Essays on Plato's Epistemology Franco Trabattoni. [print]

Issued as part of book collections on Project MUSE.

Introduction-- 1. Thought as inner dialogue (Theaet. 189e4-190a6) ; -- 2. Logos and doxa : the meaning of the refutation of the third definition of epistêmê in the Theaetetus-- 3. Theaetetus 200d-201c : truth without certainty-- 4. Foundationalism or coherentism? On the third definition of epistêmê in the Theaetetus-- 5. What is the meaning of Plato's Theaetetus? Some remarks on a new annotated translation of the dialogue-- 6. David Sedley's Theaetetus-- 7. The "virtuous circle" of language. On the meaning of Plato's Cratylus-- 8. The knowledge of the philosopher-- 9. What role do the mathematical sciences play in the metaphor of the line? ; -- 10. Socrates' error in the Parmenides-- 11. On the distinguishing features of Plato's "Metaphysics" (starting from the Parmenides) ; -- 12. Is there such a thing as a "Platonic theory of the ideas" according to Aristotle? ; -- 13. The unity of virtue, self-predication and the "third man" in Protagoras 329e-332a-- 14. Plato : philosophy, politics and knowledge. An overview.

Through a careful survey of several significant Platonic texts, mainly focussing on the nature of knowledge, Essays on Plato's Epistemology offers the reader a fresh and promising approach to Plato's philosophy as a whole. From the very earliest reception of Plato's philosophy, there has been a conflict between a dogmatic and a sceptical interpretation of his work and thought. Moreover, the two sides are often associated, respectively, with a metaphysical and an anti-metaphysical approach. This book, continuing a line of thought that is nowadays strongly present in the secondary literature-- and also followed by the author in over thirty years of research-- maintains that a third way of thinking is required. Against the widespread view that an anti-dogmatic philosophy must go together with an anti-metaphysical stance, Trabattoni shows that for Plato, on the contrary, a sober and reasonable assessment of both the powers and limits of human reason relies on a proper metaphysical outlook.