ABSTRACT
Several general but distinct aspects of the Dialogue remain to be examined. One is the book's scientific content and significance; this is already implicit in the earlier reconstruction of its main argument, but needs to be made explicit. Another is the book's methodological content and significance; this too has been partially included in that reconstruction, but merits a more comprehensive analysis. Finally, there is the topic of the book's rhetorical content, form and significance; this has barely been mentioned so far, but represents an important dimension. These three aspects will be examined, respectively, in the three chapters (8–10) of Part III.
