The complete dialogues of Plato
This is classic five-volume English translation of Plato’s dialogues most widely used in the public domain by Benjamin Jowett’s edition (Oxford University Press, 1871–1892). Jowett’s work remains influential because of its clarity, accessibility, and comprehensive introductions, though modern scholars note its Victorian tone.
These collections are important because they preserve the foundations of Western philosophy in a format that shaped generations of readers.
📖 Translator Information
- Benjamin Jowett (1817–1893):
- Master of Balliol College, Oxford.
- Produced the definitive 19th-century English translations of Plato’s dialogues.
- His five-volume set (3rd edition, 1892) is in the public domain, making it freely available via Project Gutenberg, Wikisource, and Internet Archive.
- Other translators of public domain editions include Henry Cary, George Burges, and Thomas Taylor, but Jowett’s remains the most widely read and cited.
Why the Plato Collections Are Important
- Foundations of Western Thought: Plato’s dialogues, alongside Aristotle’s works, are cornerstones of philosophy, exploring justice, virtue, knowledge, and reality.
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Socratic Method: The dialogues showcase Socrates’ questioning style, emphasizing philosophy as inquiry rather than dogma.
- Theory of Forms: Introduced in works like Republic and Phaedo, this idea of eternal ideals (justice, beauty, goodness) shaped metaphysics and theology.
- Political Philosophy: Republic and Laws remain central to debates on governance, education, and justice.
- Historical Continuity: Plato preserved Socrates’ voice after his execution, ensuring his ideas influenced later traditions, including Christian theology and modern democratic thought.
Volume 1
- Charmides – Explores the nature of temperance (sophrosyne), questioning whether self-control can be defined.
- Lysis – A dialogue on friendship, probing what makes relationships genuine.
- Laches – Examines courage, with Socrates challenging generals to define bravery.
- Protagoras – A debate with the sophist Protagoras about whether virtue can be taught.
- Euthydemus – Satirizes sophists through playful arguments about wisdom.
- Cratylus – Discusses language and whether names reflect reality.
- Phaedrus – A rich dialogue on love, rhetoric, and the soul’s immortality.
- Ion – Considers poetic inspiration and whether it is divine or skill-based.
- Symposium – Famous exploration of love, culminating in Socrates’ account of the ascent to the Form of Beauty.
Volume 2
- Meno – Asks whether virtue can be taught, introducing the theory of recollection.
- Euthyphro – Discusses piety, with the famous “Euthyphro dilemma.”
- Apology – Socrates’ defense speech at his trial, a cornerstone of philosophy.
- Crito – Explores justice and obedience to law as Socrates awaits execution.
- Phaedo – A moving account of Socrates’ last hours, discussing the soul’s immortality.
- Gorgias – Critiques rhetoric and contrasts it with philosophy.
- Appendix I: Lesser Hippias – On lying and truth.
- Alcibiades I – Socrates mentors Alcibiades on self-knowledge.
- Menexenus – A satirical funeral oration.
- Appendix II: Alcibiades II – On prayer and divine guidance.
- Eryxias – A minor dialogue on wealth and virtue.
Volume 3
- Republic – Plato’s masterpiece on justice, the ideal state, and the philosopher-king.
- Timaeus – A cosmological dialogue describing the creation of the universe.
- Critias – Fragmentary dialogue recounting Atlantis and ancient Athens.
Volume 4
- Parmenides – A difficult dialogue testing the theory of Forms.
- Theaetetus – On the nature of knowledge, introducing definitions and challenges.
- Sophist – Defines the sophist and explores being and non-being.
- Statesman – Examines political leadership and the true statesman.
- Philebus – Discusses pleasure, intellect, and the good life.
Volume 5
- Laws – Plato’s longest dialogue, offering a practical blueprint for governance, law, and education in a second-best state when the philosopher-king is absent.
Download the PDF collection