If you have not read the works of Plato, you may wonder what works to begin with and how to approach the task.
Where to start?
The main protagonist in Plato’s dialogues is Plato’s teacher, Socrates. If you are going to read the dialogues, it is good to get to know Socrates as early as possible. So you would do well to start by reading the trilogy of dialogues covering the last days of Socrates. These are the Apology – an account of Socrates’ defence at his trial, where he was charged with not believing in the gods and corrupting the youth; the Crito – a conversation in which a close friend of Socrates tries to persuade him to escape from prison, and the Phaedo – a retelling of the events on the day of Socrates’ execution including the conversation with his close friends about whether our souls are immortal.
After you have read this trilogy, you might consider taking one or more of ‘the early dialogues,’ where Socrates explores, in conversation with others, what is the nature of something, such as one of the virtues; e.g. what is courage?. Having agreed on the subject of their enquiry, Socrates, early in the conversation, will ask one or more of the company to say what they think it is, and then together, they will proceed to examine whatever definition that is offered. The first definition is invariably found to be wanting in some way and after several more attempts, the conversation ends without a satisfactory answer to the question. Even though these dialogues seem to end inconclusively, somehow, in this process, you gain a greater and more prodound understanding of the subject under investigation.
The early dialogues of this nature are:
Charmides: on sound-mindedness
Euthyphro: on piety
Euthydemus – on logic
Hippias Major: on beauty
Hippias Minor: on goodness
Ion: on artistic inspiration
Laches: on courage
Lysis: on friendship
Menexenus: on rhetoric
After completing one or more of these, you could take any of the other dialogues, as your interest takes you. They cover every subject that a philosopher might want to investigate, and you are bound to find something of interest in the full corpus of Plato’s works. Very broadly, the subjects of the other dialogues are:
Alcibiades I: on what it means to know yourself
Cratylus: correctness of names
Gorgias: on rhetoric.
Laws: on education and the nature of laws in a well-governed state
Meno: on virtue and whether it can be taught
Parmenides: on the training for a philosopher and the nature of One
Phaedrus: on love and rhetoric
Philebus: on pleasure and its role in the good life
Protagoras: on virtue and whether it can be taught.
The Republic: on justice and the ideal state.
Sophist: on sophistry and the distinction between appearance and reality.
Statesman: on the nature of a statesman
Symposium: on love
Theaetetus: on knowledge and opinion
Timaeus: on the creation of the universe
These descriptions are somewhat misleading as many of the dialogues deal with several topics, so, for example, the Republic, in addressing what justice is, also considers education, the nature of the soul, statecraft, the equality of the sexes, types of government, the ultimate reality, the afterlife and much more!
How to approach reading Plato?
Then there is the question of how to read Plato’s works? This may seem an odd question, as surely it is just a matter of picking up a dialogue, starting at the beginning and reading through to the end? And in a sense, this is all that is necessary. But here are a few simple pointers that may help.
Try to understand what Plato is saying yourself, rather than rely on the opinions of commentators. It is surprising how many students of Plato lack the confidence to read Plato for themselves, feeling it is necessary to draw on what others make of him in order to come to their own understanding. This is not to say that commentaries do not have a place, far from it, as they can help give context or throw light on matters that are not clear in the text, and often have brilliant insights to share, but it is more rewarding to adopt the discipline of meeting the text freshly, unburdened by the opinions of others. Then, having made the effort to understand the text yourself, you can refer to the commentators for help as needed.
As you read through a Platonic dialogue, at regular intervals, make a point of clarifying what is written in the text, by asking the question, ‘what is Plato saying here?’ Wait until you have done this, before you start to consider what you make of the text. Adopting this discipline is not as easy as it might sound. As a reader, it is all too easy to think that Plato has written one thing when in fact he has written something else, at times, even the opposite of what you think. The reason for this lies partly in the form of Plato’s works – they are conversations or, as they are commonly known, dialogues. This form of presentation works very well in bringing philosophy to life and holding our attention, but in some ways, it demands more of us. The speakers in the dialogues have their own way of expressing themselves and, as in any conversation, it is not always easy to follow what is being said, or how one speaker’s contribution follows another’s. Sometimes this needs to be teased out.
Don’t expect a ‘ready-made meal’. Plato seems more interested in stimulating you to think for yourself than telling you what to think. If you expect to receive a pre-formulated set of answers, nicely packaged up so they can be used later, you are likely to be sorely disappointed. But he will show you what it means to think for yourself, and give you the confidence to do so, rather than be beholden to the opinions of others (and indeed your own!).
Allow yourself to be challenged. Socrates famously described his art of philosophic discourse as that of a midwife; not of babies but of the deeply held ideas that lie in our psyche. By engaging in philosophic discourse in the manner of Socrates, and seriously pursuing the questions that arise from our reading of the dialogues, we begin to see the habitual structures of thought that operate within us. This is very helpful, for in seeing them, gradually we are released from their grip, and have more of a chance to appreciate things as they really are. It is worth the effort!
Find one person, or more than one, who is interested in reading Plato and read a dialogue together. This can be hugely rewarding. Before you know it, you will find yourselves exploring all manner of questions, as Plato would have wanted, and come to a much deeper understanding of the subject than if you just work on your own. You also have, as a faithful guide, the example of how Socrates engages in philosophical discourse with others, as portrayed in Plato’s works; for example, the way Socrates listens so carefully and with such interest to what others say and treats them with respect; Socrates’ desire to seek out the truth of the matter – regardless of where it might take the conversation; and his ‘greatest fear’ being to think that he knows something when he does not know. The discipline of taking the time needed to understand what is written in the text, before going on to consider what you make of it, is even more important when reading with others. We can often be quick off the mark to give others the benefit of our views. It is a good practice to consider together what the text is saying, and having come to some sort of consensus, only then to embark on a discussion about it.
We wish you all the best in your reading of Plato, and hope you find it as enjoyable, enriching and challenging as countless others have before you.
