| Part of a series on |
| Socrates |
|---|
| "I know that I know nothing" Social gadfly · Trial of Socrates |
| Eponymous concepts |
| Socratic dialogue · Socratic method Socratic questioning · Socratic paradox Socratic problem |
| Disciples |
| Plato · Xenophon Antisthenes · Aristippus |
| Related topics |
| Cynics · Cyrenaics · Platonism Stoicism · The Clouds |
| Part of a series on |
| Plato |
|---|
| Early life · Works · Platonism Epistemology · Idealism / Realism Theory of Forms Form of the Good Third man argument Euthyphro dilemma · Five regimes Philosopher king |
| Allegories and metaphors |
| Ring of Gyges · The cave The divided line · The sun Ship of state · Myth of Er The chariot |
| Related articles |
| The Academy in Athens Socratic problem Commentaries on Plato Middle Platonism · Neoplatonism Neoplatonism and Christianity |
Socratic dialogue (Greek: Σωκρατικὸς λόγος or Σωκρατικὸς διάλογος) is a genre of prose literary works developed in Greece at the turn of the fourth century BC, preserved today in the dialogues of Plato and the Socratic works of Xenophon - either dramatic or narrative - in which characters discuss moral and philosophical problems, illustrating a version of the Socratic method. Socrates is often the main character.
Most accurately, the term refers to works in which Socrates is a character, though as a genre other texts are included; Plato's Laws and Xenophon's Hiero are Socratic dialogues in which a wise man other than Socrates leads the discussion (the Athenian Stranger and Simonides, respectively). Likewise, the stylistic format of the dialogues can vary; Plato's dialogues generally only contain the direct words of each of the speakers, while Xenophon's dialogues are written down as a continuous story, containing, along with the narration of the circumstances of the dialogue, the "quotes" of the speakers.
According to a fragment of Aristotle, the first author of Socratic dialogue was Alexamenus of Teos, but we do not know anything else about him, whether Socrates appeared in his works, or how accurate Aristotle was in his antagonistic judgement about him. In addition to Plato and Xenophon, Antisthenes, Aeschines of Sphettos, Phaedo of Elis, Euclid of Megara, Simon the Shoemaker, Theocritus, Tissaphernes and Aristotle all wrote Socratic dialogues, and Cicero wrote similar dialogues in Latin on philosophical and rhetorical themes, for example De re publica.
Contents |
Generally, the works of Plato's early years are all considered to be Socratic dialogues, but many of the later ones are often included here as well.