Bitter Knowledge: Learning Socratic Lessons of Disillusion and Renewal

4: The Labor of Socratic Inquiry

129 f o u r The Labor of Socratic Inquiry Learning in the Theaetetus to Give an Account of Oneself There is another point also in which those who associate with me are like women in child-birth. They suffer the pains of labour, and are filled day and night with distress; indeed they suffer far more than women. And this pain my art is able to bring on, and also to allay. —socrates speaking about his art of midwifery And thus there are some things which all creatures, men and animals alike, are naturally able to perceive as soon as they are born; I mean, the experiences which reach the soul through the body. But calculations regarding their being and their advantageousness come, when they do, only as the result of a long and arduous development, involving a great deal of trouble and education. —socrates instructing theaetetus When we examined the Protagoras, I began by noting that Socrates found something surprising in his experience—namely, his fascination with Protagoras and his consequent neglect of Alcibiades, something that it was worthwhile for him to relate to his conversational companion . And it was from this point of interest that the dialogue began, with Socrates narrating to his friend the events and exchanges that constituted Socrates’ discussions with Hippocrates and Protagoras. The 130 – bitter knowledge Theaetetus begins, instead, with something that is said to be unsurprising , but only in the sense that the phenomenon in question happens to be typical of the person under discussion. What is found unsurprising is the heroism of Theaetetus. And, despite its being found unsurprising , this phenomenon is something of interest; so it is worth remarking. The dialogue begins, then, with a brief commentary emphasizing that Theaetetus is an outstanding person. This is how we come to have the short introductory tableau between Eucleides and Terpsion. Terpsion has been searching for Eucleides (to no avail) in the Athenian marketplace, and Terpsion is on his way back home when coincidentally he bumps into Eucleides, who is returning to Athens with sad tidings. Terpsion soon learns the bad news: Eucleides: I ran into Theaetetus, who was being taken to Athens from the army at Corinth. Terpsion: Alive or dead? Eucleides: Alive, but only just. It’s partly that he’s suffering from some wounds, but he’s getting more trouble from the disease that’s broken out in the army. Terpsion: Dysentery? Eucleides: Yes. Terpsion: That means he’s in danger. What a man for this to happen to! Eucleides: Yes, Terpsion, a fine person. Actually, I’ve just been listening to some people waxing positively lyrical about what he did in the battle. Terpsion: Yes, that’s not at all out of the way; it would have been far more surprising if he hadn’t been like that. [McDowell at 1 (142a–c)] Theaetetus’ good character being established, Eucleides then recalls that Socrates had spoken about him in praiseworthy terms and had predicted great things of him, if Theaetetus managed to stay alive: “[A]s I was coming back, I recollected with admiration how prophetically Socrates had spoken about him—as of course he did on other subjects too. It was shortly before his death, I think, that Socrates came across him, when Theaetetus was a boy. He met him and had a discussion with him, The Labor of Socratic Inquiry – 131 and he was extremely impressed by Theaetetus’ natural gifts. When I went to Athens, he [Socrates] repeated to me what they’d said in their discussion, which was well worth hearing; and he said that Theaetetus was absolutely bound to become famous, if he lived to be grown up” [McDowell at 1–2 (142c–d)]. It is by means of this commentary by Eucleides and Terpsion that we gain entry to the discussion, “well worth hearing,” that took place long ago between Socrates and Theaetetus. We then proceed to overhear this long-ago discussion as it is read aloud and reenacted (not narrated) in the ensuing text. This opening of the Theaetetus presents us with an interesting mixture of understatement and dramatic tension. As the dialogue gets under way, we learn that Theaetetus lingers near death, and the drama in this moment, while unemphatic, is heightened as the remarks of Eucleides recall the days shortly before Socrates’ own death. Being registered here by Plato, in a few economical strokes, are not only the tragic...