The Clitophon, a dialogue generally ascribed to Plato, is significant for focusing on Socrates' role as an exhorter of other people to engage in philosophic inquiry. It seems to identify closely with the concept of the ideal people in the ideal city-state of Plato's Republic and is an outstanding example of the philosophical protreptic, a form of instructive dialogue or a guide to the virtues of a particular way of life or school of thought. This represents an important genre in exhortation very fashionable at the time. The Clitophon is seen as a defense of the Platonic dialogue. Plato Plato (Greek: ΠλάÏÏν, PlátÅn) (c. ... This article is about the ancient Greek philosopher, for all other uses see: Socrates (disambiguation) Socrates (June 4, ca. ... In a broad definition, a republic is a state whose political organization rests on the principle that the citizens or electorate constitute the ultimate root of legitimacy and sovereignty. ...
All the known dialogues of Plato survive; modern-day standard editions of his oeuvre in addition generally contain dialogues considered by the consensus of scholars either suspect (e.g., Alcibiades, Clitophon) or probably spurious (such as Demodocus, or the Second Alcibiades).
It is interesting to ponder the qualities of dialogue, for this makes the reader into an observer, rather than a recipient (the 'addressee' as it were), as would be the case with a non-dialogic presentation of beliefs.
The ostensible mise-en-scene of a dialogue distances both Plato and a given reader from the philosophy being discussed; one can choose between at least two options of perception: either to participate in the dialogues, in the ideas being discussed, or choose to see the content as expressive of the personalities contained within the work.
The most important writings of Plato are his dialogues ; although a handful of epigrams also survive, and some letters have come down to us under his name.
All the known dialogues of Plato survive; some of the dialogues which the Greeks ascribed to him are considered by the consensus of scholars to be either suspect (e.g., First Alcibiades, Clitophon) or probably spurious (such as Demodocus, or the Second Alcibiades).
Socrates is often a character in the dialogues of Plato.