Lesser Hippias

PlatoProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 53K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Lesser Hippias by PlatoAuthor: Plato (spurious and doubtful works), 427? BCE-347? BCE,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1999

Editor's review

Lesser Hippias is among the works of doubtful authenticity in the Platonic corpus; the materials label it "spurious and dubious works." The dialogue revolves around who is preferable, the one who lies intentionally or the one who lies unintentionally, and Socrates, in his usual probing manner, leads his opponent into paradox without arriving at a settled conclusion. Its value lies not in a fixed doctrine but in showing dialectic at work: how concepts loosen under questioning, how definitions fail before counterexamples. For readers of the genuine dialogues, it is an interesting point of comparison for observing the typical structure of a Socratic dialogue and for considering differences in style and argumentative density between spurious and genuine works. This is a Project Gutenberg English electronic text, without translation notes, and short enough to read in one sitting while taking notes. Do not rush to judge whether the conclusion is right or wrong; what is more worth noting is how the questions are advanced.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read Plato's early dialogues and want to broaden their reading
Learners interested in Socratic dialectic and the problem of definition
Philosophy students using it as a case study in authenticity questions and textual analysis
Readers who want to practice close reading with a short English philosophical text

Not a good fit for

Readers with no background in Plato seeking an introductory guide
Readers who want definite philosophical conclusions rather than a process of questioning
Readers who need a Chinese translation or detailed notes

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the direction of the dialogue, then a second time marking Socrates' steps of questioning paragraph by paragraph
Note each definition offered in the dialogue as you read and observe which counterexample overturns it
Read it alongside a generally accepted early Platonic dialogue and compare argumentative density and style
After finishing, restate the core paradox in your own words to test whether you truly understand its structure

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Was this dialogue really written by Plato?

The materials label the author as "Plato (spurious and dubious works)," indicating that attribution is disputed; scholars generally do not regard it as a securely genuine work of Plato. Read it as a doubtful text within the tradition attributed to Plato.

Can I read it without a philosophy background?

It is short and in English, but the argument depends on sensitivity to definitions and counterexamples. Readers with no background may see only circling arguments; it is advisable to read a more generally accepted early Platonic dialogue first.

Does this book have notes or an introduction?

The materials indicate it is a Project Gutenberg English electronic text with no notes or introduction. Readers who need background should pair it with a history of philosophy or Platonic scholarship.

Comments

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About the author

Plato Author · Ancient Greek

Plato (c. 427 BCE–347 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. He was born in Athens around 427 BCE and died in 347 BCE. He founded the Academy and laid the foundations of Western philosophy with his dialogues. The four works listed here—Alcibiades I, Lesser Hippias, Alcibiades II, and Eryxias—are spurious or doubtful dialogues attributed to him. Public information on their exact dating, authorship, and transmission is limited; they generally unfold as Socratic dialogues dealing with ethical, political, and educational questions. In classical scholarship they have long been discussed as part of the reception of Plato's works, and their style and thought have also influenced later research on the authenticity of the Platonic corpus.