds. The world of Perfection and eternal forms is then applied to this world. The alternative approach is to start from the bottom - our lives as evolutionary-beings in a care-less planet. We are beings propelled by need and fear (broadly construed). We need to survive and to survive forever, and we fear an ever-so certain death. Plato’s talent was to formulate a compelling myth that, for some or many, may have cloaked evolutionary motivation.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selections needed to complete my St. John's list: In Phaedrus, the discussion of Platonic love is completed with further discussion regarding the sensible vs the bodily love. Socrates is made out as a lover of wisdom, not as wise himself. His mastery of discussion are also shown in the way he wraps up his first argument so quickly, only to have Phaedrus force him to stay, at which time he works into his real thoughts. In essence, he shows that arguments are of higher worth if they can stand up to continuing tests of their truth. Also, man cannot handle arguments about his ideas if he has not explored them and himself completely. In Parmenides, we are introduced to the full metaphysical concept of the idea. It's separation fron the actual object and the resulting paradoxical implications are troubling to Plato, although it could be easily dismissed due to the metaphysical nature. In Thaetetus, Socrates is portrayed as the midwife of ideas. Most of the discussion compares lawyers and philosophers, the former being slaves to time and objective, while the latter can fully explore any topic to find the real truth. In Sophist, Plato gives an oveview of the various philosophical camps and casts an inferior light on most of them. The sophists are actually somewhat simple in that their arguments do not hold up under further scrutiny. Finally, in Timaeus, the recurring theme of balance between body and soul is discussed. In addition, we are introduced to Solons' tales about Atlantis which are more fully conveyed in Critias. Critias is actually one of the more interesting works to me, bringing out so many parallels to Biblical tales, origins of government, ancient history, and cultural ideas prevalent across the world.

[Jaek Wraf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've honestly (to my shame) read very little Plato. I love the character of Socrates and the literariness of the whole enterprise. It's a comfortable and likeable and predictable like seeing Sherlock Holmes solve mysteries or something-- except that very often Socrates solves nothing, just asking great questions and then having to say goodbye as his conversation partner heads off to the agora or wherever. But these are fun and still enlightening. My favorite aspect might be Socrates' attitude of disinterestedness. People will accuse him of just trying to advance "his side," and he'll plausibly remind us that he has no side. He'll pursue an argument for pages and then suddenly undercut his point by bringing up some devastating counter-argument that has happened to occur to him. Not every dispute can (should?) have such a disinterested approach-- some require desperate and immediate action. But it's comforting to see in Socrates.

[Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it plato writes funny

[Benoit Turgeon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really disliked this book. The translation may account for how badly this is written, or the fact that the texts date back to ~400 bc, nonetheless, the writing is not very mature. A lot of the material presented in the book is either irrelevant to our times, has simply become common sense, or is flat out flawed.

[Kimber Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, it was a little easier to get into than Aristotle but I believe it was because the chapters were written as plays. It gave a great in-depth look at Socrates and his teachings, the trial and his death. Very good, but not for somebody that wants something light to read.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent collection of the works of Plato. I thought that it would be more complete, specifically in how it only included a few books of the republic.

[Tamsyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The philosophy of Plato is examined through his teachings and writings as translated by Benjamin Jowett. Plato addresses many aspect of nature and politics.