© 1996, 1997 Bernard SUZANNE (bfsuzan@ibm.net)  Last updated November 29, 1997 
Plato's Tetralogies
 
Overview 
of tetralogies		 a i t i a 
(cause) 		 epithumiai (desires) 
phusis (nature) 		 thumos (will) 
krisis (judgment) 		 logos (reason) 
kosmos (order) 
Tetralogy 1 : 
The start of the quest 
what is man ? 		 ALCIBIADES  
man 
  		 LYSIS  
friendship 
(philo-) 		 LACHES  
manhood 
(andreia) 		 CHARMIDES  
wisdom 
(-sophos) 
Tetralogy 2 : 
The sophists  
eikasia (conjecture) 		   PROTAGORAS  
relativism 
  		   HIPPIAS Major  
illusion of 
beauty 		 GORGIAS  
illusion of 
justice 		   HIPPIAS Minor  
illusion of 
science 
Tetralogy 3 : 
Socrates' trial  
  
pistis (true belief) 		 MENO  
pragmatism 
  
 		 EUTHYPHRO  

letter of the 
law 

 THE APOLOGY  
OF SOCRATES 
law 
in action 		 CRITO  

spirit of the 
law 
Tetralogy 4 : 
The soul  
  
psuche 		  THE SYMPOSIUM  
the driving 
force : 
eros 		 PHÆDRUS  
nature of 
the soul : 
eros<=>logos 		  THE REPUBLIC  
behaviour of 
the soul : 
justice 		 PHÆDO  
destiny of 
the soul : 
being 
Tetralogy 5 : 
Speech (logos) 
dianoia (knowledge) 		 CRATYLUS  
the words of 
speech 		 ION  
logos of the 
poet 		   EUTHYDEMUS  
logos of the 
sophist 		 MENEXENUS  
logos of the 
politician 
Tetralogy 6 : 
Dialectic 
episteme (science) 		 PARMENIDES  
the traps of 
reason 		 THEÆTETUS  
the limits of 
reason 		 THE SOPHIST  
the laws of 
reason 		   THE STATESMAN  
the goals of 
reason 
Tetralogy 7 : 
Man in the world  
kosmos (order) 		 PHILEBUS  
the good of 
man 		 TIMÆUS  
contemplating 
(theoria) 		 CRITIAS  
deciding 
(krisis) 		 THE LAWS  
acting 
(erga) 
First published May 16, 1996 - Last updated November 29, 1997
© 1996, 1997 Bernard SUZANNE (bfsuzan@ibm.net) (click on name to send your comments via e-mail)
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