Class 2 - Getting to know the Theaetetus

Notes from Class 2

Welcome back! Let’s dive in to the Theaetetus. We’re going to be spending a few weeks with this text, so let’s get comfortable, and settle in for the ride.

Socrates and Friends…

First, I want to know in particular what interested you, or what you found difficult about the reading!

In these dialogues, philosophy is something that takes place among groups of friends — and sometimes adversaries. So let’s start by talking about who these people are, and what is happening.

1. Where is the dialogue taking place?
2. Who are these five people?
3. What is happening in the story?
4. What is remarkable about Theaetetus, according to the dialogue?

Now we’re clear about the going to start with a fun introduction to Socrates, from the brilliant 8-Bit Philosophy. It gives us some nice background about who Socrates was, and why he was such a pest!

Who was Socrates?

Three Thinkers

Let’s start to explore these characters in more detail. Choose one of the following:

• Theodorus
• Theaetetus
• Socrates

Write a short piece, in the first person, imagining that you are the person you have chosen in the dialogue. Imagine that you are writing a letter to tell a friend about this encounter! What would you tell them? How would you feel?

After this, we’ll share some extracts of these. We’ll take the three thinkers in order, and get you to share your readings.

Road-map

Now it might be a good time to step back, and to look at a road-map of the text, so that we can get to know the journey that we are about to embark on. I’m going to share a presentation with you.

What is knowledge?

Now we’re going to focus in more detail on the section Socrates asks the question about what knowledge is, and where Theaetetus gives his first response. This is section 146d1 to the end of this extract. We’ll read this popcorn style. We’ll do a shared reading of this section of the text.

In groups, I want you to explore the following questions:

1. Why is Socrates interested in asking about knowledge? Why does this matter?
2. What approach does Theaetetus use in his first answer to the question “What is knowledge?”
3. Why is Socrates unhappy with this answer?

Homework

Your homework is to read READING 2, which is Theaetetus’s first defintion of knowledge. Read the first section where Theaetetus proposes that knowledge is perception. 151d4-152c7. I’ve highlighted the start and end points.

Then read Socrates’s counter-argument 184b4-186e10. You can skip the rest! :)

Write a brief summary of your understanding of the argument in reading 2 on the Canvas discussion board. Submit before midnight on the day of the next class.