Teaching Plato in Translation
by Susan Gorman, Boston University
Original text © 2004 Susan Gorman
The Republic
Dialectic
What is the dialectic? Plato's text states:
"The dialectic remains the only intellectual process whose method is that of dissecting hypotheses and ascending to first principles in order to obtain valid knowledge. Even when the soul’s eye is sunk in the muddy pit or barbarism, the dialectic will gently release it and draw it upward, calling upon the studies we recently examined to support its work of conversion. We should note here that habit has several times caused us to call these studies sciences. We really need another word that would connote something more enlightened than opinion but less pure than science. I believe we used the word understanding earlier." (St. 533d; S&S 227)
Dialectic is the process by which thought leads one to knowledge. Discussion is the spur to dialectic. Through talking with each other, people can delve more deeply into problems and figure out an answer.
Last time I taught this text, I puzzled with my students over why these texts were written in dialogue form. We finally decided that this form would allow a reader to feel like a part of the dialogue, so that the dialectic process could work for him or her as well. In following the different movements of an argument, a reader could figure out his or her own interventions in the discussion. In so doing, the reader would be further persuaded to believe in the points being made.
