| Author |
Plato (spurious and doubtful works), 428? BCE-348? BCE |
| Title |
Alcibiades I
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 69.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
|
| Note |
Socrates
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| Credits |
Produced by Sue Asscher, and David Widger
|
| Summary |
"Alcibiades I" by Plato is a philosophical dialogue likely written in the early 4th century BC. The dialogue presents a conversation between Socrates and the young Athenian statesman Alcibiades, exploring themes of self-knowledge, virtue, and the nature of political wisdom. The text delves into Alcibiades’ ambition as he prepares to enter public life, ultimately challenging his understanding of justice and the qualifications necessary for leadership. The opening portion of the dialogue establishes Alcibiades as an ambitious young man, proud of his wealth, looks, and lineage. Socrates, adopting his characteristic role of the interrogator, guides Alcibiades through a series of questions that reveal his ignorance about virtue and justice. Despite Alcibiades’ confidence in advising the Athenians, Socrates forces him to confront the fact that he does not possess the necessary knowledge to effectively govern or counsel his fellow citizens. As the discussion progresses, the dialogue emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge as a precursor to political responsibility, suggesting that true guidance in public affairs must come from understanding one’s own nature and the essence of justice. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature
|
| Subject |
Classical literature
|
| Subject |
Socrates, 470 BC-399 BC
|
| Subject |
Virtue -- Early works to 1800
|
| Subject |
Alcibiades
|
| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
1676 |
| Release Date |
Mar 1, 1999 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Jan 16, 2013 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
952 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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