Clitophon (dialogue)

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This article is part of the series: The Dialogues of Plato

Early dialogues:

Apology - Charmides - Crito

Euthyphro - First Alcibiades

Hippias Major - Hippias Minor

Ion - Laches - Lysis

Transitional & middle dialogues:

Cratylus - Euthydemus - Gorgias

Menexenus - Meno - Phaedo

Protagoras - Symposium

Later middle dialogues:

The Republic - Phaedrus

Parmenides - Theaetetus

Late dialogues:

Timaeus - Critias

The Sophist – The Statesman

Philebus - Laws

Of doubtful authenticity:

Clitophon – Epinomis

Epistles - Hipparchus

Minos - Rival Lovers

Second Alcibiades - Theages

The Clitophon (also Cleitophon) is a dialogue generally ascribed to Plato, though there is some disagreement regarding its authenticity. It is the shortest of the dialogues, and is significant for focusing on Socrates' role as an exhorter of other people to engage in philosophic inquiry. There are two participants, Cleitophon and Socrates, and the central feature of the discussion is Cleitophon's lengthy complaint about Socrates. The crux of this complaint is that, while no one excels Socrates in protreptic or exhortation to the virtues and the life of philosophy, no one is more useless to one already persuaded of their importance. Socrates does not respond, or the dialogue does not contain his response.

Some scholars doubt the authenticity of the Clitophon because (as we have it today) Socrates does not emerge victorious in the verbal battle. One school of thought in favor of its authenticity thinks that Plato wrote it, but then decided to have the argument in the Republic. The argument for this idea is that it is the rare piece of the esotericor not meant for publication. The dialogue has also been interpreted as a finished piece of the Platonic corpus, intended to be read in the version which we currently possess.