The dialogue explores the nature of knowledge and reality through a conversation between Socrates and Theaetetus. They discuss various definitions of knowledge, including perception, opinion, and memory, ultimately concluding that none of these provide a satisfactory definition. Socrates argues that true knowledge requires an understanding of the underlying reality, which is not accessible through sensory experience or reasoning alone. He suggests that knowledge may be based on eternal and unchanging Forms or Ideas, rather than fleeting physical phenomena. The dialogue raises questions about the relationship between perception, opinion, and knowledge, and whether it's possible to have certain knowledge at all.
By Plato · First published 391 · Genre: Philosophy, Socratic Dialogue, Metaphysics