Plato - Theaetetus

This lecture explores Plato's Theaetetus, examining it as the first of four late dialogues—alongside the Parmenides, Sophist, and Statesman—that together form an artistic and psychic whole. This presentation covers the dialogue's unusual structure as a written (rather than spoken) text, the significance of Socrates as a "midwife of ideas," the Pythagorean undertones in the relationship between Socrates and young Theaetetus, and the central philosophical question the dialogue raises: what is knowledge? Along the way, the lecture touches on Parmenides' paradox of being and non-being, the symbolic role of number and harmony in Greek thought, and how this inquiry sets the stage for Plato's later, more esoteric explorations of cosmology and human perfection.This presentation was originally delivered by Roger Weir on March 1, 1990.More information about these presentations can be found athttps://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/platohttps://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/platos-theory-of-educationhttps://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/plato-iiMore presentations by Roger Weir are available at the Shared Presence Foundation website and on our YouTube channel