Skip to main content
Log in

Protagoras Refuted: How Clever is Socrates' "Most Clever" Argument at Theaetetus 171a–c?'

  • Published:
Topoi Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article aims at reconstructing the logic and assessing the force of Socrates' argument against Protagoras' 'Measure Doctrine' (MD) at Theaetetus 171a–c. I examine and criticise some influential interpretations of the passage, according to which, e.g., Socrates is guilty of ignoratio elenchi by dropping the essential Protagorean qualifiers or successfully proves that md is self-refuting provided the missing qualifiers are restored by the attentive reader. Having clarified the meaning of MD, I analyse in detail the broader section 170a–171d and argue, against an extensive scholarly consensus, (1) that it contains two slightly different formulations of the same argument, and not two (or three) distinct arguments, (2) that Socrates does not highlight his own strategy at 171a–c as especially clever, and (3) that his argument successfully shows that md turns out to be untenable for Protagoras himself when submitted to scrutiny in dialectical contexts, without aiming at proving its absolute falsehood. Finally, I clarify the philosophical import of the final image of Protagoras' momentary return from the underworld.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arthur, E. P.: 1982, 'Plato, Theaetetus 171 A', Mnemosyne 35, 335–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, A. R.: 1997, 'Is Man the Measure?', Philosophical Inquiry 14, 71–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bemelmans, R.: 2002, 'Why Does Protagoras Rush Off? Self-Refutation and Haste in Plato, Theaetetus 169a–171d', Ancient Philosophy 22, 75–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bostock, D.: 1988, Plato's Theaetetus, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, L.: 1993, 'Understanding the Theaetetus', Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 11, 199–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnet, J.: 1900, Platonis Opera: Tomus I, tetralogias I-II continens, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnyeat, M. F.: 1976a, 'Protagoras and Self-Refutation in Later Greek Philosophy', Philosophical Review 85, 44–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnyeat, M. F.: 1976b, 'Protagoras and Self-Refutation in Plato's Theaetetus', Philosophical Review 85, 172–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnyeat, M. F.: 1982, 'Idealism and Greek Philosophy: What Descartes Saw and Berkeley Missed', Philosophical Review 91, 3–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnyeat, M. F.: 1990, The Theaetetus of Plato, translation by M. J. Levett, Indianapolis: Hackett.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, L.: 1861, The Theaetetus of Plato, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castagnoli, L.: 2000, 'Self-bracketing Pyrrhonism', Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 18, 263–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chappell, T. D. J.: 1995, 'Does Protagoras Refute Himself?', Classical Quarterly 45, 333–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chappell, T. D. J.: 2000, Plato: Theaetetus, Part 3, Section 8, Project Archelogos.

  • Cooper, J. L. III: 1998, Attic Greek Prose Syntax, after K. W. Krüger, 2 vols., Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, J. M.: 1990, Plato's Theaetetus, New York-London: Garland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornford, F. M.: 1935, Plato's Theory of Knowledge: The Theaetetus and the Sophist of Plato translated with a running commentary, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, J. M.: 1997, 'The Theory of Perception in Plato's Theaetetus 152–183', Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 15, 51–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denyer, N.: 1991, Language, Thought and Falsehood in Ancient Greek Philosophy, London-New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Pinotti, G. M.: 1999, 'Se auto-refuta el relativista Protágoras? Ensayo de reconstrucción de Teeteto 171a–c', Revista Latinoamericana de Filosofia 25, 295–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diès, A.: 1924, Platon: Oeuvres complète, Tome VIII – 2e Partie: Théétète, Paris: Les Belles Lettres.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emilsson, E. K.: 1994, 'Plato's Self-Refutation Argument in Theaetetus 171A–C Revisited', Phronesis 39, 136–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.: 1994, 'Protagorean Relativisms', Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy 10, 211–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.: 1996, 'Conflicting Appearances: Tht. 153d–154b', in C. Gill and M. M. McCabe (eds.), Form and Argument in Late Plato, Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 105–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.: 1998a, 'Plato's Refutation of Protagoras in the Theaetetus', Apeiron 31, 201–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.: 1998b, 'Relativism and Self-Refutation: Plato, Protagoras, and Burnyeat', in J. Gentzler (ed.), Method in Ancient Philosophy, Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 137–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, A.: 1994, 'Protagoras' Head: Interpreting Philosophic Fragments in the Theaetetus', American Journal of Philology 115, 199–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottlieb, P.: 1992, 'The Principle of Non-Contradiction and Protagoras: The Strategy of Aristotle's Metaphysics IV 4', Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy 8, 183–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grote, G.: 1875, Plato and the other Companions of Sokrates, 3 vols., London: Murray, vol. II.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, W. K. C.: 1978, A History of Greek Philosophy, Volume 5: The Later Plato and the Academy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haden, J.: 1984, 'Did Plato Refute Protagoras?', History of Philosophy Quarterly 1, 225–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicken, W. F.: 1995, '?EAITHTO?', in E. A. Duke, W. F. Hicken, W. S. M. Nicoll, D. B. Robinson and J. C. G. Strachan (eds.), Platonis Opera: Tomus I, tetralogias I-II continens, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 277–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerferd, G. B.: 1949, 'Plato's Account of the Relativism of Protagoras', Durham University Journal 42, 20–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ketchum, R. J.: 1992, 'Plato's “Refutation” of Protagorean Relativism: Theaetetus 170–171', Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 10, 73–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, E. N.: 1973, 'Hoist With his Own Petard: Ironic and Comic Elements in Plato's Critique of Protagoras (Tht. 161–171)', in E. N. Lee, A. P. D. Mourelatos and R. M. Rorty (eds.), Exegesis PROTAGORAS REFUTED 31 and Argument: Studies in Greek Philosophy presented to Gregory Vlastos, Assen: Van Gorcum, pp. 225–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M.: 2000, 'The Secret Doctrine: Plato's Defence of Protagoras in the Theaetetus', Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 19, 47–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, A.: 2004, 'Refutation and Relativism in Theaetetus 161–171', Phronesis 49, forthcoming.

  • Matthen, M.: 1985, 'Perception, Relativism, and Truth: Reflections on Plato's Theaetetus 152–160', Dialogue 24, 33–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, M. M.: 2000, Plato and his Predecessors: The Dramatisation of Reason, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell, J.: 1973, Plato: Theaetetus, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narcy, M.: 1986, 'A qui la parole? Platon et Aristote face à Protagoras', in B. Cassin (ed.), Positions de la sophistique, Paris: Vrin, pp. 75–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narcy, M.: 1989, 'Platon revu et corrigé', in B. Cassin and M. Narcy, La décision du sens: Le livre Gamma de la Métaphysique d'Aristote, Paris: Vrin, pp. 61–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narcy, M.: 1995, Platon: Théétète, 2e édition corrigée, Paris: Flammarion.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, J.: 1982, 'The Recoil Argument', Apeiron 16, 47–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Passmore, J. A.: 1961, Philosophical Reasoning, New York: Scribner's.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polansky, R. M.: 1992, Philosophy and Knowledge: A Commentary on Plato's Theaetetus, Lewisburg-London: Bucknell University Press-Associated University Presses.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rezendes, P. M.: 2001, 'A Footnote to Plato: An Introduction to Plato's Theaetetus', The Examined Life (On-line Philosophy Journal) 2.

  • Runciman, W. G.: 1962, Plato's Later Epistemology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sayre, K. M.: 1969, Plato's Analytic Method, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tigner, S. S.: 1971, 'The “Exquisite” Argument at Tht. 171 A', Mnemosyne 24, 366–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vailati, G.: 1904, 'A proposito di un passo del Teeteto e di una dimostrazione di Euclide', Rivista di Filosofia e Scienze Affini 6, 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlastos, G. (ed.): 1956, Plato: Protagoras, with B. Jowett's translation extensively revised by M. Ostwald, Indianapolis-New York: Liberal Arts Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterfield, R. A. H.: 1987, Plato: Theaetetus, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterlow, S.: 1977, 'Protagoras and Inconsistency: Theaetetus 171a6–c7', Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 59, 19–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, F. C.: 1989, 'Self-Refuting Propositions and Relativism', Metaphilosophy 20, 84–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wohlrab, M.: 1891, Platonis Theaetetus, Leipzig: Teubner.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Castagnoli, L. Protagoras Refuted: How Clever is Socrates' "Most Clever" Argument at Theaetetus 171a–c?'. Topoi 23, 3–32 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TOPO.0000021381.34686.0d

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TOPO.0000021381.34686.0d

Keywords

Navigation