© 1996, 1997 Bernard SUZANNE (Last updated November 14, 1998)
Plato and his dialogues : Home - Biography - Works and links to them - History of interpretation - New hypotheses - Map of dialogues : table version or non tabular version. Tools : Index of persons and locations - Detailed and synoptic chronologies - Maps of Ancient Greek World. Site information : About the author.

 Plato's Tetralogies      


The array below presents the suggested organization of the dialogs in seven tetralogy, one by line of the array. For each tetralogy, the first column lists the "introductory" dialog, and the next three colums list the associated trilogy. From there, you can get to a general comment on the organization of the tetralogies (Overview of Tetralogies), or to comments on individual tetralogies or dialogs.

Note: in this array, only the tetralogies and dialogs for which a comment is currently available, in full or in part, show up as links. As new comments are made available, all titles should eventually become links.

(If your browser can handle tables, click here to get to a tabular version of this page)
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
!              !!              !!  epithumiai  !     thumos    !     logos     !
!   Overview   !!    aitia     !!   (desires)  !     (will)    !    (reason)   !
!      of      !!   (cause)    !!    phusis    !     krisis    !     kosmos    !
!  Tetralogies !!              !!   (nature)   !   (judgment)  !     (order)   !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 1: !!  ALCIBIADES  !!    LYSIS     !    LACHES     !   CHARMIDES   !
!              !!              !!              !               !               !
!Start of quest!!              !!  friendship  !    manhood    !    wisdom     !
! what is man? !!     man      !!   (philo-)   !   (andreia)   !   (-sophos)   !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 2: !! PROTAGORAS   !! HIPPIAS Maj. !    GORGIAS    !  HIPPIAS min. !
! The sophists !!              !!              !               !               !
!   eikasia    !! relativism   !! illusion of  !  illusion of  !  illusion of  !
! (conjecture) !!              !!   beauty     !    justice    !     truth     !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 3: !!    MENO      !!  EUTHYPHRO   !  THE APOLOGY  !     CRITO     !
!Socrates'trial!!              !!              !  OF SOCRATES  !               !
!    pistis    !! pragmatism   !!letter of the !      law      ! spirit of the !
! (true belief)!!              !!     law      !   in action   !      law      !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 4: !!THE SYMPOSIUM !!   PHÆDRUS    ! THE REPUBLIC  !     PHÆDO     !
!   The soul   !! the driving  !!  nature of   ! behaviour of  !  destiny of   !
!              !!    force     !!   the soul   !   the soul    !   the soul    !
!    psuche    !!    eros      !! eros<=>logos !    justice    !    being      !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 5: !!  CRATYLUS    !!     ION      !  EUTHYDEMUS   !   MENEXENUS   !
!speech (logos)!!              !!              !               !               !
!   dianoia    !!the words of  !! logos of the ! logos of the  ! logos of the  !
! (knowledge)  !!   speech     !!     poet     !    sophist    !   politician  !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 6: !!  PARMENIDES  !!  THEÆTETUS   !  THE SOPHIST  ! THE STATESMAN !
!  dialectic   !!              !!              !               !               !
!   episteme   !! the traps of !!the limits of !  the rules of !  the goals of !
!  (science)   !!    reason    !!    reason    !     reason    !     reason    !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+
! Tetralogy 7: !!   PHILEBUS   !!    TIMÆUS    !    CRITIAS    !    THE LAWS   !
! Man in world !!              !!              !               !               !
!    kosmos    !! the good of  !!contemplating !    deciding   !     acting    !
!   (order)    !!     man      !!  (theoria)   !    (krisis)   !     (erga)    !
+--------------++--------------++--------------+---------------+---------------+

Plato and his dialogues : Home - Biography - Works and links to them - History of interpretation - New hypotheses - Map of dialogues : table version or non tabular version. Tools : Index of persons and locations - Detailed and synoptic chronologies - Maps of Ancient Greek World. Site information : About the author.

First published May 16, 1996 - Last updated November 14, 1998
© 1996, 1997 Bernard SUZANNE (click on name to send your comments via e-mail)
Quotations from theses pages are authorized provided they mention the author's name and source of quotation (including date of last update). Copies of these pages must not alter the text and must leave this copyright mention visible in full.