Abstract
In this essay, I address what Vlastos called the problem of the Socratic elenchos. Vlastos stated the main question of the problem as follows: “how is it that Socrates claims to have proved a thesis is false when, in point of logic, all he has proved is that the thesis is inconsistent with the conjunction of agreed-upon premises for which no reason has been given in that argument?”1 This problem has long been important to solve, but it has been the subject of a good deal of controversy: not only is there controversy about how to solve the problem but there is also controversy about whether there is a genuine problem in the first place.2
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Benson, H. 2000. Socratic Wisdom: The Model of Knowledge in Plato’s Early Dialogues. New York: Oxford University Press.
Benson, H. 2002. “Problems with Socratic Method.” In Does Socrates Have a Method? Rethinking the Elenchus in Plato’s Dialogues and Beyond, edited by G.A. Scott. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Bolton, R. 1992. “Aristotle’s Solution to the Problem of the Socratic Elenchus.” In The Philosophy of Socrates, edited by K.J. Boudouris. Vol. 2. Athens: Kardamitsa Publishing.
Brickhouse, T., and N.D. Smith. 1994. Plato’s Socrates. New York: Oxford University Press.
Brickhouse, T., and N.D. Smith. 2002. “The Socratic Elenchos?” In edited by G.A. Scott.
Burnyeat, M., ed. 1994. Socratic Studies. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Carpenter, M., and Polansky, R. 2002. “Variety of Socratic Elenchi.” In edited by G.A. Scott.
Cooper, J., ed. 1997. Plato: Complete Works. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing.
Davidson, D. 1992. “The Socratic Conception of Truth.” In The Philosophy of Socrates, edited by K.J. Boudouris. Vol. 2. Athens: Kardamitsa Publishing.
Genzler, J. 1994. “Recollection and the Problem of the Socratic Elenchus.” Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy, 257–95.
Irwin, T. 1995. Plato’s Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kraut, R. 1983. “Comments on Gregory Vlastos, ‘The Socratic Elenchus’.” Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 1:59–70.
Polansky, R. 1985. “Professor Vlastos’ Analysis of the Socratic Elenchus.” Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 3:247–60.
Santana, A. 2003. The Problem of the Socratic Elenchus. Ann Arbor: UMI.
Santas, G. unpublished. “Socratic Method in Plato’s Republic I.” Unpublished draft cited with the author’s permission, 1–18.
Scott, G.A., ed. 2002. Does Socrates Have a Method? Rethinking the Elenchus in Plato’s Dialogues and Beyond. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Vlastos, G. 1994a. “The Socratic Elenchus: Method is All.” In edited by M. Burnyeat.
Vlastos, G. 1994b. “Socrates’ Disavowal of Knowledge.” In edited by M. Burnyeat.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Santana, A. (2011). Reasons and the Problem of the Socratic Elenchos. In: Anagnostopoulos, G. (eds) Socratic, Platonic and Aristotelian Studies: Essays in Honor of Gerasimos Santas. Philosophical Studies Series, vol 117. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1730-5_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1730-5_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-1729-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1730-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawPhilosophy and Religion (R0)