ABSTRACT
The l a s t s e c t i o n of the T h e a e t e t u s (201c 7-210b 3 ) e x a m i n e s a
f r e s h de f in i t ion of knowledge . T h e p r e c e d i n g d i s c u s s i o n has shown tha t
t r u e j u d g m e n t by i t s e l f canno t be knowledge , and i t o c c u r s to T h e a e t e t u s
th a t the old de f in i t ion i s not so m u c h w r o n g as o v e r - i n c l u s i v e : k n o w l
edge m i g h t be de f in ed a s t r u e be l i e f o r j u d g m e n t r e s t r i c t e d in s o m e
way. He r e m e m b e r s having h e a r d i t sa id th a t knowledge is t r u e be l ie f
( judgment ) a c c o m p a n i e d by A cfy ox (account , explana t ion , e t c . ) , and
th i s def in i t i on now s e e m s to h im a p l a u s i b l e su gg es t io n . In o r d e r to
put i t to w o r k , h o w e v e r , one would have to know m o r e about what m i g h t
be m e a n t by log os in th i s contex t . In the s u b s e q u e n t d i s c u s s i o n and
ex am in a t io n , t h e r e f o r e , fo u r e f fo r t s a r e m a d e to give a p r e c i s e s e n s e
to th i s not ion; but in each c a s e the c o n c r e t e def in i t ion w h ich r e s u l t s is
r e j e c t e d . H e r e the m a t t e r i s d ro pp ed : t h e r e s e e m s to be nothing
beyond th e fo u r e xpl ana t io ns of logos p r o p o s e d by S o c r a t e s w h ic h the
p e r s o n w h o s e t h e o r y T h e a e t e t u s has ad op te d m i g h t have m e a n t by s a y
ing th a t knowledge i s t r u e be l i e f p lus logos . The d ia log ue t h e r e u p o n
c l o s e s w i th a d e c l a r a t i o n of defea t : kno wled ge is n e i t h e r p e r c e p t i o n
n o r t r u e b e l i e f n o r the l a t t e r t o g e t h e r w i th lo gos , and no f u r t h e r l i ke ly
c a n d id a t e s u g g e s t s i t se l f .
