CONTENTS.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Grote, George
Mistaken representations about the Sophists — Aristotle’s definition — no distinguishable line can be drawn between the Sophist and the Dialectician
210
Philosophical purpose of the Euthydêmus — exposure of fallacies, in Plato’s dramatic manner, by multiplication of particular examples
211
Aristotle (Soph. Elench.) attempts a classification of fallacies: Plato enumerates them without classification
212
Fallacies of equivocation propounded by the two Sophists in the Euthydêmus
ib.
Fallacies — à dicto secundum quid, ad dictum simpliciter — in the Euthydêmus
213
Obstinacy shown by the two Sophists in their replies — determination not to contradict themselves
214
Farther verbal equivocations
ib.
Fallacies involving deeper logical principles — contradiction is impossible. — To speak falsely is impossible
215
Plato’s Euthydêmus is the earliest known attempt to set out and expose fallacies — the only way of exposing fallacies is to exemplify the fallacy by particular cases, in which the conclusion proved is known aliunde to be false and absurd
216
Mistake of supposing fallacies to have been invented and propagated by Athenian Sophists — they are inherent inadvertencies and liabilities to error, in the ordinary process of thinking. Formal debate affords the best means of correcting them
217
Wide-spread prevalence of erroneous belief, misguided by one or other of these fallacies, attested by Sokrates, Plato, Bacon, &c., — complete enumeration of heads of fallacies by Mill
218
Value of formal debate as a means for testing and confuting fallacies
221
Without the habit of formal debate, Plato could not have composed his Euthydêmus, nor Aristotle the treatise De Sophisticis Elenchis
ib.
Probable popularity of the Euthydêmus at Athens — welcomed by all the enemies of Dialectic
222
Epilogue of Plato to the Dialogue, trying to obviate this inference by opponents — Conversation between Sokrates and Kriton
223
Altered tone in speaking of Euthydêmus — Disparagement of persons half-philosophers, half-politicians
224
Kriton asks Sokrates for advice about the education of his sons — Sokrates cannot recommend a teacher — tells him to search for himself
225
Euthydêmus is here cited as representative of Dialectic and philosophy
226
Who is the person here intended by Plato, half-philosopher, half-politician? Is it Isokrates?
227
Variable feeling at different times, between Plato and Isokrates
228