Reading Plato

Thomas A. Szlezák is Professor of Greek Philology at the University of Tubingen, Germany. He is the author of numerous books on Plato.

Preface, 1. The Joys of Reading Plato, 2. The Reader participates, 3. An Example of Individual reception, 4. Possible Mistaken Opinions on the Part of the Reader, 5. One does not see what one does not know, 6. Characteristics of the Platonic Dialogues, 7. Questions about Characteristics, 8. For Whom is Plato Writing?, 9. Does a Platonic Dialogue Speak with Several Voices? The Modern Theory of the Dialogues, 10. An Ancient Theory of Interpretation, 11. The Interpretation of Simonides in the Protagoras, 12. The Critique of Writing in the Phaedrus, 13. The Definition of the Philosopher based on his Relationship to his Writings, 14. The Meaning of timiótera, 15. 'Support for Logos' in the Dialogues, 16. The Ascent to the Principles and the Limits of Philosophical Communication, 17. Some Gaps, 18. The Doctrine of Anamnesis and dialectic in the Euthydemus, 19. The Importance of the Allusions for Reading Plato, 20. Plato's Dramatic Technique: Some Examples, 21. Irony, 22. Myth, 23. Monologue and Dialogue with Imaginary Partners, 24. The Characteristics of the Dialogues: What they really mean, 25. How and why the Dialogue-Form has been misunderstood, 26. The Difference between Esotericism and Secrecy, 27. Plato's Concept of Philosophy and the Objectives of the Dialogues, Notes, Bibliography, Biographical Note.