Dialectic in Action: An Examination of Plato's Crito

by Michael C. Stokes

Overview

Plato's Crito examines a single moral decision, whether Socrates ought to escape from his death-cell. Stokes' book discusses Socrates' arguments against Crito's offer of escape. It construes Socrates' questions as genuine questions, which clarify and undermine Crito's positions. Stokes's approach avoids the 'documentary fallacy'; it shows how Plato catered for both the novice and the experienced reader of his published works. This book offers a fresh account of Socrates' whole strategy. It demonstrates both the shakiness of Socrates' persuasion of the un-philosophical Crito to engage in dialectic, and the coherence of his substantive confutation. Plato's reasoning emerges from Stokes' study with more credit than many have given it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780954384593
Publisher:	Classical Press of Wales, The
Publication date:	12/31/2005
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.17(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Michael Stokes' previous writings include One and Many in Presocratic Philosophy, Plato's Socratic Conversations: Drama and Dialectic in Three Dialogues, and Plato's Apology.

Table of Contents

Preface Prologue 1. Introduction 2. Crito's personal character 3. Crito's worldly case 4. Crito's overtly moral argument 5. Socrates' attack: first wave 6. Socrates' strategy 7. Socrates' second wave 8. Socrates' lead-in to the Laws 9. The arguments of the Laws 10. The dialogue's conclusion Epilogue Appendix: A philosophical argument against escape? Notes Bibliography Index of proper names Index of Greek words and phrases Index of topics