ABSTRACT
The main dialogue of the Theaetetus, a conversation between Socrates, the geometer Theodorus, and his pupil Theaetetus, begins with a brief introductory discussion (143d 1–151d 6) in which Socrates engages Theaetetus (146c) as his respondent in an investigation of the question, What is knowledge? At first Theaetetus replies by citing various sciences, arts, and crafts as “knowledges” https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315694740/4cca3edf-e515-4bd0-9c2c-7c7b69d7080f/content/pg12_1_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> much as under similar circumstances Meno thinks to say what virtue is by explaining what the virtue of a man, a woman, and so on, consist in (Meno 71e ff.). Socrates explains that he wants to know what knowledge itself is and not how many varieties of it there may be, and after a digression showing Theaetetus’ geometrical prowess and explaining Socrates’ avocation as intellectual midwife, the discussion turns in earnest to the attempt to define knowledge.
