What is the significance of Plato's choice of the dialogue form?

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Laura Evans                

What is the significance of Plato’s choice of the dialogue form?

Plato is known throughout history as the author of some of the most poetic, lively, interesting and probing dialogues ever written. Not only are they crucial in the philosophical development of the western world, they are also literary classics in their own right. But, to what extent was this success dependent on the form in which Plato chose to convey his teachings: the dialogue form? Why did Plato use the dialogue form rather than straight poetry or prose like his contemporaries?

   The central character in Plato’s dialogues was usually Socrates. Despite knowing very little factually about the historical Socrates, academics are largely agreed that he did actually exist. Socrates was a historical figure, famously put to death by the Athenian State for corrupting the young and for trying to introduce new Gods. Although these were the official reasons for his death, it is likely that the real reason was political, due to his relationship with the Oligarchy Party. Even before falling foul of the Athenian State, Socrates was never a popular figure due to his annoying habit of stopping people in the street to question them in detail about philosophy in a style similar to that depicted in Plato’s dialogues. Socrates himself never wrote a word; however, the philosophy of the historical Socrates seems to have been centred on a search for a definition, particularly in ethical terms, as it was ethics and to some extent language that chiefly occupied the historical Socrates. This tendency to explore philosophy in search of a definition is certainly one that is reflected in Plato’s early dialogues such as Gorgias or Protagoras. As we have no documented evidence from Socrates himself, when we read the words of Plato’s character of Socrates, are we reading words said by the historical figure or merely those put into the character’s mouth by Plato?

   Apart from what we can gather from Plato’s dialogues, which are preserved in their entirety, we know very little of the history of Plato’s literary career. His purpose in publishing his dialogues is unknown, as well as the dates of both the writing and publication of each of the dialogues. Despite this, scholars have grouped Plato’s works into those written in the early, middle and late periods of his philosophical career which is thought to have started soon after the death of the historical Socrates, continuing until his death aged around 80 in approximately 348BC. It is largely in the early and middle dialogues that the influence of the thoughts of historical Socrates can be seen. It is in Plato’s most famous work the Republic that critics begin to attribute the philosophical ideas to Plato himself rather than to Socrates. Book one of the Republic varies in both style and ideas from the last nine books, leading scholars to suppose it was written separately as an earlier dialogue. It shows Plato to have reached a point in his philosophical career where his use and the scope of the Socratic dialogue style reached an end. Book one is deliberately set up to be unsatisfactory to show this. Plato is using it as a tool to allow him to progress from the early Socratic dialogues into the deeper discussions we see in the latter half of the Republic, particularly in the extended metaphor of the cave, and in the later dialogues such as Parmenides. The dialogue form allows Plato to abandon old ideas in favour of new ones, regardless of their contradictory nature, as his theories change and develop.

   The historical Socrates held many radical ideas, notably those in favour of totalitarianism and against the Athenian democracy of the time. These views made Socrates unpopular during his life and probably contributed to his death. By using a dialogue form and exploiting irony fully, Plato the author was able to distance himself personally from the views held by his character of Socrates. This was important not only for Plato’s own safety, but also for the development of his philosophy. Despite distancing himself slightly from the views of Socrates, the character usually suggests ideas that Plato was thought to be personally sympathetic with. It has been suggested that Plato’s dialogues, due to their form, allowed Plato to argue through and test his arguments in favour of his philosophical theories. This explains why the character of Socrates is occasionally defeated in the debate, showing areas in which Plato’s philosophical argument was not fully developed.

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   The dialogue, with its account of an open and free debate is a more democratic writing style, which acts as a contrast for the totalitarian views of Socrates. It is less focussed around one person than straight prose. The style in which the dialogues were conducted assumed that there was a higher authority, which was capable of imparting a deeper understanding and knowledge of the absolute truth, and that this authority is equally accessible to all. Knowledge is not elitist if sought in the correct manner. Another implication of the dialogue form and its inherent democracy is that it ...

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