The Dialectical Cut In Socrates' Soul

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the beautiful is not contained in one character,
and for that matter, may not be a character at all. It is crucial then to
take up the characteristics of both Theaetetus and Young Socrates in
relation to what the beautiful is. In so doing, it will provide the basis
for political knowledge. To begin, Theaetetus is a youth just returned from
battle. War, being the harshest of all teachers places one under the duress
of necessity. This is a foreshadowing of the struggle, both internal and
external that are about to occur. The exteral battle is the undermining of
the beliefs and opinions of the many. This undermining is very dangerous
for it leads to one of three options: death, madness or philosophy. As
different as all of the beliefs are, the basis is faith butressed by reason
to make it friendly to philosophy. The internal struggle, at first glance,
seems to be the easier to construct. The internal struggle is Theaetetus'
gripping the concept of the idea (eikoi). Socrates ...

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