Plato's Theaetetus (Part 2 )

About this event

In Plato's Theaetetus, Socrates engages the brilliant young mathematician Theaetetus in an inquiry: **What is knowledge (*episteme*)?** Together they wrestle with perception, relativism (via Protagoras), the possibility of error, false belief, and the role of justification or "account" (*logos*). The discussion unfolds through three main definitions: * Is knowledge simply **perception**? * Is it **true judgment** (or true belief)? * Is it **true judgment with an account** (what many see as an early version of "justified true belief")? Socrates famously likens himself to a midwife of ideas—helping others give birth to thoughts while exposing their flaws. The dialogue is rich with puzzles about relativism, flux (Heraclitus), the nature of the mind, and why defining knowledge proves so elusive. It ends in *aporia* (impasse), but that very frustration sparks insight into the questions: How do we know what we know? Can we ever escape circularity or skepticism? Please read (or listen to) as much as you can in advance. We split this work into two separate sessions, now focusing on part 2. **Session 2 187a to End** * Session 2: False Belief, Logos, and Unresolved Puzzlement; Reading: 187b–210d (Definitions 2 and 3 through the End) Focus: We transition to Knowledge as True Belief, wrestling with the paradox of how false belief is even possible (the wax tablet and aviary metaphors). Finally, we explore the third definition—Knowledge as True Belief with an Account (Logos)—and discuss why all three definitions ultimately end in aporia (puzzlement). This section features the fascinating Dream Theory (breaking things down into simple elements), critiques of that approach, and the dialogue’s famous ending in aporia (impasse). Why does defining knowledge prove so difficult? What does the lack of a final answer teach us? We’ll revisit the midwife role, reflect on circularity in knowledge, and connect the ideas to broader Platonic themes and epistemology. **Resources**: *…