Journal | JoLMA
Monographic journal issue | 3 | 1 | 2022
Research Article | Wittgenstein vs. Socrates: Wittgenstein and Plato
Wittgenstein vs. Socrates: Wittgenstein and Plato
Abstract
Wittgenstein opposes Socrates’ insistence that words should have an essentialist definition. Wittgenstein also stands with Euthyphro in his discussion with Socrates over whether God’s commands make an action good. While Socrates values the examined life, Wittgenstein wonders how we can stop the demand for more explanation. For this Wittgenstein may find more sympathy from Plato. Plato pays attention to the characters in his dialogues – the particulars of their circumstances, and he offers myths that supplement his arguments. In the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry, we can see Wittgenstein wishing to side against Socrates but with Plato – who found ways of making philosophy poetic.
Submitted: March 3, 2022 | Accepted: May 31, 2022 | Published June 30, 2022 | Language: en
Keywords Dialogue • Plato • Socrates • Explanation • Definition • Forms • Wittgenstein
Copyright © 2022 James C. Klagge. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Jolma/2723-9640/2022/01/004
